Saskatchewan Junior Female Hockey League returns for a second season

It’s a big weekend for women’s hockey.

The Saskatchewan Junior Female Hockey League (SJFHL) hits the ice for its second season.

The league currently has 125 players between the ages of 18 and 22 playing on six different teams across the province.

Tina Ekert, the SJFHL vice president of awards and partnerships, said the league fills an important gap for female hockey players across the province.

“This is just one more step of blazing the path forward for female hockey players in this province,” she said.

“It gives the girls an opportunity to further their hockey careers, to play at a competitive level and maybe even one day play in the PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League) and make a career.”

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Ekert said it also gives young girls role models to look up to and maybe even inspire them to pick up the sport themselves.

She said the players have an important role not only on the ice but in the community, too.

“Part of the role for the SJFHL players is to be role models for these younger girls,” she said. “We see them in the schools and the communities and giving back to support that dream of female hockey in the province and beyond.”

Ekert said there are opportunities for younger players to meet the teams and join them for the singing of O Canada.

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The SJFHL is also proud to have Indigenous players championing its teams and in leadership roles.

“We have Tori McNabb, who is the captain of the U-22 Lynx this year,” she said. “Elliana McKay (Regina Junior Rebels) is the starting goaltender. We are super proud of all of the girls and Indigenous representation.”

Players on the Regina Junior Rebels have a red handprint logo on their helmets honouring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

The league hopes to continue to grow awareness about female hockey and the league.

“We’re starting to get some interest in league partnerships, growing it not only for the girls, but also the visibility and the commercial aspect of the hockey game in general,” Ekert said.

“I think that we are would look at potentially expanding based on interest.”

Steve Lang and Tina Ekert are both excited for the opening weekend of the SJFHL. Both agree the league fills a gap in women’s hockey in the province. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

Steve Lang, head coach of the Regina Junior Rebels, is excited for the season opener.

He has one goal for the season — “win the league,” he said with a laugh.

“It’s to have fun and enjoy it and make new friendships. But at the end of the day, we’re here to do the best we can, and we feel like that’s winning the league, so that’s our goal.”

Last year the Rebels took on the Saskatoon Prairie Blaze in the finals. The Prairie Blaze ended up on top.

Lang was looking forward to facing the team in its first game on Saturday.

“It’s good to get a second opportunity to play them,” he said. “They’re going to be a really good team. So it’s kind of a good measuring stick to have that first game of the season to see where we are.”

In the inaugural season, Lang said there were some challenges with recruitment. But the league is growing and people are spreading the word.

“The ability to recruit from some of the higher programs in the province is going to make the league better,” he said.

Buzz about the league isn’t just within North America, it’s gone across the pond and a player from Switzerland was interested in the league. Unfortunately it didn’t work out for that player, but word is travelling about the SJFHL.

Lang said the league provides women an opportunity to continue playing competitive hockey. He’s happy to see the PWHL and the Women’s National Basketball League gaining mainstream attention.

“Sports have been missing the female side of things,” he said. “It’s awesome that it’s happening finally.”

Three games took place over the opening weekend. As well as the Rebels-Prairie Blaze clash, which saw Prairie Blaze win 4-3, Western Junior Prairie Klippers met Taylor Toyota Lynx in Kindersley in a doubleheader. No result from Saturday’s contest were available mid-morning on Sunday. The second game was scheduled to start at 2 p.m.

The SJFHL is made up of six different teams from across the province. (Vince Suma-O/submitted)

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