Halifax builds hope for PWHL franchise through Takeover Tour

By: Dylan Buckman and Ethan Hunt

Haligonians sold out both Professional Women’s Hockey League Takeover Tour games at the Scotiabank Centre during December and January.

Halifax was one of five cities to host multiple games. The tour aims to bring the PWHL to markets that don’t yet have teams. 

Just over 10,400 people packed the Scotiabank Centre for each game — eclipsing the number that showed up to the Toronto Sceptres’ home opener this year. Fans also showed up before the games to cheer on the players as they walked into the arena. 

The first Halifax game on Dec. 17 was between the Montréal Victoire and the Sceptres. Toronto was captained by Stellarton, N.S., native Blayre Turnbull, with Allie Munroe, of Yarmouth, N.S., also hitting the ice. Accompanied by a bagpiper, Turnbull and Munroe donned Hockey Nova Scotia jerseys to lead the Sceptres into the arena from the streets fo Halifax. 

Turnbull and Munroe planned the walk-in before the season.

“Me and Blayre were talking about it and thought it would be really cool,” Munroe said. “Then we talked to our assistant coach [Jim Midgley]. He had some connections in the area, so he hooked us up with a good bagpiper and off we were.”

The Nova Scotian duo earned a seismic ovation when the starting line-ups were announced.

Toronto defender Anna Kjellbin scored the first goal of the game off a give-and-go with Clara Van Wieren. The crowd erupted, but it was nowhere near the reaction from the audience after seeing fan-made signs on the jumbotron asking for a PWHL team in Halifax. 

The game went to a shootout with Marie-Philip Poulin living up to her “Captain Clutch” nickname when she scored the only goal of the shootout in a 2-1 Victoire win.

At the Rivalry Series game in Halifax last year, Poulin said Halifax was one of her favourite places to play. The hockey great enjoyed this stay just as much. 

“I think [the] people love hockey, love women’s hockey,” Poulin said after the game. “Every time you come to different communities, you cheer for them. You want to show up for them. They show up for us, and we’re all in this together. To see that rink packed is no surprise because coming here, it’s always very special.”

Turnbull was also part of the Rivalry Series last season.

“When Allie and I were little, we didn’t have the chance to dream of playing professional hockey,” Turnbull said. “So for young girls now to have the chance to see us play in the PWHL, it’s an awesome opportunity for them to chase their dreams.”

But the ice wasn’t the only place featuring Nova Scotian hockey talent. Troy Ryan and Kori Cheverie, head coaches for the Sceptres and Victoire, respectively, are both Nova Scotia natives. 

Before Ryan coached the Sceptres, he coached the Canadian national women’s team and the Dalhousie University women’s hockey team. Ryan said he coached the Tigers during a “real difficult time” in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“It allowed me to build some pretty meaningful relationships with a lot of the athletes,” Ryan said. “All of the players that were still home for Christmas were in the building tonight watching.”

As the tour shifted to its second Halifax game on Jan. 11, not much changed except for the teams. It was still a sell-out, Nova Scotian hockey legends took the ice, and the game went to a shootout. 

Jill Saulnier entered the Scotiabank Centre wearing the Halifax Hawks jersey she donned during her minor hockey career. Like Turnbull, Saulnier has represented Canada at the Olympics and said it was a dream of hers to come home. 

“I thought going to the Olympics and winning a gold medal was going to be the cherry on top,” Saulnier said. “This league was created, and now I’m playing professional hockey in front of these little girls that are dreaming, and that’s now a cherry on top.”

Saulnier’s team — the Boston Fleet — and the Ottawa Charge entered a shootout with the same 1-1 score as the previous PWHL game in the Scotiabank Arena. Kateřina Mrázová ultimately scored the winner for the Charge.
During the third period, Halifax fans began chanting, “We want a team!”

Is Halifax a destination for the PWHL?

Women’s hockey fan Jane McLaughlin took her friends and family to the game. She was delighted at the prospect of the PWHL expanding to Halifax.

“So excited that I may consider moving back to Halifax,” McLaughlin said at the game. 

Jayna Hefford, executive vice president of hockey operations for the PWHL, told CTV News that as the league looks to the future, “Halifax has positioned themselves really well in terms of the support they provided us.”

Events East Group operates the Scotiabank Centre. Dawn Delaney, the company’s director of marketing and communications, said the games were an “absolute success.”

“We wrapped our arms around the PWHL and celebrated them in a way that only Maritimers can,” Delaney said.

While she didn’t confirm whether Halifax has made a bid for a franchise, she said, “Any opportunity to bring them back to town is one that’s absolutely worthy of exploring on our end.”