It was a near perfect start to the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) as a new era of women’s hockey begun.
We might not have team names and logos, but some of the best hockey players in the world are in the PWHL as we finally have a fully funded women’s pro league. And if you believe the rumours, more stars expected to arrive from Europe in season two.
The PWHL is unique in a few different ways, some rule differences from the NHL, including powerplays ending if you give up a shorthanded goal. And physical body checking, something we haven’t seen in women’s hockey before.
From an Australian perspective the PWHL could be the perfect storm for players that are aspiring to become professional hockey athletes.
The U18 Australian women’s national team program is going from strength to strength, most recently gaining promotion to IIHF Division I Group B.
As we move into Division I groups it starts to become territory where we can see players moving into the professional ranks, and with the start of the PWHL it’s not a stretch to think we could see Australian players pushing towards professional hockey in North America.
Australia will be represented at the upcoming Winter Youth Olympic Games from January 20-25 at the Gangneung Hockey Centre in Gangwon, South Korea. It will be a 3-on-3 tournament that will draw many of the world’s youngest talents into one place.
Goaltending star Katie Meyer (Brisbane Lightning), Hannah Cryan (Sydney Sirens) and Georgia Watts (Brisbane Lightning), are just a few of the emerging Australian talents who will be donning the green and gold for the Olympics. It’s another tick in the list of boxes for our young women’s hockey players.
We know that the next Sarah Nurse or Hilary Knight isn’t coming from Australian shores – not yet, but we are watering the seeds to see future pro players grow.
The Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League (AWIHL) doesn’t come without its issues, a major sponsor to help fund the competition and players expenses is the most glaring. And the lack of other playing opportunities outside of the AWIHL is also a concern in Australia.
However, despite the issues that might be hamstringing the AWIHL to reach its full potential, the on-ice product is still very strong and only continuing to grow alongside the talent.
Returning stars like Sara Sammons, along with high calibre imports such as Emma Wuthrich, is only highlighting how much the AWIHL has improved in season 2023/24. With the arrival of Australian stars and imports it will lift the professionalism of players league wide.
At the world championships in Jaca, Spain, Australia was able to survive relegation from the group which would have been one of the very first goals on the whiteboard.
It is a result that is massive for not only the current U18 program, but future programs as the talent within the Australian ice hockey system continues to build. The Junior Flyer’s, have in recent times, met every marker put before them with their biggest test coming in Spain where they faced nations like Norway for the first time.
Competing hard there were plenty of learnings for the Junior Flyer’s, with the highlight of the tournament a 3- 0 shutout performance against Korea. Which shows Australians can compete in the division.
It might be a six-team competition based in North America, the PWHL has however, opened women’s hockey to the rest of the world.
There might not be a plan or vision to see Australian hockey players represented in the PWHL, and it might not happen within the next ten years. However, the thought of seeing Australian’s in the ilk of Nathan Walker in the PWHL wets the appetite for this hockey fan.
I am looking at things a glass half full, but a decade down the road the U18 program might just be churning out enough young stars who are competing consistently in Division I.
Which is where the real growth for these players will come from, learning, and playing against the best and strongest hockey nations in the world. And that’s where the PWHL belief and aspirations for Australian players will start to come to life.
It could all be fairytale that I one day wake up from, but we all must dream of something.
Why not us, eh?
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