Like many others, Shannon MacAulay’s initial reaction to the demise of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League was shock.
But once she processed the news, the Dalhousie Tigers women’s hockey assistant coach and former CWHL player could understand why the league will fold after 12 years in operation.
“I was pretty shocked and didn’t think it was real,” said MacAulay, who played one season (2016-17) with the Brampton Thunder.
“But once I spoke to my friends who are still playing, it was not that shocking. It has been quietly up in the air for the past few months. It was disappointing but hopefully not as disappointing you’d think and may be a good thing in the long run.”
The six-team not-for-profit league will cease operations on May 1 after citing its business model had become economically unsustainable. The announcement of its demise came a week after the Calgary Inferno won the Clarkson Cup league championship.
The league owns and operates all six of its teams — Calgary, Les Canadiennes de Montreal, Toronto Furies, Markham (Ont.) Thunder, Worcester (Mass.) Blades and Shenzhen (China) KRS Vanke Rays — on a $3.7-million annual budget.
Many of the top women’s players in the world have skated in the league. Players were paid for the first time in 2017 and reportedly received stipends between $1,500 and $7,500 for the season.
“I always said I would go back in a heartbeat if it was feasible for me,” said MacAulay, a Mount Herbert, P.E.I., native who joined the Thunder after a four-year NCAA college career with Clarkson University.
Three Nova Scotians played in the league this season: Halifax’s Jill Saulnier (Montreal), Stellarton’s Blayre Turnbull (Calgary) and Baddeck’s Jessica Wong (Shenzhen).
A handful of U Sports players have skated in the CWHL. MacAuley, who has spent the past two seasons coaching in the Atlantic university conference, was an advocate for the league to the AUS players she coached.
“It was exciting to see the CWHL grow as it did and become a place where players coming out of university would have a place to play,” said MacAulay, who completed her first season at Dal after a year with the UPEI coaching staff.
“Seventy-five per cent of female university players, when they finish their university degree and college careers, that’s it for them. But to have a league that grew so much and become so strong, it was an exciting landing spot for them.
“For the next generation of U Sports athletes, this will impact them. For me as a coach, I was always promoting CWHL, especially here in the Maritimes, and that it was possible to play in it.”
The decision to discontinue the CWHL leaves the the U.S.-based National Women’s Hockey League as the only professional hockey league for women in North America.
The five-team NWHL said on Tuesday its board has approved an investment plan to expand into Canada with the goal of having clubs in Toronto and Montreal in place for next season.
“I see something rising out of the ashes,” MacAulay said.
“I see some exciting things happening in the future. Unfortunately in sports it’s not possible for a not-for-profit league to be sustainable. Hopefully it can be transformed into something better and everyone can stick together and be positive about it.”
