'Still a lot of work to be done': Hockey Canada wants to get more girls playing the game
CBC
More women and girls are playing hockey than ever, but the numbers still pale in comparison to men and boys.
There were 108,313 women and girls registered as players in Hockey Canada-sanctioned programs in the 2023-24 hockey season. That's about one-fifth of all participants.
Gillian Apps, a former national hockey player who is now leading a steering committee on girls for Hockey Canada, said the culture of hockey is changing, but it is still a concern for parents.
"Are we going to put our daughter in hockey? Are we going to put them in soccer or gymnastics?" she asked.
"Hockey doesn't have a great rep right now in terms of the culture piece. So I think that that's an area that we need to continue to do a lot of work to sort of make the experience for the next generation even better than for the people who came before us."
Hockey Canada wants to see 170,000 girls playing hockey by 2030, but it's currently not on track to reach that goal.
"There has been a lot of work trying to address culture issues in hockey and there is still a lot of work to be done," Apps said.
On the bright side, she said women in hockey are having a moment in the spotlight.
"There is a ton of excitement around women's hockey in Canada right now," she said.
The Professional Women's Hockey League launched in 2023 and last year saw the arrival of the first full-time female coach in the NHL.
"You see people in the streets wearing some of the [women's] team's gear and it's really exciting … but there is still work to be done," Apps said.
Colleen Sostorics, a former national hockey player who now coaches a co-ed team in Regina, said she has seen a big change in her 40 years involved in the sport.
"There weren't a lot of girls playing, and now we've overcome that barrier," Sostorics said. "Now, a little girl with a ponytail walking into the rink with a hockey bag on her back is not abnormal in the slightest."
A Hockey Canada discussion paper released last fall says barriers for girls and women include education and training, policy and governance, structure, visibility and equity in ice allocation.
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