It wasn’t until 1965 that Brown University created the first ever collegiate women’s ice hockey program in the U.S. The NCAA Tournament didn’t have its first season until the 2000-01 season. It took another 15 years from that to establish the first U.S. professional women’s ice hockey league — the National Women’s Hockey League, which later formed into the Premier Hockey Federation. The Canadian Women’s Hockey League which started in 2007, discontinued in 2019. 

The reason for their failures? Lack of financial stability. For years, women’s ice hockey was put on the backburner, overlooked and underpaid. 

But in 2023, after years of efforts to unify women’s hockey in North America, the PHF and Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association joined forces, backed by funding from Los Angeles Dodgers Co-owner Mark Walter and the support of former U.S. tennis star Billie Jean King — effectively changing what it means to be a women’s professional hockey player. 

Tracking the history of women’s ice hockey, the PWHL wasn’t supposed to succeed. There were many who didn’t think it would be able to create a long-lasting foundation that wouldn’t die down after the hype of the “new and shiny thing” diminished. 

Now, three years in, the PWHL is exceeding every expectation placed upon it. Its very first inaugural game between Toronto and New York sold out with 2,527 in attendance and 2.8 million tuned into the live stream.

In its second season, the average attendance grew by 27%, the merchandise sales doubled and more than million fans attended the games across the two seasons. Two new teams have joined the third season as part of the league’s first ever expansion, with the aim to add another four in the future. 

Thirty-six different schools in the U.S. and Canada — and a few outside the continent as well — are represented across the eight teams — the Boston Fleet, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge, Montreal Victorie, Toronto Sceptre, Seattle Torrent, Vancouver Goldeneyes and the two-time champions the Minnesota Frost. 

With 15 players selected for the 2025-26 roster, Quinnipiac University is No. 3 in the nation with the amount of alumni in the league. If former forward Olivia Mobley — who transferred after three years with the Bobcats before her senior season — is counted then Quinnipiac is tied for No. 2 with 16 former players in the league. 

Quinnipiac is also the only school that is represented by two General Managers, with former forwards Danielle Marmer ‘17 and Meghan Turner ‘17 at the helm of the Boston Fleet and the Seattle Torrent respectively.

I had managed to sit down with 16 former Quinnipiac players whose careers have led them into the PWHL in one way or another. Here is the league and everything that comes with it, through their lens. 

For more information about individual players click here. 

THE BEFORE

There are dozens of men’s professional hockey leagues around the world, most of which are able to  provide a livable wage for their players. Making a living as a professional hockey player was but a dream for the majority of female players, simply because of the lack of opportunities and financial stability. 

For many, that meant that their careers ended as quickly as they started, right after college. Unless you were a part of the lucky few that became a part of the nation’s Olympic team, it would have been difficult to stay afloat after the glitz and glamor wore off supporting yourself while playing in the leagues previously available.  

Kendall Cooper, Minnesota Frost defenseman: “I was able to go to Quinnipiac and play college hockey but I kind of thought that was gonna be the end of my hockey career. I didn’t really think much of it, my goal was to play at a university and then one day hopefully play in the Olympics. I didn’t think a women’s league would be possible.”

Taylor Girard, New York Sirens forward: “I never thought I was going to be a professional athlete, a professional hockey player growing up. The PWHL wasn’t around so it’s not something that I’ve thought about in high school.”

Emma Woods, Toronto Sceptres forward: “If anything I used to dream about being in the NHL or in the Olympics, you know?”

Danielle Marmer, Boston Fleet general manager: “I always saw it as a means to get to college, to get into a school and get an experience that will look good on a resume. I always thought of it as a means to an end.”

Kati Tabin, Montreal Victorie defenseman: “I never would have even dreamed about this as a kid, because it was never a possibility.”

Corinne Schroeder, Seattle Torrent goaltender: “It’s not something growing up I thought was a possibility. Not sure whether it could be realistic to keep playing or if I’d have to start playing beer league or adult league just for fun.”

Madison Samoskevich, Vancouver Goldeneyes forward: “When I was a freshman, I remember thinking that I gotta make the most out of these last couple years because hockey could be over and my whole life was hockey.”

Olivia Mobley, Boston Fleet forward: “Growing up, I had no idea what was going to happen. It was just kind of day to day, after high school you go to college and from there, it was just whatever happens, happens. 

THE BUILD UP

The PWHL isn’t the first ever professional women’s ice hockey league to be created. Many have tried and many have ultimately failed to have any form of success. While for many players the PWHL seemed like a shining beacon, there were some who have faced the hardships of professional women’s hockey and therefore were skeptical. 

Cooper: “I was a junior at the time so I knew I still had a couple more years of college, so I knew I wasn’t too invested in it but it definitely helped to give me something to continue working towards for post university.” 

