Women’s hockey is beginning to expand all over the world. It took many years for women to have a hockey team on the same international level as men. Men’s hockey was introduced into the Olympics in 1920, but women’s hockey wasn’t introduced until 1998. It took 78 years for women’s hockey to reach the same international level as men's. Thanks to this addition, many girls in Canada and worldwide have had more exposure to women playing hockey. This helps young girls build confidence and believe they can one day play pro-level hockey like that too. Recently, women have grown even more, not just in the PHF or world of hockey but sports in general. More proof of women’s growth in hockey is shown by the Premier Hockey Federation announcing that they …show more content…
Even just players, such as Hayley Wickenheiser, she is one of the most outstanding women’s hockey players of all time and a great role model for all young girls playing hockey. Even though she has retired, the accomplishments she achieved have driven young girls to try to do the same. Hayley Wickenheiser is Canada’s all-time leading scorer in women’s hockey with 379 points - 168 goals and 211 assists - in 276 international games. She was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019. She earned one silver medal at the Olympics in 1998 and then four gold medals in 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014. She got a point in a professional men’s game with the Kirkkonummen Salamat of the Finnish second division. All of these achievements have proven that it is possible for a woman to make it big in the world of hockey. This quote shows just how determined Hayley was and how she never let people get into her head that she’ll never become a pro “People would say, “girls don’t play hockey. Girls don’t skate.” I would say “watch this.” She has opened the minds of girls around the globe and set hope and determination into