TORONTO -- Two former professional female hockey players are now pushing for a new league of their own.
After the shocking shutdown of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) last March, Emma Greco and Sydney Kidd are now part of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, which is looking to start a new and sustainable league for women.
Sydney Kidd has been playing hockey since she was four-years-old. Now, at the age of 27, she is excited about the thought of a new opportunity.
“It’s more than just a game. I think it’s a great opportunity for little girls to aspire to be whatever they want to be in the world. And one of those things could be a professional hockey player.”
There are no plans for a new league at this point, but at a skating rally held Saturday at the Natrel Pond on Toronto’s waterfront, Kidd and Greco we’re raising awareness about an upcoming hockey showcase in the city.
Greco, 24, is a lifelong hockey player and still feels the urge to play. But she’s not getting ahead of herself.
“I think our main focus is to create something down the road, and if at that point in my life I can still keep up and play hockey, then that’s great. But we’re kind of playing for something bigger than ourselves.”
Secret sponsored the event, dubbed “Equal sweat deserves equal opportunity,’ and while the company isn’t involved in any plans for a new league, it’s backing the players and the upcoming showcase.
“This is Canada’s iconic sport,” Secret’s Brand Director Lisa Reid, Secret’s brand director, said. “It’s 2020. And I think it’s really important to tell women that no matter what their dreams are that they can fulfill it at a professional elite level in Canada.”
Greco is convinced that if people were more aware of the women’s games, that they would pay to watch.
“I encourage you to come to one of our games just to see, see if you like it. Bring your family, because I think a lot of people would be surprised about our compete level and our talent. And I think with the CWHL we kind of didn’t have the marketing capacity to kind of market that.”
Greco and Kidd will continue the push for a new opportunity for former and new players to be paid to play the game they love again.
“We’re fighting for equal opportunity,” Greco said. “We just want to have a chance to show how competitive we are, show that we can get fans in the stands, and you know, try to change people’s minds about women’s hockey.”
The “Dream Gap Tour” showcase takes place Jan. 11 and Jan. 12 at the Herb H Carnegie arena in Toronto. Tickets are available online.