Girard: “I was in the PHF, obviously that folded so women’s hockey was a little crazy for a bit and I wasn’t really sure if I was even gonna play hockey anymore, wasn’t sure if I was gonna get drafted, so it was a very weird few months. 

Woods: “Until I was getting recruited to go play in college, it wasn’t even really something I thought of long-term. The professional women’s landscape has just changed so much and every year I played I didn’t know what next year would look like. This is what we’ve been looking for, what we’ve been waiting for and what our sport needs.” 

Marmer: “I heard about the league and I was like ‘you know what, that’s great for women’s hockey’ but then I kind of checked right back into my job. So it wasn’t until I was interviewing for the GM role that I learned in detail about what was going to be different about this league and the investments and the resources that were going to be available to the players.” 

Shay Maloney, Boston Fleet forward: “At the time I was playing in Sweden so I kind of got to see it grow from the outside and watch the hype build as the season went on and then stepping into the second season when there was fan bases established and things were ironed out a little bit more, it was so cool to see and so much fun to be a part of.” 

Tabin: “I was like, ‘Holy shit this is crazy that it’s finally actually happening, that there is finally one place to play for everyone.’”

Shiann Darkangelo, Montreal Victoire forward: “I would say exciting but you know, maybe even disappointing at the time of things, the way things went down and the way people were treated, cause at the end of the day it’s a business. You either figure it out or, it’s just a number and the next player is in it.”

Meghan Turner, Seattle Torrent general manager: “I think it blew everyone away, so expectations were certainly exceeded, but I was really optimistic when it was first announced. I don’t think I ever thought I would be involved in it, I thought it was the corporate world for the rest of my career.” 

Mobley: “Oh I was fired up. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen after my college career. There was a pro league a few years back which I think would have been an option, but then hearing about this league and how much it’s just taken off, it is remarkable.” 

QUINNIPIAC’S SUCCESS

In the first PWHL draft, five former Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey players were selected. Since then, the number of active former Bobcats has only grown, with two heading their respective teams as general managers. 

Quinnipiac is right up there with schools such as Ohio State and the University of Wisconsin when it comes to alumnae success in this league. It also has the most active players from the ECAC. 

Woods: “There’s a lot of good players that come out of college hockey, but not just anyone can play in the PWHL. You have to have the certain different skill set to have success in this league and it’s clear that the players that they’re helping shape at Quinnipiac are having some success. I’m proud to be from Quinnipiac and it’s fun to see all the girls come into the league.” 

Cooper: “There’s kind of a reason why a lot of the girls who have already played in the league have done really well. I think it’s because we really focus on the detail at QU-pac. The coach is really hard on the small little things that will go a long way on the success of the team and I do think that we are pretty well prepared for the league.” 

Emma Greco, Ottawa Charge defenseman: “I also feel like we were taught kind of how to be physical, at Quinnipiac, and I just feel like going to this next level, staying disciplined, knowing your habits, she was hard on us at times too but I think that kind of prepared everyone who plays in the league well for the coaching staff and the atmosphere. I feel like people who play at Quinnipiac hockey are very competitive. They want to get better and better and  feel like people who go to Quinnipiac love being part of a team. People always get annoyed, because whenever me and the former QU teammates are together, we always reminisce about our good times and everyone’s like ‘you guys aren’t normal.’ We just had a very close-knit group, it was like a family.” 

Girard: “It kind of instilled in all of us this hard work ethic, and you don’t quit on plays, and just being hard to play, so I think that’s why it’s easy for Bobcats to kind of transfer into this type of game.” 

Taylor House, Ottawa Charge forward: “Just the style of play we do there, it’s worked well for me everywhere I’ve played since then, even before this league, the physicality and how we play there, all the systems and the details and everything have followed me. It just speaks a lot about the program we have and how tough we are and dedicated, just that type of hockey that we play is stuff that these coaches look for and appreciate so I think it’s huge for us, just being up there with those big name colleges that everyone would think of, that Quinnipiac’s one of those teams now?”

Maloney: “The importance of doing the little details right. And that is something that Cass Turner had always stressed and kind of made it at the forefront of our minds every time we stepped on the ice. So I think that translates really well when you get to the professional level because if you can do those little things right, you’re gonna find some success.” 

Tabin: “Cass kinda said, if you want to get to the next level you gotta bring this. So I think those experiences honestly have stuck with me to this day, just getting a little better every single day and I guess the biggest thing was focusing on what I could control and not worrying about the rest. That’s one major thing I really learned there.” 

Zoe Boyd, Boston Fleet defender: “They want to make you mentally tough and they want to prepare you for hard things because inevitably you’re going to face hard things not only in sport but in life. So I think if it weren’t for Quinnipiac and what they did for me in terms of developing me as an athlete and a person, I certainly would not be as prepared in this league as I felt I was. Every time I see a Bobcat around, I feel such a sense of pride.” 

