Dr. Brett Pardy is an assistant professor in the School of Culture, Media, and Society at UFV
Women’s hockey rocks; if Marie-Philip Poulin sniping a goal from her knees doesn’t prove that, I don’t know what will. As someone who desperately wants a Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) team in Vancouver, I was ecstatic when the league announced they would be coming to the West Coast during the Takeover Tour. On Jan. 8, 2024, Rogers Arena’s sold-out crowd of over 19,000 people watching the Montréal Victoire and Toronto Sceptres provided me with immense hope that there is a future for women’s hockey in this city.
I was hoping for a Victoire win — which I got — but I didn’t mind in the slightest when the Sceptres put two goals past Ann-Renée Desbiens. My allegiance was with the Victoire, but I couldn’t stay upset when the Sceptres’ goal song was a remix of Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!” While Vancouver witnessed a regular season game, there was urgency to it: each woman had something to prove, as if The Walter Cup was on the line.
I’ve attended many hockey games, but this one felt more meaningful. Women’s hockey defies expectations of hockey culture; it emphasizes that there is space for everyone to enjoy the sport — there is no one way to be a hockey player or a fan. I got to discuss that and more with UFV professor, and fellow hockey fan, Dr. Brett Pardy.
We examined what differentiates the culture of women’s hockey from men’s hockey: why does the PWHL seem more inviting than leagues like the NHL.
“The community around women’s hockey is a bit different than the community around men’s hockey … one is very accepting. [The other] one is you’ve got to adhere to the strict code of masculinity to be accepted. I think women’s hockey is a lot more fun and open. It feels more inclusive. You don’t have to be a certain way to like it.”
PWHL athletes have molded a unique culture within the league which is substantiated by who they are outside of hockey. Dr. Pardy provides an insight into some of their backgrounds.
“My friend and I once put a list together of professional women’s hockey players who have either a master’s or PhD and it was quite a long list … There was one who played for Markham in the CWHL … she was researching fisheries. It was really interesting.”
An aspect of the PWHL game that stood out to me was the amount of young women who felt emboldened to bring signs proclaiming they’d be future PWHL players; each time one of them was on the jumbotron, a chorus of cheers erupted.
While the impact of six PWHL teams is already prevalent, it can only continue to grow with potential expansions, with Vancouver as a potential destination. There were several signs advocating for a PWHL team in Vancouver; I asked Dr. Pardy for his thoughts on the possibility.
“I would expect there to be a team in our lifetime. I don’t know if in the next five years, but in the next 20, yeah.”
If being a Canucks fan has taught me anything, it’s that you have to be stubbornly hopeful. Until Vancouver welcomes a PWHL team, I’ll keep hoping for more Takeover Tours.
If you’re someone who’s interested in women’s hockey, but don’t know where to start, Dr. Pardy has some advice to give:
“A good way of getting into it would be watching women’s hockey during the Olympics next year. In the past you couldn’t really follow women’s hockey, but now you can.”
