Best in women's hockey hitting the ice in Ottawa
Just in time for the season, Captain Clutch is coming to town.
Marie-philip Poulin, fresh from winning the Northern Star Award as Canadian athlete of the year, will take centre stage in and around Ottawa on the weekend. Or, make that centre ice. Poulin, who has proven to have the golden touch on the Olympic and international stages, will be among the headliners for the Canadian Tire Professional Women's Hockey Players Association all-star game weekend.
The festivities will include PWHPA league games on Friday in Kemptville and Gatineau, followed by clinics with youth players and two more games Saturday at Canadian Tire Centre. The event will culminate with a three-on-three all-star game and skills competition Sunday at the NHL rink.
“We know Ottawa is a great market for youth hockey and girls hockey,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHPA operations consultant and former Canadian star, in explaining why Canada's capital was chosen for the signature event.
“We also have a connection to Canadian Tire, which has strong ties to the community and the Ottawa Senators.”
It's all part of the PWHPA'S four-team travelling Dream Gap Tour, which allows North America's top professional players an opportunity to showcase their talents.
Poulin, who added another chapter to her storied international career by scoring twice in Canada's 3-2 gold medal win over the United States at the Olympics in Beijing, is the headliner for Team Harvey's, which leads the PWHPA standings. Poulin has eight goals and four assists in seven games.
Blayre Turnbull, who served as an alternate captain to Poulin on Canada's 2022 Olympic squad, and fellow Canadian star Rebecca Johnston lead Team Scotiabank.
Canadian Brianne Jenner and U.S. star Hilary Knight skate for Team Sonnet, while American speedster Kendall Coyne Schofield plays for Team Adidas.
“In terms of what we're hoping to get out of it, it's a great event for the athletes and it's an opportunity for the fans to see the best players in the world,” Hefford said. “It drives the visibility of the players and we're fortunate that the event will be broadcast on TSN, which increases that awareness.”
The variety of arena settings also makes it intriguing. Kemptville offers a more intimate setting, with 1,000 seats. The Slush Puppie Centre in Gatineau has a capacity of 4,000 seats and then there's the big stage at Canadian Tire Centre.
The added bonus is the opportunity for young hockey players to interact with the pros during the clinics.
Meanwhile, the Premier Hockey Federation, which includes seven pro teams, including squads in Toronto and Montreal, continues to play on with less fan fanfare and without PWHPA members involved.
The hope is that the Dream
Gap Tour weekend competitions can bolster attention, along with increasing advertising and sponsorship dollars, so that casual fans of the women's game will watch more often.
The weekend begins with Team Adidas facing Team Scotiabank in Kemptville at 4:45 p.m. on Friday, followed by Team Sonnet against Team Harvey's at 8 p.m., at the Slush Puppie Centre.
Clinics for players ages 6-11 and for adult women will take place early Saturday afternoon at CTC. The Saturday games (Adidas versus Sonnet and Harvey's against Scotiabank) will take place at 3 and 6:30 p.m., respectively.
Sunday's skill competition begins at 11 a.m., and the all-star game starts at 12:30 p.m.