Skating out West: PWHL Vancouver is already taking its shot

MEGAN SWAIN/ GATG

Nina Jobst-Smith sat at a table with her girlfriend and parents, waiting to hear which team she would end up playing for in the Professional Women’s Hockey League. With emotions rising and heart racing, a media coordinator stood behind her before Vancouver's selection. At that moment, she knew her name was going to be called.

The announcement came: Vancouver selects, "Nina Jobst-Smith."

She stood up from the table, bursting into tears as she hugged her loved ones. She was going to play for her hometown team. 

The PWHL expansion brings professional women's hockey to the West Coast, creating opportunities for both emerging and established athletes to compete at the highest level of the sport. 

The league saw a 27 per cent increase in average attendance from season 1 to season 2. With the city's deep-rooted sports culture and a passionate female fan base, season three could set new records. Olympic gold medallist and PWHL analyst Tessa Bonhomme expects games at Pacific Coliseum to be loud and full of energy.

"I expect the home opener to be wild," says Bonhomme.

Bonhomme's excitement reflects how much the PWHL has grown since being founded in 2023.

Billie Jean King Enterprises and the Mark Walter Group are the owners of the PWHL. For the first two seasons, the league had 6 teams from Canada and the United States: Montréal, Toronto, Minnesota, Boston, New York and Ottawa. Vancouver and Seattle were recently added to the expansion draft. 

The league has broken attendance records since its inaugural season. In its second season, the PWHL saw a 125,000 increase in attendance compared to the previous season.

While the league is breaking records in its second season, its new expansion teams are already creating a whirlwind of momentum and they haven't even taken to the ice yet. 

Already, Vancouver and Seattle sold more than 10,000 season-ticket deposits combined. It's a clear sign the cities are ready for some professional women's hockey. But it is not just about the numbers, it is about the fans who show up to the arena or watch at home.

On opening night, a group of young hockey fans stood outside the arena wearing their jerseys with posters rolled up. The sounds of ticket scanners fill the air as they step into the electric atmosphere of Vancouver's inaugural game. The scent of popcorn filled the arena. And as the girls reached their seats, the crowd shouted; "Go, Vancouver! Go!"

The buzz on the West Coast has not gone unnoticed by the players, especially the born-and-raised locals, such as Vancouver's third-round pick Nina Jobst-Smith.

Jobst-Smith grew up in North Vancouver. Her hockey career began at the age of 6 with the North Shore Avalanche organization. She played for the Avalanche until she was 15. Jobst-Smith went on to play college hockey for 5 years at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, serving as captain in her final season with the team.

With her time at Minnesota-Duluth now behind her, Jobst-Smith is ready to be an advocate off and on the ice in Vancouver.  

"I think having that physical example of role models in your community is so big," she said. "I'm looking forward to getting out in the community and helping out with my hometown organization, and just getting to interact with everyone and continuing to build women's hockey."

Jobst-Smith feels ready to be a part of this team and play a key role in continuing to build on the foundations of women's hockey in the PWHL. The opportunity to be a role model for young girls in hockey and contribute to the league's growth is something Jobst-Smith is looking forward to.

"There are so many girls in the Vancouver area that are excited to have role models that they can physically go watch and see. And not just on TV, but in person," said Jobst-Smith.

​She praises the hockey stars who worked hard to carve out a space for her to play professional women's hockey.

"I have to give a ton of credit to all the trailblazers, all the people that had to play men's hockey, who maybe didn't get as many opportunities as they deserved," explains Jobst-Smith. "And now there's a good handful of us who now get to continue to build on what's already been established (in Vancouver)."

Like Jobst-Smith, Vancouver draft pick Chanreet Bassi is also a hometown girl, eager to help grow and establish the Vancouver team as a presence on the West Coast.

Bassi grew up in Vancouver and was introduced to hockey by her father. 

She started playing at the age of four and went on to play university hockey for the UBC Thunderbirds for 6 seasons. Bassi was drafted 48th overall by Vancouver, becoming the first UBC Thunderbird and South Asian player to be drafted in the PWHL.

"My culture is a big part of who I am," says Bassi. "It's a positive step in the right direction because (for) these girls, it's another motivator for them to believe in themselves. Even when there aren't many players like myself in the league, there's someone they can look up to."

Bassi coached a U11 spring hockey team this year, then had a full-circle moment when the girls she coached were part of announcing the new team in Vancouver. The announcement connected her coaching experience to her professional hockey journey.

"It was pretty cool seeing (the girls) announce (the team), and for me to get drafted, it... is a storybook (narrative)," said Bassi.

Bassi wants to be a part of growing the game on and off the ice in Vancouver, and she is already seeing the league attract new fans who have never followed hockey before. Bassi also recognizes the league's potential in increasing the visibility and accessibility of women's hockey.

"In the past two years, the PWHL has grown so much that it's so hard to predict where it will go," says Bassi. "I can only imagine that it will just continue to gain traction. I feel like there are so many more girls playing hockey now that it's going to get more and more competitive within the league."

As a future leader for young girls in hockey, Bassi aims to show how sports can be a positive outlet, an environment where friendships form and healthy habits develop. Bassi says her draft is proof that local talent is growing, and staying in Canada can be the right choice for hockey development.

"It's so fun playing sports and making new friends," notes Bassi. "It gives you something to do outside of school, and having a place to play sports takes your mind away from things that you can't do when you're at work. At the same time, it keeps you healthy and it's good exercise."

While Bassi hopes to inspire the next generation of girls, hockey fans are already making their mark on Vancouver before the puck even drops. 

Vancouver got an early taste of action when the PWHL Takeover Tour came to Rogers Arena in January. More than 18,000 fans watched the game between the Montréal Victoire and the Toronto Sceptres, the arena's highest-attended game of the season. 

"I hope every single game is packed," said Bonhomme, who served as the master of ceremonies for the Vancouver expansion announcement event.

​Bonhomme says the expansion is an exciting opportunity for players coming out of college to further their professional hockey careers, emphasizing that the new teams on the West Coast represent rapid growth in women's professional hockey.

For Bonhomme, the league's commitment to geographic diversity is a step in the right direction, as it signals the league's long-term investment in professional women's hockey. 

"Spreading that (investment) across the country is going to speak volumes to major sports networks," said Bonhomme. 

Bonhomme feels there is potential for more teams to enter the market, indicating a growing appetite for women's sports that extends beyond traditional markets. 

Those potential markets could be in centralized areas, like Las Vegas, Chicago, Denver and Detroit.

"I would like to see another team or two. I think there are enough players out there," notes Bonhomme.

The future is bright for the Vancouver team, especially in a strong market like the PWHL. 

"(Mark Walter) is not looking at it as a three-to-five-year investment. He knows it's a long-term investment," says Bonhomme. "He's investing millions and millions of dollars in these women, leagues and these fans."

With that long-term investment from management, young players like Nina Jobst-Smith now have the opportunity to play for their hometown team and inspire the next generation to believe they can do the same. 

The tears Jobst-Smith shed on draft day are more than just a big moment in her life, they reflect a new beginning. Jobst-Smith, along with many more players, will carve out a space for themselves in the league in the future. A space where young girls watching the game at home or from the stands have someone to look up to and be inspired by. 

For those young girls, seeing their favourite player play on home ice will be bigger than a television screen. The future belongs to them.