Fifteen years ago, I made what felt (at the time) like a very bold leap and started a website and Facebook Page called Hockey Mom in Canada.
It was “Hockey Mom in Canada” for a couple years, until I received a cease and desist by CBC.
I guess that with a few thousand followers and now occasionally making national news, it was time to quash any confusion that I had any affiliation with CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada.
I suppose that’s when I really knew I was onto something.
So, Canadian Hockey Moms we became.
I started that first website anonymously because even back then I knew the backlash that could come from asking questions about why hockey ran the way it did, often without much thought to the reality of children’s development, anyone’s integrity, or the importance of keeping kids playing and families involved.
But I also knew that hockey was worth fighting for, because as we just experienced with the Four Nations Face-Off, it is part of the fabric of our country.
I started our Canadian Hockey Moms community during the 2010 Winter Olympics, just days before Sidney Crosby scored Canada’s Golden Goal. Fitting that our anniversary hits just after Connor McDavid gives Canadians (and the world!) that same thrill, and re-instills that Canadian pride.
We are passionate about all of it.
But with passion comes complexity.
Back then I was a new hockey mom, struggling to figure out how something that was just a game could make so many people (including me) irrational.
But, as just a woman, I didn’t have much space to talk about that or to ask others how they had handled things.
So, I made a community and a space to do that, to ask questions of moms who had been through it, to pose questions that were sent to me to other moms (and keeping identities secret).
We don’t publicly roast people, we don’t try to shame, we just try to support each other through a very hectic and sometimes emotional time.
Because let’s face it, the men who often find themselves running hockey, are very emotional.
I was at the beginning of my journey back then, and in the next few years I’ll be wrapping up, and it amazes me that some things have stayed exactly the same. There are still debates about coaching selection, ice-time, and there is still an underrepresentation of people of colour in the game and in leadership positions.
For better or worse, there have also been many changes. The cost to play competitively has skyrocketed, the expectation to do hockey all year and the number of people making a living off of youth hockey has increased, but as a positive, women’s hockey has exploded and girls and women every where can now see themselves on the grandest stages.
And I suppose the biggest change for me is that in 15 years I’ve seen a LOT. I’ve seen a lot in our CHM community where you have reached out and commented and shared your passion for your family and the game.
I’ve seen a lot through my children’s involvement, and mine as a president and executive member on minor hockey boards.
I’ve seen a lot through interviewing over 50 moms for the book Terry Marcotte and I wrote “Hockey Moms: The Heart of the Game."
I’ve seen a lot as our country navigated Hockey Canada’s greatest scandal, as I somehow became a “go to” through that process with over 30 interviews as just a mom, since no parents were willing to speak out.
And I’ve seen a lot as my boys have both navigated their way through junior hockey.
There is no doubt that for those of us that take the plunge, hockey is a massive part of our lives for as long as our kids are involved (and beyond).
I want to thank all of you, 15 years in, who have been a part of our community.
I want to thank all of you who somehow get your kids to the rink, or to the pond, or wherever else hockey is played.
This community has brought me so many friends, so many experiences, and so much joy. Thank you all for that gift.
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