Girls hockey seeing growth in Gananoque, Ont.
Girls hockey is taking off in Gananoque, Ont.
In the last year the town has seen an uptick in the amount of girls of all ages signing up to hit the ice.
From skating to stickhandling, when it comes to hockey, 11-year-old Jude Campbell loves it all.
“I personally like shooting at the net and getting goals,” she says.
The centre for the under 13 Gananoque Royals team is one of a growing group of young girls in the town hitting the ice this season.
“If I have the puck and I’m skating I just feel like I’m on top of the mountains or something,” she explains.
This season, the Gananoque Royals have teams in the U9, U13, U15 and U18 divisions.
Before the pandemic, house league organizers say they saw a large drop in the number of kids signing up of all ages and struggled to fill teams, but this season saw more than a dozen new faces lace up, from ages of 7 to 18.
Samantha Kelly, the president of the Gananoque Girls Hockey Association, says a big part is the pandemic and people wanting to try out the sport.
“We were able to have a U9 team which we haven’t had in a few years. We were able to have two U18 teams which is fantastic. Our U13 team was massive,” she explains.
Ruby Campbell, who plays centre for the U15 Royals, says for her getting to know her teammates in her own hometown was the best part.
“This year, our team has like, a really strong bond,” she explains.
Campbell says having local female teams at all levels is important to inspire younger female players, and those who may be thinking of giving it a try.
“Looking to the U18 players seeing them successful seasons year-after-year and going, ‘Oh I want to do that.’ I want to be that successful,” she says.
Kayden Moorehead plays for the Under 18 team, and says she loves it.
“I feel empowered almost, because you can change the game by making a certain play or communication with your team,” she says. “It just makes me feel powerful.”
With more players set to sign up next year, the town’s league continues to grow, and the 16 year old hopes to keep the momentum going.
“It’s a really fun game,” she says.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'