TORONTO — The lights were bright, the music was blasting, fans had their Sharpies in hand, the purple carpet had been vacuumed several times to ensure it was pristine — not a speck of debris in sight — and then in came the stars.
Marie-Philip Poulin strode down that carpet wearing a green-and-white checkered jacket, matching pants and bright white sneakers. Renata Fast sported a diamond-studded suit. Emerance Maschmeyer threw her beige jacket over her shoulder and struck a variety of poses for cameras. Kendall Coyne stopped to sign autographs for fans and then smiled as she looked out at a packed crowd in the atrium of CBC Toronto’s downtown office.
Among the faces in that crowd: The one and only Billie Jean King, sporting pink-and-purple rimmed eyeglasses.
The moment was historic. It was big. It was flashy. It was, to quote American star forward Taylor Heise: “Iconic.”
On Monday afternoon, the Professional Women’s Hockey League held its inaugural draft to fill out the six-team league set to open its first-ever season, next January.
Minnesota, to nobody’s surprise, used the first overall pick to select the Minnesota-born Heise, the 23-year-old who owns a world championship MVP and Patty Kazmaier award.
The first-ever No. 1 pick sat in the crowd, straight-faced, right up until the moment when King — the Billie Jean King, one of the backers and biggest champions of the PWHL — announced her name as No. 1. Then a smile took over Heise’s face as she stood up and hugged her parents, walked up to the stage and was congratulated by King and Hall of Famer Jayna Hefford, the league’s senior vice-president of hockey operations.
“Being here, seeing the draft, seeing the purple carpet, seeing all my friends here, I think that’s what made it feel real,” Heise said of a moment she earlier described as “surreal.”
“This is really awesome, and I think this league is going to be one to be reckoned with.”
If Monday was any indication, the PWHL will be. So many of the best female hockey players on the planet were in the same building, and in a few months they’ll all play in the same league and they’ll be paid living wages. At last. The PWHL has been years in the making, and Monday was a big, professional step.
It was King who kicked off the afternoon. “Trailblazing is bold, it’s brave, and it can be very scary,” she told the crowd. “But it’s worth it.”
Jocelyne Larocque, who was Toronto’s pick at No. 2 overall, used the word “ecstatic” more than once to describe the feeling of being drafted to the PWHL. The 35-year-old is one of the best defenders in the world, and she’s won two Olympic gold medals and three world championship titles, but she wasn’t sure she’d ever play in a truly professional league.
“I’ve been playing hockey for many years, and the WWHL and the CWHL had so many skilled players from all across the world, but this feels different, and it is different because of the infrastructure behind it,” Larocque said. “I was getting a little worried that I’d maybe be a fan once all of this happened, but the fact that I’ll get to play, I’m ecstatic and I couldn’t be more excited.”
‘I feel honoured’: Jocelyne Larocque so excited to get drafted 2nd overall by Toronto
Toronto also got perhaps the biggest steal of the draft, picking up Natalie Spooner 24th overall, in round No. 4. The two-time Olympic gold medallist applied for a PWHL compassionate circumstance waiver so that she and her family — her husband and nine-month-old son, Rory — could stay together and continue to live outside of Toronto.
Rory, who was looking sharp in a brown bowtie while he periodically chewed on a plastic carrot, got a hug from Spooner before she headed up to the stage, and he was also standing (assisted, by Spooner’s husband) and watching her press conference.
Spooner was one of the last players to arrive, wearing a shiny green suit with purple piping, and a mega-watt smile.
“I was in awe,” the forward said, of the moment she walked into the building. “It was amazing. The energy, all the little girls that were lining that purple carpet, they were so excited, it just set the tone for the whole evening, and the setup is amazing.
“You can’t call it anything less than monumental, the fact that we’re here — we’re having a draft for a professional women’s league that has all the right bones in place, has everything in place to be so successful.”
“Today was the moment where it feels real,” Larocque added.
‘A dream come true’: Natalie Spooner heading home after being drafted by Toronto
In the leadup to Monday, Heise had been recording how she was feeling and what she was doing, sometimes on paper, sometimes in her phone.
“I wrote down what I did, the days I did it, just to make sure that I remember this for the rest of my life,” she said. “It’s a piece of history that I’m going to want to hang on to.”
And she isn’t nearly done writing. “I think I’m going to be doing a lot of reflecting this next week,” Heise said, laughing.
Asked what it was like to have King call her name first overall, Heise said, “Oh my gosh,” and then tried to address the magnitude of the moment, but admitted she couldn’t and was just “talking around” what it all means and feels like.
“I think on my flight home today, I’m going to be sitting there with my brain in a tussle,” she said, grinning.
“It’s just an iconic moment that some people didn’t expect to happen and some people didn’t think would happen,” Heise added, of the draft. “So, for us, we always had faith, we always knew that we would get what we deserved one day. And I’m glad today’s that day.”
Vancouver Canucks winger Dakota Joshua is set to make his season debut Thursday after missing time for cancer treatment.
Head coach Rick Tocchet says Joshua will slot into the lineup Thursday when Vancouver (8-3-3) hosts the New York Islanders.
The 28-year-old from Dearborn, Mich., was diagnosed with testicular cancer this summer and underwent surgery in early September.
He spoke earlier this month about his recovery, saying it had been “very hard to go through” and that he was thankful for support from his friends, family, teammates and fans.
“That was a scary time but I am very thankful and just happy to be in this position still and be able to go out there and play,,” Joshua said following Thursday’s morning skate.
The cancer diagnosis followed a career season where Joshua contributed 18 goals and 14 assists across 63 regular-season games, then added four goals and four assists in the playoffs.
Now, he’s ready to focus on contributing again.
“I expect to be good, I don’t expect a grace period. I’ve been putting the work in so I expect to come out there and make an impact as soon as possible,” he said.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be perfect right from the get-go, but it’s about putting your best foot forward and working your way to a point of perfection.”
The six-foot-three, 206-pound Joshua signed a four-year, US$13-million contract extension at the end of June.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
