This is why Cassie Campbell-Pascall is an advocate for a Women’s National Hockey League. A women’s league that exists under the NHL umbrella, that benefits from experienced marketing and organizational professionals, and that showcases women’s hockey talent from around the world is exactly the beacon that girls need to aim at when they are just starting out on skates. It’s important to Cassie and to girls on hockey teams across the country and internationally. “When my daughter grows up, I want her to have a choice to play professional hockey,” Cassie says.

The current landscape for women’s hockey is limited. With only a few national team spots available, older players have to bow out to make space for incoming talent. Players that don’t make the national team may choose to relocate to other countries or stop playing altogether. With the creation of the WNHL, there would be more spots, meaning more development, more ice time, better opportunities for learning, and overall elevation of the game, both professionally and during international competition.