Hockey people love a tough phrase, so let me offer a soft one: let them eat. Let the players have appetite, in every sense of the word. Let them be hungry for ice time, for attention, for ambition that does not have to apologize for taking up room. Women’s hockey has long been asked to be grateful for crumbs, and the crumbs era should end.
I grew to love this game in cold rinks at odd hours, which is how a lot of hockey love begins. The sport has a way of making you feel like part of a secret society, bound together by thermoses, frozen fingers, and a shared belief that a good pass is poetry. Women in the sport have been guarding that society for decades.
What is changing now is the visibility. More people are discovering how fast, skilled, and tactical the women’s game is. The speed of the transition play, the creativity of the playmaking, and the discipline of the defensive structure are all there for anyone willing to watch with open eyes. Surprise tends to turn into loyalty quickly.
Letting players eat, in the larger sense, also means building a real ecosystem. Rinks that welcome girls without making them feel like guests. Coaches who stay with the sport because they can make a living from it. Pathways that make sense from youth programs through the top level, so talent does not leak out of the game before it blooms.
It also means letting the sport develop its own personality instead of copying someone else’s. Women’s hockey has its own rhythms, its own heroes, and its own sense of humor. Packaging it as a smaller version of a men’s product undersells what is actually on the ice.
There is a lot of room for the business side to grow thoughtfully. Sponsors who show up early tend to become part of the story rather than just a logo on the boards. Fans who find a team in the first year often stay for life. The window for becoming part of that origin story is open right now.
So lace them up, and let them eat. Give the players the room, the resources, and the respect to chase everything the game can offer. The ice is wide, and they are ready to skate on all of it.
