Pro women’s hockey league may return, inspiring young girls

Almost three years have passed since the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) folded, but conversations with the NHL are ramping up again to revive it, giving young girls hope for an athletic career in hockey.

“I know it motivates a lot of girls to keep going and you know, to potentially reach that level,” said Annette Jensen, head coach of the Edge School U18 Female Prep hockey team. “It gives them that bar and internal aspiration of what is possible.”

The CWHL folded in 2019, with its board of directors saying they owed it to players to have a singular professional league, as the CWHL had been competing with the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) for investments.

WATCH: CityNews’ Jillian Code reports on young girls inspired by the possible return of pro women’s hockey

A pro hockey women’s league return may be around the corner, inspiring young girls in the sport

Conversations about a North American women's hockey league are underway once again, giving inspiration to young girls involved in the sport. Jillian Code reports.

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The NHL has previously said it isn’t in a position to support women’s hockey while there are two competing leagues. Conversations around a solidified women’s league have consistently started, stalled and stopped, leaving young female players in Alberta without a professional league to aspire to.

But, with conversations ramping up once again, there’s renewed hope for girls Jensen works with.

“We have these longings and desires, but once you see it right in front of you, then it’s like whoa, this is possible,” Jensen said. “And then I think it inspires them too, because if this is possible, then what else can be possible.”

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Even without a professional league in the province, Jensen says girls are determined to keep building the sport.

“And seeing that there was 80 more girls there at camp. They had two additional teams, north and south, it was just phenomenal and it was good, good hockey, it was really good hockey and consistent throughout the team,” Jensen said. “So you can see the development that is happening on the female side, and it’s really exciting.”

Jensen says she’s confident that advocacy from the hockey community will eventually result in the return of a professional female hockey team to Alberta.