Stick in the Ground: Professional Women's Hockey Players' Association

Video: Stick in the Ground

Toronto, ON – February 26, 2021 – Billie Jean King, Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Patrick Chan, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, and Mayor John Tory, among others, have officially pledged their support for the Professional Women’s Hockey Association (PWHPA) and the best female hockey players in the world. They are all featured in a new video for the PWHPA #StickInTheGround campaign, which calls for everyone to put a #StickInTheGround for women’s ice hockey. The PWHPA—comprised of the world’s best hockey players— is advocating for a sustainable and viable professional women’s hockey league, and a future that includes more opportunities for young female athletes.

The goal of the PWHPA #StickInTheGround campaign, which will roll out over the next four weeks, is to highlight that the time is now to bring business and sport together to rally for a league that showcases the best professional women’s hockey in the world. It is intended to demonstrate that there is support—and demand—for the PWHPA’s vision of a professional league, which would include more than 43 medal-winning Olympians, 60+ members of Hockey Canada and USA Hockey, and National Champions from four countries including Finland and Russia.

The release of the #StickInTheGround video, featuring more than 30 high profile athletes and celebrities who generously gave of their time and endorsement, will coincide with the first-ever PWHPA Secret Dream Gap Tour Game at Madison Square Garden in New York, February 28, 2021. The video will be broadcast on the NHL Network in the United States and on Sportsnet in Canada, available on the PWHPA Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and is being widely shared by PWHPA athletes and friends on social media platforms.

If Boys Can Dream of a Professional Hockey Career, Why Can’t Girls?

“Basketball with the WNBA, soccer with the NWSL and tennis with the WTA have all proven that fans are interested in watching the best athletes complete, regardless of their gender. Now is the time for hockey to have a truly professional league of its own,” says Jayna Hefford Operations Consultant of the PWHPA, four-time Canadian Gold medal Olympian and honoured member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. “Currently, there is no true professional league where women can earn a living wage and it’s time, we put our stick in the ground to fight for that opportunity. The world is ready and so are we.”

Learn More: PWHPA Rallie's Sports Community