Montreal Victoire's Cayla Barnes (3) celebrates with teammate Jennifer Gardiner (12) after scoring against the New York Sirens during PWHL hockey action in Laval, Que., Wednesday, December 4, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
It’s a women’s pro hockey homecoming for Jennifer Gardiner and Rylind MacKinnon.
The pair of B.C. players will participate in the first Professional Women’s Hockey League game in their home province when the Toronto Sceptres and Montreal Victoire clash Wednesday in Vancouver.
Victoire forward Gardiner of nearby Surrey, B.C., and Sceptres defender MacKinnon of Cranbrook, B.C., are both PWHL rookies.
“Definitely had the Vancouver game circled since I heard about it,” Gardiner said.
Wednesday’s game at Rogers Arena, which is sold out, is the second of nine neutral-site PWHL games in its “Takeover Tour” that, in addition to showcasing women’s pro hockey around North America, will also test potential expansion markets.
The six-team PWHL has stated the desire to expand by up to two clubs in its third season in 2025-26.
The Victoire lost 3-2 in a shootout Sunday to the Boston Fleet at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena in the tour’s opener.
The neutral-site circuit also includes stops Jan. 19 in Quebec City (Montreal versus Ottawa Charge) and Feb. 16 in Edmonton (Toronto versus Ottawa), in addition to games in Denver, Detroit, St. Louis, Buffalo, N.Y. and Raleigh, N.C.
“A lot of players are just talking about exploring these new cities and getting to tap into these new markets, rather than the toll it’s going to take on us,” Gardiner said.
MacKinnon, 24, helped the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds to three conference championships in her five seasons there, so playing a pro game in Vancouver feels like a mixture of novelty and nostalgia.
“Looking forward to seeing a lot of that hockey community come out to that game, and some of the players I played with and coaches that I met along the way,” said MacKinnon, who is on a one-year contract with the Sceptres.
“In university, I think the most I’ve ever played in front of was maybe just over 1,000, so the first few games of the PWHL already surpassed that by many. It’ll be quite the atmosphere. I’m really excited to take it in and have some familiar faces in the crowd as well.”
She’s among a handful of U Sports alumni to make a PWHL roster in the league’s infancy.
The majority of North American players in the PWHL came through the NCAA, but Concordia centre Emmy Fecteau was a sixth-round draft pick of the New York Sirens in 2024 and has scored a goal in seven games.
“It’s definitely not the traditional route to the league, but playing in Vancouver even, I think, will expose some more of this league to those western Canadian universities, so I’m looking forward to that,” MacKinnon said.
Gardiner, who helped the Ohio State Buckeyes claim an NCAA title last year, was drafted 11th overall by Montreal and signed a two-year contract with the Victoire. She has a goal and four assists in seven games.
“It’s pretty hard to believe this is the new reality because it’s an incredible experience,” she said
Gardiner was just eight years old, but remembers her current Victoire teammate Marie-Philip Poulin scoring two goals in the Olympic women’s hockey final in Vancouver in 2010 en route to Canada’s gold medal.
Montreal (3-2-1-1) was tied atop the standings Monday with reigning Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost while the slumping Sceptres (2-0-1-4) were in the cellar.
Since the PWHL declared its expansion intentions, the burning question has been where and how far afield from the central-east North American corridor where the half-dozen clubs are based?
“Pretty much every conversation, everyone wants to know where the expansion markets are and if I know anything,” said Fleet forward and American star Hilary Knight.
“Would I love to see teams out west? Absolutely. It’s a prime hockey market, especially in the States, and obviously proven in Canada.
“It just depends how much money you’re willing to spend on the transportation part of it and getting into a new community. … What’s super-exciting is we’re able to have these outreach games and sort of test markets.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 6, 2025.
