'We're very proud to be from Sask': Players from the province representing in PWHL

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) officially took to the ice this week to begin their inaugural season. Four players from Saskatchewan are now a part of history.

Emily Clark, 28, from Saskatoon is playing with PWHL Ottawa, Brooke Hobson, 24, from Prince Albert, is playing with PHWL New York, Sophie Shirley, 24, from Saskatoon, is playing with PWHL Boston, and Kaitlin Willoughby, 28, from Prince Albert, is playing with PWHL Toronto.

On Monday, Hobson and Willoughby made history as they played against one another in the first ever PWHL game.

“It was amazing! The atmosphere was beyond expectations there in Toronto. The fans were filled with excitement just as much as we were. It’s pretty surreal thinking back to Prince Albert, back to Saskatchewan, where I came from, and now all of a sudden I’m playing professional hockey in North America. It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of,” exclaimed Hobson.

“Leading up to that moment, we all know that we were going to feel emotional. So we kind of had to allow ourselves to feel that but also knowing when the puck [drops] we have a job to do. It was a little difficult to separate those two things. We didn’t win unfortunately, but I think the day was bigger than that,” said Willoughby.

New York defeated Toronto 4-0 to open the season. Willoughby noted how exciting it was to have her and Hobson, both from Prince Albert, compete against one another in the historic game.

“I always give the Sask. girls shoutout because they’re all just incredible people and I know them all in different ways. Brooke in particular, I think it’s special because she’s younger than me but when I played AAA hockey, she ap’d on our team. I remember just looking at her and being like, ‘This girl is going to go somewhere,’” she said.

“To see that we actually ended up playing against each other in the inaugural game of this league was just amazing to look back on and know we had that connection back then,” she added.

“Two of us from Prince Albert that shared the first PWHL game ever is something that no one else can say, which is pretty amazing,” added Hobson.

Hobson played for Northeastern University in the NCAA and was named a Hockey East All-Star on three occasions. She was taken in the eighth round, 45th overall to New York in September’s draft.

“Coming from any city in Saskatchewan all the way playing for New York is pretty crazy. You definitely don’t think that’s where life is going to take you but with this opportunity, I hope now the young girls in Saskatchewan back at home can believe that’s an opportunity that can arise for them too. That’s the biggest part for me, when I was younger I didn’t necessarily have this women’s professional league to look up to but now all these girls can look up to this. They can push for a reality of playing hockey for a job,” said Hobson.

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Willoughby played hockey for the University of Saskatchewan and went on to play for the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) and Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) before signing with PWHL’s Toronto Team after a successful training camp.

“I think I’m still living in a dream. I wake up every morning and I’m like, ‘Wait, this is my life now? I go to the rink, I play hockey, I train, I get to be around amazing teammates and learn something every day and not have another job on the side,” said Willoughby.

Both noted they received tons of support following the game.

Willoughby said it was overwhelming, which she didn’t expect.

“It just means a lot knowing that people know how special this is to me,” she said. “Everyone was messaging me on Instagram, sending me text messages. The people close to me know how much this means to me but to see other people I might not talk to as often taking the time to say they tuned in and watched me, means the world.”

“We appreciate the support that everyone is Saskatchewan has been giving us,” she added.

Hobson said knowing she has the support of the whole province behind her through the journey is amazing.

“You check your phone after the game and the amount of texts and just messages from people throughout Saskatchewan, from, you know, my friends, my family, even former teammates I haven’t connected with in awhile, girls I went to school with growing up. They were all reaching out to let me know they tuned into the game, which is really amazing,” she said.

It was an exciting week for both Clark and Shirley who hail from Saskatoon as Clark was named an alternate captain of PWHL Ottawa and Shirley recorded her first point in the league (1A) in her first game.

For Hobson, getting the first win in PWHL history will go down as one of her favourite games she has ever played.

“It’s the first game in PWHL history and the first win in PWHL history and no one can ever rewrite that. That’s always going to be New York’s title. I’m glad to be a part of this group that achieved that. I’ve had a few pretty big wins, but that one is definitely right up there on the list,” she shared.