The PWHL's success is a chance for women's hockey to 'grow,' Natalie Spooner says

After one of her games in February, Natalie Spooner wanted to take a picture with her one-year-old son, Rory. Decked head-to-toe in her equipment, Spooner stood with her son when she found out she had been named the game's first star.

 

In an instant, she skated onto the ice with her son in her arms, the crowd cheering her on from the bleachers. The moment was not only touching for the Toronto player's family, but portrayed a snapshot of the success of the Professional Women's Hockey League.

 

"I'm sure he won't remember any of this, but hopefully, he can watch it back and realize just how amazing it is," Spooner told CTV News Toronto in an interview.

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The PWHL has roared out of the gates in its first season with ticket sales, television audiences and world-record-breaking attendance at Toronto versus Montreal's face-off last February, where over 19,000 fans attended Scotiabank Arena.

 

At 33 years old, Spooner is leading the league in goals. A league that she and her fellow players created.

 

"We want it to succeed like this is our careers on the line, pretty much. We want to see women's hockey grow. We want it to be there for the next generation," Spooner said.

 

The Scarborough native has been a Canadian National Women's team member for a decade, winning two Olympic gold medals and seven medals from the World Championships.

 

While PWHL Toronto played against Boston in front of their usual sold-out crowd, the story of the league's success was born out of past failures.

 

In the spring of 2019, the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) folded. It had been competing with what became the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) in the U.S., where the world's best players were split between the two leagues.

 

Many of the CWHL players decided to boycott the PHF, creating the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association as a result. The players went on tour, advocating for investment in women's hockey.

 

They wanted a league that would last, Spooner said.

 

"We needed to make something that was sustainable, that was going to be around for many years to come. That felt professional," she says. "We kind of had all the right bones, and so we came together with the American players and decided we were going to fight for something that we deserve."

 

The players got the attention of tennis trailblazer Billie Jean King. And soon after, the group set out to create their own vision.

 

"They really decided to create change under the guidance of Billie Jean King and her advice to the creative and we want to see real change. You have to stick together. You have to work for it," Jayna Hefford, senior VP of hockey operations and Hockey Hall of Famer told CTV News Toronto.

 

Hefford says their efforts picked up steam last summer with Billie Jean King Enterprises partnering with the company owned by Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter. Together, they purchased the PHF, negotiated an eight-year collective agreement with the payers, and set up a draft placing teams in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Boston and New York. They also set an ambitious start date of Jan. 1, 2024.

 

 "I think many people thought it wasn't possible," Hefford said. "These players are creating their own history both. On the ice and off. And it's pretty amazing and a pretty special group to be a part of."

 

At a PWHL Toronto game.

 

When PWHL Toronto took the ice on New Year's Day against New York, Toronto's season tickets were already sold out.

 

"I think that we're just so happy with how it's going," says Spooner. "Fans are buying in. Like our fans in Toronto are amazing. The ticket sales and get people on waiting list to get tickets. So I think that is probably exceeded everyone's expectations."

 

All six teams are owned by a single entity with funding said to be in place for 10 years, so the players feel a sense of stability. The average salary is $55,000 with some making above $100,000 per season, plus there's help with meals, living expenses, maternity leave and childcare, if needed, giving players the chance to make hockey their full-time job.

 

For Spooner, this stability is about more than lifestyle, it is a chance to grow the game by inspiring a new generation.

 

"If you look at women in sport, girls in sports, so many drop out by the time they're 13, you know, that puberty age. And I think that the most important part of that is having role models," Spooner said.

 

The added sense of responsibility that the payers feel is apparent in their interactions with the fans.

 

"When I was 11, I got to meet Jennifer Botterill and I saw her gold medal at that time, and that kind of was what sparked my dream. So I think to myself, I mean, these little girls like that little girl could want to play for, you know, PWHL Toronto one day," Spooner said.

 

At the time of this story, PWHL Toronto had won nine games in a row. Playoffs aren't set to start until May, but for Spooner, her fellow players and fans, the biggest win has already come.