Months before the PWHL Seattle players hit the ice in the Emerald City, they have been out in the community making an impact. As a new franchise, facetime with youth and adults alike goes a long way to endear a team to the burgeoning fan base.
On August 16th and 17th, the PWHL Seattle held their first Summer Development program paired with the Kraken Youth Hockey Association. This gave hockey players of all levels the chance to learn from professional players and coaches. It was broken into three groups making it extremely inclusive- 8U/10U; 12U/14U; and Adults (18+).
Defender, Megan Carter, and recently drafted goaltender, Hannah Murphy, were on site at the Kraken Community Iceplex alongside head coach, Steve O’Rourke for the weekend event. From fast-paced drills to top notch training from elite athletes, the participants gained both confidence and skill development.
Following along on social media showcased the fun, the smiles, the conversations and the moments that made this event so memorable. The highlights include a mic’d up moment with both Carter and Murphy during their training on the ice where their lively and patient teaching was on display.
Both days of the event had time set aside for meet-and-greets and autographs. Seeing the young campers, specifically, train with the professionals and have the opportunity to interact with them off the ice as well was a welcome sight to PWHL fans. Many current PWHL players have previously spoken about how meaningful it is to have girls looking up to them, realizing that they, too, can consider professional hockey- something that was not the case for the current players. This was a way to bring that thought full circle.
The realization of the impact of the weekend was shown on each face throughout the entire event. There was a special moment in which Carter presented a signed stick to a young camper whose day was made through the exchange.
This event was a beautiful spark helping to ignite the explosion of women’s hockey in the Pacific Northwest.