While Montreal was cheering for the Canadiens to take home the Stanley Cup, some had turned their attention to the Montréal Victoire, the local team in the PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League). Though the PWHL is still fairly new, it has taken off in an astronomical way. With the team’s recent finals win, it’s an exciting time to be a woman in sports. But the PWHL doesn’t just celebrate the fact that it’s a female league; it is also extremely open about and celebrates its large queer fan base.
Devon Watt is an athlete and hockey enthusiast who lives in Hemmingford and runs the dek hockey league in her town. Watt is very involved in the world of sports and has been very excited about the rise in popularity of the PWHL.
Watt really appreciates that at PWHL games it feels like there is automatically a sense of camaraderie. Unlike in the men’s league, the animosity between teams feels much less intense. “Everyone’s just so happy to be there and have a seat at the table that there’s just a whole bunch of camaraderie across all the fans regardless of what team you’re supporting,” she says.
In Watt’s experience, attending a PWHL game is a unique outing. “It’s nice to walk into an environment just knowing by default that you’re accepted,” she says. Not only are queer people accepted at the games; they’re also celebrated. The league itself is full of queer players, including the Montreal Victoire’s captain, Marie-Philip Poulin, and her wife and fellow player, Laura Stacey. At the games, Watt says, “It’s almost like a badge of honour to be more queer-presenting.”
The interest in the PWHL transcends beyond just people who are athletes or are involved in sports in their day-to-day. Paige Madsen is a queer woman who works as an actor, theatre producer, and performing arts teacher. She’s also a huge advocate for the PWHL. “It’s so important to have spaces for women and queer folks at sporting events because it really introduces a whole new aspect of joy and enthusiasm,” she says.
Seeing the rise in appreciation for women’s sports has been really exciting for Watt, who had to play with the boys growing up. “It’s just really encouraging to see across all levels,” she says, referencing both players and management. This means more representation for young girls to see. She’s thrilled young girls have these role models and hopes that this will mean more of them will jump into sports.
When it comes to dek hockey, Watt says she’s seeing the same boom in interest as for the PWHL. Women’s divisions are popping up everywhere, with many players who have never played ice hockey. She’s also been seeing more female coaches in her league than ever before. Plus, she has started a junior league for girls, and there are 40 girls registered. The fact is, a lot of girls drop out of sports around the time middle school begins; but with programs like this, they may be more willing to be involved for longer.
Many women and queer people have felt alienated from sporting events, but it can be a healing experience to get to participate. Madsen explains: “It’s such an affirming and connective feeling to be surrounded by other folks who maybe in the past have felt uncomfortable or marginalized, who are now feeling proud, comfortable, and passionate about the game and the atmosphere – the camaraderie of it all is unmatched.” Watt echoes this sentiment and shares that it’s a way to experience pride in two ways: pride for your team, and pride for your queerness.