This is Part 2 in a multi-part series on Port Moody’s PWHL draft prospect Sophia Gaskell. Part 1 can be found here.
Canada goes wild for ice hockey. Regardless of where in the country you grew up, there’s a high chance you ended up following hockey at some point in your life.
Watching hockey has always been pretty accessible. Playing it is a different story.
For a community like Port Moody — on the smaller side compared to a big city like Vancouver — competitive girls hockey programs were vastly difficult to come across. Just ask defender Sophia Gaskell.
“I actually played boys hockey growing up because there wasn’t a competitive girls league in my area,” the UBC Thunderbirds alum explained to NewsLight. “I eventually switched over to girls’ hockey in Peewee, but early on, if you wanted to play at a high level, boys’ hockey was often the only option available.”
It’s a situation that was — and still occasionally is to this day — unfortunately pretty common.
Having said that, the growth of women’s sports as a whole has made it much easier for girls today to take part in competitive hockey without having to play in boys’ divisions. Gaskell recalled her high-school hockey years at Port Moody Secondary, where she played on the boys’ team.
Now, Port Moody Secondary has their own dedicated girls’ team.
“Looking at the girls’ hockey scene in Port Moody and across BC now, the growth has been incredible. There are so many more opportunities for young girls to play and develop,” Gaskell said. “There are female hockey academies, more competitive leagues, and even high-school teams specifically for girls.”
It’s not just Port Moody that has seen the tide begin to change, however. All across BC, Canada, and even other countries, women’s hockey is on the rise. 9,200 girls are currently playing in programs with BC Hockey, with this number being nearly 500 more than what was registered in 2024–25.
“When I was younger, there were only about six female rep hockey associations in BC, and now there are around fifteen,” Gaskell said.
In Canada as a whole, over 115,000 girls and women enrolled in hockey programs in Canada during the 2024–25 season, setting a new per-year record. This accounted for nearly 20% of overall registrants.
Even in the U.S., women’s hockey is getting more popular. Shortly after the 2026 Winter Olympics, during which an average of 5.3 million viewers tuned into Team USA’s 2–1 gold-medal overtime win over Canada, USA Hockey reached their 100,000th registrant in girls and women’s hockey.
The PWHL has had a big hand in this both directly and indirectly. The Goldeneyes, for example, hosted youth and adult clinics throughout the season and will also host some summer camps during the off-season. Back in April and May, the league itself also hosted its “Ready, Set, Skate” youth program in tandem with Hockey Canada, Bauer Hockey, and Tri-Cities Female Ice Hockey Association.
“The women’s game has gained so much more recognition, support, and visibility,” Gaskell expressed. “It’s really exciting to see the next generation of girls have opportunities that were not available when I was growing up.”
Part 3 can be read here.