Skip to content

Let's hear it for the girls (15 photos)

Hockey isn't just a sport for the boys

While there is always a lot of movement in the sport, it’s about growing the game and locally, that doesn’t just mean the boys,

It’s not uncommon for boys growing up to look at giving hockey a try at some point in their lives. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that hockey can be for girls too.

“We’re really growing,” Sault Female Hockey Association President Elissa Plastino said. “We have a bunch of new players at the pee wee age level this year so it’s great that they’re comfortable enough that they’re coming and trying out a new sport at that age.”

Plastino said that the player numbers at the house league levels tends to fluctuate but “it’s all about finding what’s right for the kids.”

“Right now, we’re doing single divisions and our kids are playing in the Pee Wee house league, because then they have more competition against bigger divisions, but they’re playing against kids their own age,” Plastino said.

Plastino said the current setup is one that works because of the ability for players to play against players of a similar age.

“Sometimes you find that when you have split divisions, the younger kids are challenged and will succeed but sometimes it stifles the older kids and that’s not fair,” Plastino said. “Sometimes even a year or two gap in the age group and maturity is noticeable.”

For Sault Ste. Marie’s Brianne Veale, who founded the Northern Elite Female Hockey Academy, working with the association is a chance to give back to an association she went through herself.

“I find it so important to be able to work with the association and the girls. When I was growing up the association and girl’s hockey in general was much smaller,” Veale said. “I had to go out of the city to attend female camps and learn from female athletes. I want girls to have the opportunity to work with players that have gone through the system and played competitively throughout university right here in the Sault. We have so many successful players that have done great things that our community can learn from. I want players to have mentors that they can talk to and to continue growing female hockey within the Sault.”

Following her time locally, Veale moved on to play Canadian University hockey at Brock and has worked as an instructor at numerous hockey camps, including a pair of opportunities to work as an instructor at the Farjestad BK Hockey Alliance Girl Power Camp in Karlstad, Sweden in August 2012 and 2013.

Plastino also credited the Soo Pee Wee Hockey League and Sault Major Hockey Association for working together with the SFHA and helping organize games.

“Both leagues are fully supportive of our teams and it offers good competition,” Plastino said.

“(Working together) is something we all strived for this summer,” Plastino also said. “We’ve all come around and said, ‘We’re doing what’s best for the kids.’ Everybody has been great to work with. It’s better for the kids. You have to put things aside and do what’s best for the kids.”

Veale called the chance for the SFHA to work with the other leagues locally “a huge step forward for hockey in the Sault.”

“Instead of separating boys and girls hockey, we should be working together to increase the development of players and also work with limited ice time there is for teams the best we can,” Veale added.

In conjunction with World Girls Ice Hockey Weekend, the SFHA recently held a “Play Like A Girl” event at the Rankin Arena in which 30 young girls had an hour skills session on the ice with Veale and then enjoy some time off the ice to learn and celebrate the sport.

“They encourage communities across the country to do certain events to celebrate girls hockey,” Plastino said. “It can be anything just to celebrate girls hockey.”


What's next?


If you would like to apply to become a Verified reader Verified Commenter, please fill out this form.




Brad Coccimiglio

About the Author: Brad Coccimiglio

A graduate of Loyalist College’s Sports Journalism program, Brad Coccimiglio’s work has appeared in The Hockey News as well as online at FoxSports.com in addition to regular freelance work with SooToday before joining the team full time.
Read more