CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has published Building the Future of Women’s and Girls’ Hockey, a discussion paper overseen by a 15-person steering committee of individuals with significant experience in women’s hockey and sport, and chaired by Gillian Apps, a Hockey Canada board member and National Women’s Team alumna.

The paper is intended to inform all Canadians who are invested in the success of women’s and girls’ hockey across the country on the current challenges that exist in the women’s game, to help collectively remove those barriers at all levels and help the sport realize its full potential in Canada.

“It is incredibly exciting to think about the future of women’s and girls’ hockey in Canada, and we hope that when reading the paper, Canadians feel engaged, energized and invited to be on this journey with us,” said Apps. “The opportunity we have to capitalize on the increased interest in women’s and girls’ hockey is tremendous, and our committee is committed to helping Hockey Canada and its Members continue to grow the game. 

“One day, we hope no girl is kept from participating in hockey because of gender-based barriers, however we acknowledge there is much more work to be done to ensure a successful future for women’s and girls’ hockey.”

Six key barriers were identified in the paper which are negatively impacting the growth and potential of women’s and girls’ hockey: structure, equity in resource allocation, policy and governance, education and training, data, and visibility and celebration.

The paper also reflects on the current state of women’s and girls’ hockey in Canada and introduces Vision 2030, which aims to have over 170,000 women and girls on the ice by 2030.

In the coming weeks, IMI International will launch a formal research process that will seek feedback from athletes, coaches, officials, administrators, volunteers, fans and Canadians on women’s and girls’ hockey, which will support the committee’s work to develop recommendations to guide Hockey Canada’s – and Canada’s – next strategic plan for the women’s and girls’ game.

Building the Future of Women’s and Girls’ Hockey can be found here.

To learn more about Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X and Instagram.