Summerside to host 2025 women's hockey Rivalry Series game
The Canadian and American national teams will play each other at Credit Union Place in February
Some of the best women's hockey players from Canada and the U.S. will be playing in Summerside, P.E.I., this coming winter.
On Tuesday, city officials announced that Hockey Canada will host the fifth game of the Rivalry Series at Credit Union Place in February 2025.
"It's a major win for us. We've been after this event for two to three years now.," said JP Desrosiers, Summerside's deputy chief administrative officer.
"To finally secure it is a fantastic opportunity not only for us in the province and the city of Summerside, but also for female hockey players right across the province."
The Feb. 8 game will see the national Canadian women's team face off against the national U.S. women's team in the fifth and final game of the series.
The other games will take place in San Jose, Calif.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Boise, Idaho; and Halifax.
"We really want to showcase this level of hockey … and we're certainly proud to be able to do so," Desrosiers said, noting that the game ties in well with Summerside's sports tourism strategy.
The Rivalry Series showcases the close competition between the two neighbouring countries, with Canada and the U.S. having faced each other in the gold medal game of six of the seven most recent Olympic games.
Canada leads the rivalry with 103 wins, compared to 78 American victories.
Inspiring young local players
Several young women who play on local hockey teams were at Tuesday's announcement, and will be given complimentary tickets to the game.
"I'm really excited to see them play for the first time, like in real life," said 13-year-old Caseley Griffin, who plays for the Western Wind.
After the inaugural season of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) this past year, Griffin said she's noticed a difference in how many people are talking about the sport.
"I'm really happy that female hockey is getting more talked about and stuff," she said. "Because a long time ago, female hockey wasn't that important, really."
Ellie Silliker, who plays defence for the Summerside Inferno, said she doesn't have a favourite player yet, but hopes to have one after watching the game in Februrary.
"My mom said when she was a little girl it was just like boys, and then girls only had like a small league," she said. "Now it's getting bigger and more people like to play hockey as girls."
I feel like it can inspire me to even work even harder to get to that point.— Cara Balcquiere, Western Wind
Thirteen-year-old Cara Blacquiere also plays for the Western Wind, and said the PWHL and the popularity of women's hockey is inspiring for young players like her.
"It just really inspires me to keep working so I can get to that point … because you see all these professional hockey players, and they're just working so hard to get to where they are today," she said.
"I feel like it can inspire me to even work even harder to get to that point."
Tickets for Game 5 of the Rivalry Series are set to go on sale in September.
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With files from Nicola MacLeod