It may be summer, but that didn’t stop young hockey fans in Regina from converging on Regina’s Extreme Hockey to meet some of their hockey heroes over the weekend. A dozen professional women’s hockey league players from around the world gathered in the Queen City to meet local fans and take part in offseason training. Six of the players are from Canada, with five from the United States and one coming from Russia. The event was an opportunity to reminisce for Erica Rieder and Neena Brick, who were born and raised in Regina. “They always come up and you can see the twinkle in their eyes and they’re nervous, of course, but I think for them it’s such a big deal,” said Rieder, who was just drafted by the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s (PWHL) Victoire de Montréal this past spring. “I think back to when I was four years old, and I remember I met Cassie Campbell at the Doug Wickenheiser Arena here in Regina.” Brick was recently drafted by the Ottawa Charge, before being dealt to the Seattle Torrent. “A lot of them want to go to college and the PWHL route, and they told me they want to follow in my footsteps, which is pretty cool,” said Brick, who’s spent her summer working with teenage players in the city. It’s the first time Seattle Torrent defender Lyndie Lobdell has been to Saskatchewan. She fondly remembers meeting some of her American idols. “That’s what makes me so happy to do stuff like this, because I remember how much that meant to me when I would go to camps with Kendall Coyne and Angela Ruggiero,” she explained. “Even Hilary Knight, just getting a selfie with her super quickly and then going to play with her, this stuff matters.” The meet-and-greet was part of a partnership between 98 Hockey Management and Peak Hockey Performance. It also included a two-and-a-half-day camp. The goal was for high-performing athletes to get some offseason ice time. “It’s just cool to be in a new place with new people. At home, it can be tough because there are not a lot of players in Chicago,” said Lobdell. “A lot of us players do not have this type of caliber of training group wherever we are in the world,” said Rieder. “To bring 12 of us together in one spot for one weekend has been great. It’s been hard, but it’s exactly what we need.” The PWHL started in 2024 with six franchises, but has rapidly expanded across the continent. Heading into its fourth season the league has doubled in size, showing fans and players there are more opportunities in women’ s hockey than ever before. “When I was growing up it was pretty much college, and after that, you’d be done playing hockey,” said Brick. “It shows the game has grown a lot and it’s super exciting for the future of the league,” Lieder added. The PWHL schedule for the upcoming season has yet to be announced, but pre-season play typically begins in November.
