Building the future: removing barriers for women’s and girls hockey

By Maggie Hsu, November 16 2024—

Hockey is quintessential to Canadian culture, yet for many women and girls, the rink remains an unwelcoming space. On Oct. 22, Hockey Canada released a discussion paper to “inform all Canadians who are invested in the success of women’s and girls’ hockey across the country on the current challenges that exist in the women’s game.” This report exposes the persistent barriers faced by women and girls in hockey. By tackling these systemic issues, this initiative aims to reimagine the sport’s inclusivity, allowing more women and girls to feel like they truly belong to the sport that they love.

The discussion paper titled Building the Future of Women’s and Girls’ Hockey was overseen by a steering committee chaired by current Hockey Canada board member and former National Women’s Team player Gillian Apps. The goal of this committee is to ensure that by 2030, the Canadian hockey system can support the growth of participants in women’s and girls’ hockey and ensure “no girl is kept from participating in hockey based on gender-based barriers.”

This report reveals that challenges limiting the growth and potential of women’s and girls’ hockey go beyond physical access or infrastructure, identifying other key barriers such as equity in resource allocation, policy and governance, education and training, data and visibility and celebration. These barriers reinforce the archaic perception that hockey is a “boys’ game” and that girls playing hockey are “just one of the boys”. This paper acknowledges that by recognizing these obstacles and addressing them, they risk the potential of losing athletes and leaders who have the potential to shape the future of Canadian hockey and sports.

Growing the women’s and girls’ game goes beyond numbers. It’s about visibility and inspiration. When young girls see women succeeding in hockey, it redefines what’s possible for them. Initiatives that make hockey accessible can lay the groundwork for a new generation of Canadian female players, showing that the rink is for everyone—not just boys.

By openly discussing these barriers, Hockey Canada challenges outdated stereotypes and pushes for public perception to change. Highlighting these issues breaks the silence that has allowed them to persist, encouraging advocacy across all levels of the sport.

The past few years have been pivotal for women’s hockey. With the launch and surging popularity of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), the ongoing success of Canadian women’s national teams and trailblazers like Jessica Campbell, Hayley Wickenheiser and Kenzie Lalonde carving paths in the National Hockey League (NHL) and sports media, this is moment is ripe to amplify the voices of women in sports.

The groundwork laid by Hockey Canada is promising. Moving forward, it’s about more than short-term solutions; it’s about building long-term networks and supports for equitable funding and safe spaces within the sport itself. As more voices join the call for equity, Canada has the potential to set a new global standard for women’s hockey, one where every girl feels welcome and sees opportunities for their passion and love for hockey to thrive.

To learn more about this initiative and the next steps, read the full discussion paper here.