The Canadian Women's Hockey League-a New Model for Canada's Game
Toronto - December 22, 2008

They are the brightest and the fastest and you will see many of them playing for Canada in 2010. They play in the Canadian Women's Hockey League and they created a new model for women's hockey. For starters, the players are organizing the league. Olympians Sami Jo Small and Jennifer Botterill are two of the players who have been instrumental in launching the league in 2007 with help from corporate volunteers. The players found themselves with nowhere to play after the previous owners in the former National Women's Hockey League closed their doors due to financial problems.

The CWHL made some other good decisions which were to operate as a not-for-profit enterprise called the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Amateur Women's Hockey. Corporations or individuals who donate money to the league receive a full tax receipt.

"There's a real buzz around women's hockey in Canada these days," said Sami Jo Small, a five time world champion, "What also makes this league different is that many of the teams will be supported by the girls' minor hockey associations in the communities in which the teams are located." It is a win/win situation. Players hold skills training session for the girls in minor hockey and younger players finally get to meet their role models.

Six teams, the Brampton Canadettes Thunder, Mississauga Chiefs, Burlington Barracudas, Vaughan Flames, Ottawa Senators and Montreal Stars are "where the elite compete." They are home to future and current Olympians alike. Former players like Cassie Campbell, another Olympian who retired in 2006 added her support to the new league saying she hopes "it will lead to more awareness and a growing fan base."

The CWHL plays a 40 game schedule culminating in the CWHL CHAMPIONSHIP on March 21st , 2008. Then the top two teams from the CWHL compete in Esso Women’ Canadian Championships against the best two teams from the Western Women's Hockey League.