When the PWHL visits Winnipeg on March 22, Montreal's Kati Tabin and Ottawa's Jocelyne Larocque will face off against one another in their home province for the first time as professional players.
On Sunday, March 22, the PWHL makes a stop in Winnipeg at Canada Life Centre as part of the league's Takeover Tour series, where the Montreal Victoire will take on the Ottawa Charge, and for two opposing players, it marks a return to their home province.
Victoire defender Kati Tabin, from Oak Bank, Manitoba, and Charge defender Jocelyne Larocque, from Ste Anne, Manitoba, will face off against one another with the playoffs on their minds, but for both, the opportunity to play in front of friends and family will be front and centre.
"This is the first time as a professional athlete in the league that a lot of my friends and family are going to be able to watch me play live," Larocque said, a point that Tabin echoed. "I haven't played in front of most of my friends and family since high school, so it's been a long time. I'm just super excited to bring it home."
The personal significance isn't the only thing on their minds. "We've played Montreal now twice, and both games were close," Larocque said. "They've won both, so maybe we're looking for a bit of revenge." As it stands, the Victoire are on a six-game winning streak and climbed into second place, a mere two points behind the Boston Fleet. Ottawa, on the other hand, has been struggling with consistency issues on the ice and is one point out of a playoff spot in fifth place.
With record-breaking attendance at prior stops this season and fan enthusiasm at an all-time high since the Olympic break, both Tabin and Larocque expect fans at Canada Life Centre to be entertained. "A lot of skill, a lot of physicality," said Tabin. "I think that's something that fans might not be expecting is the level of physicality in our league, and the speed. It's a fast game, so it'll be good." Larocque expects the atmosphere to match. "I definitely expect it to be loud. I think it'll probably be split, Charge and Victoire fans, which is great. I remember in 2018, with the national team, it was sold out and super loud. So I expect nothing less."
For Tabin and Larocque, the homecoming also brought their own journeys into focus. "Right away, I think of my grandparents who would drive me almost as much as my parents did from rink to rink all around Manitoba," Larocque reflected. "It's really special for me to be able to share that live with the people that have helped me throughout my career." That perspective is shared by Tabin, who spoke about growing up back in Oak Bank. "I think there were only three females at the time playing with the boys," she said. "All we had to really look up to was the Olympics, and to watch those girls on the big stage. Now, there's so many different levels of female hockey there, and it's cool that they get to watch us live now."
The playoffs remain top of mind for both, but on March 22, Kati Tabin and Jocelyne Larocque get to chase those points in front of the people who helped get them there.