She blazed a trail playing Thunder Bay minor hockey. It's emotional seeing the PWHL take off

1982 may not seem like so long ago, but for young girl dreaming of hockey skates while growing up in Thunder Bay, Ont., a lot has changed since then.

That's whenSandee Astrom, who was 11 at the time,became the first girl to lace up for a Thunder Bay North Minor Hockey Team, joining the boys on the North End Blazers.

Astrom said she remembers it as a highlight of her childhood. She felt accepted by her teammates, she said, and was a natural on the ice.

"I woke up every morning and that's all I wanted to do was skate and play hockey," Astromsaid in a recent interview with CBC Thunder Bay's Superior Morning."That was the best time of my life."

Astrom said her love of the game stemmed from evenings spent watching NHL games on television with her dad, and a love of skating that began at a young age.

She was taking part in a power skating course at a local recreation centre, when she caught the eye of Don Morin, who coached the North End Blazers in the early 80s.

"I tell you, she could skate circles around any of the boys," Morin said. "And right then and there I made the decision that, you know, she belongs on a team."

But not everyone was as enthusiastic about the idea of a girl joining a boys team.

Morin recalls that practices with the team went well, but when it came time for the first game with Astrom on the roster, other officials took issue with a female player. Against his objections, he said, he was forced to take her off the ice.

Fight to stay on the ice

It was an upsetting moment for Astrom, who remembers feeling distraught, but Morin said it strengthened his resolve to fight to keep her in the game.

It wasn't long before the minor hockey association was convinced to let Astrom play.

The fact that a girl was playing on a boys minor hockey team in Thunder Bay did get quite a bit of attention. Astrom is pictured in a Nov. 12, 1982 edition of the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal. Around the same time, she was interviewed on CBCRadio.

Superior Morning18:08Sandee Astrom/Don Morin: First female hockey player in Thunder Bay

Professional Women's Hockey is finally getting its due. With fans flocking to see games in the newly launched PWHL. It's certainly been a long road for women's hockey to get to this point. In fact, back in 1982, it was front page news that an 11 year-old-girl in Thunder Bay was getting to play at all. Sandee Astrom was the first girl to play for a Thunder Bay North Minor hockey team. CBC interviewed her about it. Here she is in November 1982 speaking on "Anybody Home?" -- a CBC radio program all about kids. After thaT. Amy spoke with Sandee and her coach Don Morin.

Morin said he also remembers news outlets showing up at a game in the Minneapolis area. One where Astrom also recalls a memorable play against a male opponent who gave her a hard time.

"For the most part, most of the boys were good, but one in particular thought he was going to put me in my place, so he put a stick between my legs while we were in the corner. As I was checking him, he flipped me over his shoulder and I just skated away, shook it off and then I went and scored a goal," she said.

"I got back at him just fine."

She was only able to play with the team for a few years, before the boys overtook her in size. But if there had been a comparable option for girls hockey available to her at the time, she would have jumped at it.

'So emotional' watching PWHL

In the four decades since then, she said, she's been thrilled to see how far things have come for girls and women's hockey, including the launch of the Professional Women's Hockey League.

"It's so emotional. I am so happy for them ... and I'm so proud of them that they actually get to get paid for this," she said. "So I'm so grateful that they have this opportunity."

Morin said watching the PWHL take off has also made him reflect on their experience back in 1982.

"Sandeehad a chance to live her dream at that time. But I think she could have went a lot farther," he said. "I really think if we had things in place at that time, she probably could have went and got a hockey scholarship in the States and played college hockey."

Morin said one of his hopes now, is that there might be some greater recognition of Astrom's story, and the role she played in paving the way for other female athletes.