The Professional Women’s Hockey League brought more than a game to Manitoba - it delivered a 48-hour showcase of market potential. Packed practices and a sold-out crowd of 15,321 at Canada Life Centre highlighted Winnipeg’s readiness for a PWHL team.
Ottawa defender Jocelyne Larocque, a Ste. Anne native, said Winnipeg is geographically central and culturally primed for professional women’s hockey. With no pro women’s sports team currently in the city, hockey would be a natural first.
“Growing up, I wasn’t sure if this day would come,” Larocque said after Ottawa’s 2-1 overtime win. “To see us live is definitely something different.”
Victoire defenseman Kati Tabin, from nearby Oakbank, called playing in front of family after 11 years “unbelievable.” She sees Winnipeg as an ideal expansion site: “There’s so much hockey love here.”
The league embedded in the community through youth clinics, career panels, and business forums. Players noticed immediate enthusiasm - long lines for morning practices, young fans on the glass during warmups.
Ottawa forward Rebecca Leslie called it “special” to inspire local girls in person. Montreal’s Abby Roque emphasized representation: “This is the hockey you can play one day.”
Ottawa head coach Carla MacLeod, a 2007 world champion on the same ice, praised Winnipeg’s deep hockey roots: “It’s a hockey town. This market is real.”