No longer a far-fetched notion, the Professional Women鈥檚 Hockey League is approaching reality and Sarah Nurse can鈥檛 help but pinch herself.
On Monday, the 28-year-old Canadian national team forward will be on the ice in Toronto when her yet-to-be nicknamed team faces off against New York .
鈥淚t means so much to me. It鈥檚 something that I had dreamed of and envisioned all those years ago, but I didn鈥檛 know it would actually come to fruition,鈥� Nurse said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard when you think of all the places that we鈥檝e been over the last four years. And to be able to get here, with my Toronto team, has blown my expectations out of the water.鈥�
It wasn鈥檛 easy. It took time and patience for the moment to arrive after past start-up leagues lurched from one crisis to another before ultimately folding because they lacked money, vision and foundational support.
Finally, the world鈥檚 best players have one place to showcase their talents outside the four-year Olympic cycle and enjoying what it鈥檚 like to have their voices heard.
鈥淪een and heard,鈥� Minnesota general manager and .
鈥淪o often, it would be could we just get a seat at the table, right? And then, can we speak up at the table?鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd now, you feel good about the table, and how do we grow that table, is kind of the path we鈥檙e down.鈥�
Not lost on this generation of players is crediting those who preceded them, such as Darwitz and PWHL executive Jayna Hefford, never mind the help of one of women鈥檚 sports most influential gender-breakers in former tennis star Billie Jean King, a PWHL board member.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a long time in coming, and we鈥檙e standing on the shoulders of players from past generations,鈥� Ottawa鈥檚 Brianne Jenner said. 鈥淏ut I think our generation that kind of carried that balance of being grateful for every opportunity, but also not being happy with the crumbs is the attitude that鈥檚 got us here.鈥�
Ultimately, the PWHL would not have been possible without King鈥檚 influence and connections, and the .
The Walters, who remain strictly behind the scenes, have committed to spending tens of millions of dollars to finance a centralized league that has a collective bargaining agreement with its players in place through 2031. And there鈥檚 the heavy lifting that鈥檚 already been done in six short months in which six markets have been established, (Boston, New York/Connecticut, St. Paul, Minnesota, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa), more than 150 employees hired, , and tens of thousands of tickets sold.
Toronto鈥檚 12 home games are essentially sold out, and Montreal was close. The lower bowl of St. Paul鈥檚 Xcel Energy Center is expected to be filled for Minnesota鈥檚 opener, and for its opener.
This is but a start, said PWHL board member Stan Kasten. He has played an influential role in getting the league off the ground in such a short period rather than put it off until next year even if it meant going without logos, nicknames and with a hastily reached finally announced on Friday.
鈥淲e have a long time to get them to where they need to be,鈥� Kasten said. 鈥淚鈥檓 cognizant we鈥檙e going to make mistakes. But every mistake you see, ask if we鈥檙e still at that mistake a year from now.鈥�
For all the iterations of women鈥檚 hockey leagues past, be it the Canadian-based National Women鈥檚 Hockey League that launched in 1999 and eventually became the Canadian Women鈥檚 Hockey League that folded in 2019, or the U.S.-based NWHL that launched in 2015 and eventually became the Premier Hockey Federation before being bought out by Walter in June, the PWHL is regarded as having the best chance to succeed.
Boston forward Shiann Darkangelo has experienced nearly every step. Her stops included CWHL Toronto and Kunlun, China, and three NHWL/PHF teams ending with Toronto, where Darkangelo became the PHF鈥檚 last captain to raise the Isobel Cup .
鈥淎bsolutely, it鈥檚 totally been worth it. I get to do what I love and get paid to do that,鈥� the 30-year-old Darkangelo said.
Hours after coaching Canada to a gold medal at the 2022 Winter Games, in launching a pro women鈥檚 hockey league because he believed it was viable.
It鈥檚 now a reality for Ryan, who is coaching PWHL Toronto.
鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing and, to be honest, it鈥檚 a little bit surreal because it鈥檚 happened so quickly,鈥� Ryan said. 鈥淎 lot of people took a little leap of faith to join this journey.鈥�
What impressed Minnesota鈥檚 Darwitz was seeing and interacting with so many women in positions of power while attending the PWHL鈥檚 evaluation camp in Utica, New York, in early December. and, of the 34 board members and employees listed on the league鈥檚 website, 20 are women.
鈥淚t鈥檚 emotional. It鈥檚 long overdue,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e used to walking into a room and it鈥檚 usually one or two of us.鈥�
Darwitz spoke the same week the University of Delaware announced it was launching a women鈥檚 hockey program 鈥� another indication of the sport鈥檚 growth.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 amazing,鈥� she said, before adding, 鈥渨e still don鈥檛 have Michigan鈥� in noting the Big Ten school lacks a program.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not there,鈥� Darwitz said. 鈥淏ut hopefully, one day, we are there.鈥�
John Wawrow, The Associated Press