Darkangelo: “I feel like we always joke about it, because every team that I’ve played on, there’s been somebody from Quinnipiac. It’s kind of wild, but I think it says something to the type of people that Quinnipiac recruits.” 

Mobley: “I think the ECAC is a great league, they have a very unique style to their game of play and they’re extremely hard to play against. That was something we took a lot of pride in at QPAC and it was a lot of fun.” 

Samoskevich: “I’ll just say all the little things I learned at Quinnipiac, it’s really prepared me for this next step and I’m excited to use everything that I’ve learned at Quinnipiac in this league.” 

Turner: “Recruiting from Quinnipiac, you know you’re getting a good person, someone who will work their tail off. I don’t know if it necessarily influences my decisions but there’s less unknowns right? Because I know how the program operates and how good it is. And Cass brings in coachable players and really drives home a lot of good messages and molds people into really great adults.” 

HOW IS IT DIFFERENT?

The PWHL features few rules that differ from its male NHL counterpart. Notably the 3-2-1 point system,  used by leagues such as KHL in the past, awards three points for a win, two points for an overtime/shoutout win and one point for an overtime/shoutout loss. 

Another one is the “jailbreak” rule which allows a player serving a minor penalty to “break-out” if their team scores a shorthanded goal. But the most notable change from other women leagues, and even the NCAA, is the physicality. 

Cooper: “Now I’m playing against people who are older than me and that have the strength and knowledge of the game so I think that will be an adjustment but at the same time, hockey is a game full of adjustments.”

Greco: “There was a lot of people who are in the PWHL that played in the PHF first. I think maybe the only difference is the physicality part, because we can hit and stuff.”

Girard: “I think the speed of the game is a lot different. You gotta make decisions a lot quicker. And having the dedicated fans, at Quinnipiac, we didn’t really have a lot of people showing up like the Minnesota or Wisconsin schools do, so just having the fan aspect of it, it does make a big difference honestly.” 

Woods: “I think it is just a different game. I think it’s hard to compare. It was still the most of the best players in the world trying to play in the same league, but it’s hard to compare it. I mean, the PWHL is really the best of the best now and it is a different level for sure. The speed, the skill, everything.” 

Marmer: “I think the creativity of it and the innovation. The leadership and ownership of this league, they want to do things differently, they don’t want to just do ‘Oh, this is what worked on the men’s side, so let’s just do it that way.’ I think some of the coolest things about the league are the rules that they’ve created, all of these pieces of the game that don’t necessarily affect the integrity of hockey but that make it just more enjoyable to be a fan. I know we’re starting to see it in professional sports everywhere, but the fashion, the walk-in, embracing a lot of those parts of the game that women bring. So I think it’s really special.” 

Maloney: “I think the rules are getting a little bit more lenient in college hockey from the games that I’ve seen, but it’s still not really the same. There’s a lot of physicality and it makes the game a little more fun and a little more interesting in my opinion.”

Tabin: “They’ve clearly thought about this and put a business plan in place that has worked, and has continued to work and allow the product to speak for itself and grow. And from a hockey perspective, you’re playing against the best every single game and every single game is super hard. You’re playing against such skilled players, there’s no drop-offs or anything when you’re playing different teams, it’s all steady and consistent.” 

Darkangelo: “Yeah it’s a fast, fun game and I think people are sometimes shocked if they’ve never seen it before.”

Schroeder: “You’re playing against a select group of players that’s even more talented and they were all the best of their college teams right? So it’s always a next step up but in terms of goaltending, you’re facing better shooters and facing much better playmakers, much quicker players. The speed of the game is quicker especially in terms of how offensive players make decisions. You have to be that much more alert and quick reacting to what they do.” 

Logan Angers, former Ottawa Charge goaltender: “I think the biggest difference is, this is our job, this is all we do, right? Here, this is what we put our all into, which I think is really awesome.”

FIRST GAME

Greco: “I was in Minnesota and it was just over 13,000 people at the Excel Center, and just having the lower-bowl filled, the upper-bowl filled, I’ve never played in front of that many people. Then introducing us onto the ice and everyone screaming and cheering, I feel like that is something I will never forget.”

Girard: “It was pretty surreal. Stepping out and just hearing your name called and hearing claps and roars, it’s pretty amazing.” 

Woods: “I was fortunate to be in the first-ever PWHL game in Toronto, against Toronto so in front of a lot of my friends and family. I was really trying to just be in the moment, recognizing that this is the start of something so much bigger than what that moment was, you know what I mean? But once the puck drops, you don’t even think about it.” 

Marmer: “Puck drop on that very first game, I’ll never forget that. The atmosphere, how excited people were, it was so legit and I hadn’t had that feeling in professional women’s hockey yet. And even when I played at Quinnipiac, it’s unfortunate, but there aren’t many fans in the stands at those games, so I’ve never been in a full arena for women’s hockey and I remember that being a really special moment.” 

