Hockey Canada has new plans to better develop and grow participation in girls' and women's hockey in Canada. To achieve their goals the governing body released a new blueprint called Rise As One.
Hockey Canada has unveiled a new blueprint for building women's and girls' hockey in Canada. The document, titled Rise As One features 14 national recommendations involving feedback from stakeholders, and goals to take women's and girls' hockey in Canada to new levels.
The plan also comes with the goal of seeing 170,000 women and girls playing hockey in Canada by 2030.
“Today is such an exciting day for women’s and girls’ hockey in Canada,” said Gillian Apps, a three-time Olympic gold medallist and three-time World Champion who is heading a 15-person string committee guiding the project.
“It’s no secret that the women’s and girls’ game continues to grow at a rapid pace, but what Canadians will learn in Rise as One is that as exciting as it is right now, women’s and girls’ hockey can be so much more, to so many more Canadians.
The plan involves all 14 recommendations being implemented no later than 2028. The 14 recommendations include standardizing regional deliver of girls' hockey, strengthening governance and oversite nationally, improving funding and support, increasing access to ice time and facilities, strengthening partnerships, eliminating barriers in underserved communities, advancing gender equity through mandates and monitering, building data foundations, increasing visibility for women's and girls' hockey, enhancing leadership and coaching pathways for women, educating on the benefits of hockey for women and girls, establishing a girls' hockey milestone celebration program, securing commercial sustainability, and implementing a new women's and girls' development model.
“In particular, we are thrilled that the women’s and girls’ pathways will establish more opportunities for women and girls in Canada and provide them with the gift of choice should they choose to play recreationally, competitively or in high-performance hockey,” said Apps.
The plan has various time frames, and will see annual reporting on progress.
“As more women and girls continue to get involved with our National Winter Sport than ever before, Rise as One will be a catalyst to ensure that they’re engaging with a sport that is safe, healthy and welcoming for them,” said Katherine Henderson, president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada in a statement. “We are looking forward to working with our Members, partners and governments to bring these recommendations to life and elevating women’s and girls’ hockey to levels it has never experienced before in our country.”
The framework and blueprint was released on the final day of the senior national team's 2025 Rivalry Series, which has seen Canada's women's team fall behind USA in terms of skill, and Canada's national depth sink below the United States. There are currently more than 115,000 women and girls playing hockey in Canada.