PWHL’s First Youth Camp

Having a Daughter who began her hockey career at the young age of seven in to 1977 in North Delta at first the journey was met with lots of |”girls don’t play hockey” and persistence allowed her to sign up.

She played and it seems funny to say it now but each fall they had to evaluate her to be allowed to play at the next level of the game which was up to the Bantam level then turned her attention to playing Female hockey.

At that time for Female hockey the age limit were as follows – Junior 7-13, Intermediate 14-17 and Senior hockey age 18 and up so as you can imagine for someone age 7 they were playing against much taller players of the same age. 

Over the course of time and the changes sports have seen it was a welcome addition to hear that Vancouver was officially awarded a franchise in the PWHL which starts this fall playing out of the Pacific Coliseum – former home to the Vancouver Canucks.

In early August Vancouver’s Franchise welcomed over 130 young girls to its first-ever youth camp at the North Shore Winter Club who came from Vancouver, Revelstoke and the Yukon for what we were told on-ice training, off-ice workouts, plus various leadership seminars guided by Vancouver’s newest franchise.

The event fell under the leadership of Cara Gardner-Morey (GM) and Head Coach Brian Idalski which had instruction from Ashton Bell, Kristen Campbell, Jenn, two of Vancouver’s players.

We received the following from Vancouver’s newest franchise.

Enjoy the read:

For Idalski, it was a reminder of the impact professional athletes can have on the next generation. “The kids were super enamored with meeting the players, seeing the players,” he said. “I really believe they do such a great job and lean into being role models. They know the impact they have.”

Women’s and girls’ hockey in British Columbia have been steadily growing in recent years, with more than 10,800 players registered in 2023–24. 

That momentum has been part of PWHL Vancouver’s story since day one. When the league announced its expansion to the city in April, a local U11 team (the Vancouver Angels) helped break the news, highlighting the enthusiasm of the province’s youngest players.

Hosting this camp was a natural next step. Over four age divisions (U11, U13, U15, U18), the sessions blended skills development with off-ice learning, providing campers a holistic look at the sport while also reinforcing values of teamwork and perseverance.

The two-day camp also delivered the kinds of heartwarming memories that highlight the bond between athletes and their community. 

During a meet-and-greet, the entire camp sang “Happy Birthday” to one young player, drawing smiles from teammates and staff alike. 

In another moment, a camper presented Gardner-Morey with a handmade brochure suggesting a potential name and logo for Vancouver’s yet-to-be-unveiled team identity—a creative gesture that underscored how deeply the new franchise has already captured the imagination of local kids.

Perhaps most emblematic was what happened when Bell paused from her media availability near the rink. A group of girls, wide-eyed, began shouting, “It’s a PWHL player! It’s a PWHL player!” 

Bell quickly went over to say hello, sparking a flurry of excitement and a reminder of how representation on the ice inspires those in the stands.

For PWHL Vancouver, the camp was about more than just skills—it was about laying the foundation for a relationship with a passionate hockey community. 

Hosting it at North Shore Winter Club, a fixture in the city for more than 60 years, added symbolic weight. 

The facility has long been a hub for developing talent, and now it’s tied to the beginnings of the city’s first professional women’s hockey team.

As the franchise prepares for its inaugural season, events like this serve as both outreach and inspiration. 

They offer young girls the chance to see professional pathways up close, and they allow players and staff to deepen their roots in the community they’ll soon represent on the league’s biggest stage.

For the campers, the impact was immediate. They skated alongside role models, asked questions about hockey and life, and saw firsthand that the sport they love can take them farther than ever before.

And for PWHL Vancouver, the takeaway was just as powerful: the team’s future in the city will be built not only in the arena, but also in the connections made with the next generation of players.

Sportswave wishes the league and all it’s teams success as they continue to grow and promote Female Hockey and are looking forward to covering PWHL at the PNE.