Maloney: “I had never really had that kind of pressure on me before. It’s the first time you skid onto the ice and see all the fans that are cheering for you and that’s kind of a surreal moment. I remember in the warm-ups just taking a second to look around and be like ‘This isn’t just about me, this is about the sport and all the little girls that have dreamed of this opportunity.’ It took me back to when I first started playing and thinking about how I never imagined being in the situation I was in at that moment.” 

Tabin: “The biggest thing that stood out to me was the fans, just the fact that the arena was packed. We were playing in Ottawa at the time and just hearing even the boos was so cool, I had never experienced anything like that before.” 

Boyd: “I can remember walking out for warm-ups and hearing a loud roar and this is just on ice warm-ups not even the game and I stepped on the ice and looked up and the entire stadium was full. There wasn’t a single seat to be had. And on top of that, everybody was on their feet screaming and cheering. It was honestly just surreal and I think we all felt that. It was maybe just the coolest moment of my life.” 

Darkangelo: “I definitely had played in front of a lot of fans before so it wasn’t like a first for that. There were so many different emotions, some good some bad, honestly some resentment, like, is this gonna work? I think it maybe wasn’t necessarily the first game but as the games got traction it was cool to see like ‘wait a minute, we’re gonna have 5,000 or more fans per game, this is going to sustain itself over the course of the season.’ I think that’s what everybody wanted at the end of the day, because you want to play against the best and you want to beat the best.” 

THE IMPACT

Cooper: “It’s been a long time coming, for myself but for a lot of players, they’ve been fighting for this and working for this for so long. A lot of people get to see the WNBA and softball and to have hockey now and being on TVs, it’s really cool and you can already see in the first two seasons that it’s gained so much traction and people love it. I’m gonna be playing with some of the best players in the world.” 

Woods: “You see all the young girls at the games, the impact it has, on young boys too, it’s so cool and special to see and for me, at this point in my career, I think that’s like the biggest thing for me and most rewarding. Seeing the impact I’m having as a player, if I’m a young girl’s favorite, but more than that, the impact this league and all of us have on the next generation, I think it’s just super inspiring. I think of myself as a young girl and I never had this. Thinking back, if I did, what a motivator, you know? I’m lucky to be able to play a sport for a living.”

Angers: “It’s just awesome to see how much people love the league and how much joy it brings so many people. We were signing autographs at a game and this lady, probably in her mid-30s, was like ‘I started playing hockey this year because of the PWHL.’ And it’s about the little girls and the little boys, but then seeing the adults impacted by it, it’s really awesome.” 

House: “Being a symbol for those young girls, having something to look forward to after just being on campus, all those girls that are getting close to graduating had so many questions for me. It’s crazy to see that they’re so excited to have a chance to keep playing.” 

Marmer: “I think the impact, it’s not even quantifiable at this time. I can only imagine what a 10-year old or a 13-year old, when you really start to kind of commit to a sport, finding that this isn’t just fun, this is something that I love to do and I’m willing to put in the work and to know that there’s a professional women’s hockey waiting for you that must be such a cool experience and a cool feeling.” 

Tabin: “Little girls have the chance to dream big and dream to play in the PWHL and I think it’s just phenomenal. It’s getting more girls into the game as well, which is great. It’s here to stay, it wasn’t just a one year thing.” 

Maya Labad, Montreal Victoire forward: “We now have a professional league like men do and we put so much effort and now we get to be rewarded by that, so it’s really cool to see. We get to play against some of the best people.” 

Boyd: “The empowerment it gives to women, even though that’s a broad statement. It just feels really special to be a part of something like that, showing little girls that they can reach a bit higher. And, you know, we belong there.” 

Darkangelo: “There were a lot of trailblazers before me who brought it to this point in different leagues, it wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for that, so there are times that you sit back and think ‘Whoa, look at where we’re at.’ I mean, the sky’s the limit. ” 

Schroeder: “It definitely is a leader in the growth of women’s sports, especially right now. With our expansions and new teams and trying to navigate all that, I think we’re a good model to follow in some ways. It really became a true professional league and an actual option for us too, to be professional athletes and not have to worry about finances or have a second job.” 

Mobley: “I think it means that you’re going to watch us on TV and dream of playing in the league one day. I think that younger gals can have something to look up to, to strive for, to know that they have a spot if they want it, to go out and be a part of something bigger than themselves. I think having gals to look up to, to have as role models, I think it’s huge that gals have a spot in the sports world and it’s going to keep moving forward.

Turner: “Women’s sports are finally getting the investment, the exposure and the visibility that these athletes deserve. I think the PWHL continues to move the needle on that and does a good job at being innovative. I think that that boldness from the league will continue to just push women’s hockey and women’s sports into the foreground.”