Just a few years ago, Prince Albert’s Kaitlin Willoughby stood on top of the women’s hockey world raising the Clarkson Cup with the Calgary Inferno.
While she hasn’t raised a trophy since then, the former University of Saskatchewan Huskies captain is feeling the same euphoria these days.
“Honestly I think it still feels like a dream right now,” said Willoughby. “I’m like, when am I going to wake up from this? This is amazing.”
Willoughby, now 28 years old, is preparing to make her return to a professional women’s league after cracking the upstart Professional Women’s Hockey League in time for its inaugural season.
A far cry from heartbreak and disappointment she felt surrounding the collapse of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League just four and a half years ago, after a standout five-year collegiate career with the Huskies.
Willoughby is now a member of the PWHL Toronto franchise, securing one of 26 spots on the roster as a training camp invite after being passed over in September’s PWHL Draft.
As a result, Willoughby will not only be on the ice for the league’s inaugural season, but will also dress in the PWHL’s first ever game on New Year’s Day as Toronto will host PWHL New York.
On the other side of the ice will be fellow Prince Albert product Brooke Hobson, whom Willoughby met as a 12-year-old affiliate call-up back in the day with the Prince Albert A&W Bears.
“I remember seeing her play and thinking this girl is going to be special,” said Willoughby. “It is pretty cool to be part of this league and see Brooke playing defence on another team. We’re playing against each other the first game, so I think it does mean a lot.”
Hobson was drafted 45th overall by New York after spending a year in Sweden with MoDo’s women’s team, nominated for the league’s defenceman of the year award after netting 20 points in 32 games from the blueline.
Now, she’ll get the chance to compete against a player who she once followed in the footsteps of in Prince Albert.
“I’m super happy for her for cracking that roster because all of the rosters are so strong,” said Hobson. “It’s really amazing for her and I love that on lots of the teams here, there’s at least one Saskatchewan player. It shows that even young girls from Saskatchewan can make it to play professionally.”
The Prince Albert duo make up half of the four Saskatchewan women who will be making history as part of the new league, joining Canadian national women’s team staple Emily Clark and three-time NCAA women’s hockey champion Sophie Shirley who both hail from Saskatoon.
All taking part in the PWHL’s pre-season evaluation camp in Utica, New York, it was the first major event for the league since the draft and the first chance for dozens of players to skate together.
Shirley will play for PWHL Boston after being selected 63rd overall in the draft, set to begin her professional career after starring with the University of Wisconsin Badgers for five seasons.
While the path to form one, united league was a process that involved all hands on deck from the women’s hockey world, Shirley noticed a switch in Utica which saw the athletes’ intensity and innate competitiveness shine.
“As athletes that’s kind of an automatic thing,” said Shirley. “We’ve gotten used to obviously having friends on different teams, but being able to shut that switch off and being able to put ourselves into that competition mode has been pretty cool to see.”
The league is experimenting with a handful of rule changes for the 2024 season which could possibly include the implementation of full two-minute power plays, regardless of if a goal is allowed by the short-handed club.
Clark admits learning the new rules was a bit of a challenge at camp, however is hopeful they’ll provide more offence to the league if implemented for the remainder of the season.
“Whatever team can adapt the quickest is going to have the most success,” said Clark. “I think embracing the new rules and the changes even though it’s not what we’re used to, I think it’s going to make the games super competitive. I think it’s going to create a lot of offence and I think it’s going to make for an exciting product.”
One of the league’s first signings, Clark will be one of the most recognizable faces when PWHL Ottawa hits the ice for the first time in early January.
However, she will not be wearing a brand unique to her home market as the PWHL will be delaying the release of official team names and logos until next season to fulfill a commitment to players that they’d be ready to get the league running by January 1, 2024.
“Of course that stuff is fun,” said Clark. “It would be fun to have a team name, a logo and different things like that. But in the big picture it’s not that big of a deal to us. We’re excited to find out as much as everyone is, but there’s so many other things going on that are way more exciting.”
Touted as a league which could bring ultimate stability and consistent salary to the women’s game following the collapse of the CWHL and purchase of the now-defunct Premier Hockey Federation, there is no shortage of optimism from players around the league’s potential. Not only to sustain itself for the current crop of athletes, but those girls in Saskatchewan who will be graduating to the professional level years in the future.
“When I think about I get chills, I’m excited,” said Shirley. “I really can’t wait to see how this season goes and to be able to see the growth after this season for the seasons to come. For all of us it’s just super cool to see that we all came from the same place and now we’re here.”
Getting the chance to continue her professional career in what she hopes will be a sustainable environment, Willoughby added she’s ready to get to work in the hopes of raising another trophy by season’s end.
“My whole life it feels like this is what I’ve been working for, a chance to finally play hockey for a living,” said Willoughby. “This is just amazing and I can’t wait to get the season started.”
Following the league’s inaugural game on January 1 between Willoughby’s PWHL Toronto and Hobson’s PWHL New York squads, Clark will play her professional game on January 2 with PWHL Ottawa against PWHL Montreal.
Shirley, meanwhile, will cap off opening week January 3 with PWHL Boston, as they will play host to PWHL Minnesota.