Clair DeGeorge Has Come A Long Way

Clair DeGeorge, an Alaska product, has come a long way geographically, and in the development of her game, which she hopes will land her a spot in the new professional women's hockey league.

Clair DeGeorge has come a long way. Geographically, DeGeorge moved from her childhood home in Alaska to Minnesota as a teen and into her NCAA career. Later it was farther East to Ohio, and last season, she turned pro with the PWHPA. As a player, DeGeorge has also come a long way, growing up playing boys' hockey, to now sitting on the precipice of joining North America's new professional women's hockey league.

Growing up, women's hockey wasn't common in Alaska. In fact, DeGeorge only played boys' hockey, aside from summer camps, until she moved to Minnesota to play for Shattuck St. Mary's. It was there her world opened up.

"I'd watch the ECHL games in Alaska, and I played with the boys, so that was my entire view, but what can a little girl do when that's all they have to look up to?" said DeGeorge. "I really only saw the predominantly male side of hockey, so it was really eye opening when I got to Shattuck to see women's hockey all around me."

In her final season at Shattuck St. Mary's, DeGeorge scored 82 points in 57 games and earned a spot on Team USA's U-18 World Championship roster scoring five points in five games to help USA win gold. She finished her youth hockey years with four national titles, and a U-18 gold. 

In the NCAA, DeGeorge spent four seasons at Bemidji State, captaining her team as a senior, before using the transfer portal to play an extra year at Ohio State. There, the five-foot-eleven DeGeorge joined a powerhouse program scoring 46 points in 36 games helping Ohio State win a national championship.

Finally, her journey took DeGeorge to the PWHPA this past season, where she won a Secret Cup as a member of Team Harvey's. Finally, after never playing women's hockey growing up, DeGeorge was playing with and against the women she'd watched on television as a teen. 

"When I was a 14 or 15 year old kid, I remember sitting and watching the gold medal game in our high school auditorium, they let us skip class to watch the game," recalls DeGeorge. "Now I'm on the same ice playing with them, it's a little bit surreal. At the time those were the players I looked up to and said that's where I want to be. Now playing with them, you can see all the hard work and dedication they've put in to get there, and I think that dedication to the sport, and drive to be the best is what I've really took from them."

Following the acquisition of the PHF by the Mark Walter Group and Billie Jean King Enterprises to form a single, amalgamated professional women's hockey league, DeGeorge is now ready for another challenge, and another step on her path, one she hopes that other girls from Alaska can see when she steps on the ice to play in the best league in the world.

"My role, what I hope I can do for those kids is to show them where they can get to even being from Alaska," she said.

Upon hearing the news that the PHF had been acquired and there would soon be one league, DeGeorge went through the emotions many felt in the women's hockey world. First there was shock, but it was followed quickly by excitement.

"I was very shocked when they told us, I didn't see it coming. I thought in the future it would happen, but maybe not this fast," she explained. "My initial reaction was I was extremely excited to now have one league where the best of the best are all playing together."

DeGeorge believes it's the best path forward for women's hockey now, and for future generations to have a common dream, one league, where they can aspire to play.

"I always had a very hard time explaining to people the difference between the PHF and PWHPA, their goals, and why they weren't one league together, and why you had to pick between the two," DeGeorge said. "Now I can be up front with people and just say there's one league for professional women's hockey and it's exciting for all of us to showcase the talent and what everyone has worked so hard for. Now young girls can look up to this league and have one end goal, a desire to play professionally in this one league."

This summer, DeGeorge will also skate with USA Hockey, hoping to eventually earn a roster spot with USA's national team. If she makes Team USA, DeGeorge would become only the sixth player in national team history to suit up for her nation from Alaska. The last was Zoe Hickel in 2016, who served as an assistant coach at Ohio State in DeGeorge's season with the school.

It's all a part of her continued journey, which DeGeorge hopes will result in a spot in the new league, and continued growth for the sport.

The women's hockey world knows this league will be a true best-on-best in North America, and for young players like 24-year-old Clair DeGeorge, that means the competition for roster spots will be fierce.

"It's definitely exciting to have one league, it's where women's hockey needed to go, but I'm a little nervous too," she said. "There's a lot of players coming over from the PHF, and they're all good players, they're great players, but we're cutting the teams down practically in half between the two leagues, so there's only so many spots open. The nerves are definitely there, but it's exciting. I think it's the direction women's hockey needs to go, so if that brings nerves along with it, I'm okay with it, I'm up for the challenge. I think the rest of the women are up for it too, and it will make our league that much more competitive."

When the new professional women's hockey league launches, that's the goal - a competitive league featuring the best players in the world. Given how far Clair DeGeorge has come to get to where she is and how willing she is to face this next challenge, it's a likelihood she'll be among those elite players taking to the ice when the new league launches in 2024.