On January 1, hockey fans packed the stands at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, Canada. They were there to see the puck hit the ice in the first game of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).
Six teams are battling it out in the PWHL. Three are from the United States and three are from Canada. Compared with players in past women’s leagues, those in the PWHL get paid more. They also have more chances to be seen by bigger audiences.
“I feel very grateful to be a part of a league that supports its players as much as this one does,” says Taylor Heise. She’s a forward on PWHL Minnesota.
Heise loves seeing girls at her games holding signs that read “herstory” instead of “history.” And she enjoys signing autographs after each game.
“To be someone that young girls get to look up to has been an honor for me,” Heise says.
She hopes the PWHL will inspire the next generation of young athletes.
“When I was about 9 or 10 and I realized hockey was my passion, there wasn’t a professional league for women in the U.S.,” she says. “I’m living the dream right now.”