"For Jennifer Soulliere and other girls who wanted to play hockey in the '90s, it often meant joining the boys and getting dressed alone, isolated from the rest of the team. There would be maybe four or five girls in Essex County playing in boys hockey, Soulliere says. Of course we all knew each other, and then ended up playing together and moving forward with our hockey careers."
"Thirty years ago, the total number of players registered with the Ontario Women's Hockey Association (OWHA), which includes girls and young women, was 9,626 a record at the time. Since then, registrations have hit a new all-time high: 41,019 players in the 2024-2025 season, according to fresh data from the OWHA. In Windsor and Essex County, registration hit 2,245 last season the highest it's been in at least 12 years, and very likely ever (OWHA did not have local data available for seasons prior to 2012)."
Girls who wanted to play hockey in the 1990s often joined boys' teams and changed alone, isolated from the rest of the team. Few girls played in Essex County then, but several connected and continued with hockey careers. Jennifer Soulliere progressed to NCAA scoring success and a European professional league. Provincial registrations with the Ontario Women's Hockey Association rose from 9,626 thirty years ago to 41,019 in 2024-2025. Windsor and Essex County registrations reached 2,245 last season, the highest in at least 12 years. The Professional Women's Hockey League and visible elite players have driven local and provincial growth.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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