The vibes of the PWHL draft were immaculate

As girls in sport, we are often told that sports is not about the score. We are told it is about the fun and the experience and to be grateful for the opportunity.

Sometimes it's OK to be boastful. Monday was one of those days. The first PWHL draft was executed at the Barabara Frum atrium of the CBC Broadcast Centre in downtown Toronto. I arrived early to an absolutely beautiful set up of white, purple and blue (periwinkle is the official colour of the league).

There was a purple carpet with red velvet rope and space for fans. There were volunteers and staff in purple clothing with PWHL on the chest. There was ample space for media and different rooms, with access to strong WiFi and electric outlets. There was live streaming on CBC Gem, TikTok live and many others. There was a massive digital and social media presence. There was catering and Tim Horton's coffee. There were rooms for family and spaces. There were babies, parents and family there supporting the players and the teams. And there were the young fans lined up alongside the purple carpet.

And then there was Billie Jean King, whom I like to think of as "the Godmother of Sports." The league has a CBA, with salaries, and parental benefits and opportunities that women never had before. They no longer have to change in a janitor's closet or lug their equipment around everywhere. This is all the new and young professional players will know. I've watched many things in the women's hockey ecosystem and covered many stories as well.

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Intense excitement

I was feeling a very intense excitement and preparing for a long day. The staff at CBC Sports had been working tirelessly with the major partners for the last three weeks to make this event happen. When I found out the draft was going to be at the Broadcast Centre, I was elated. I had intended on going wherever it would be but having it in my office building was amazing. Words to describe the day were "historic" and "iconic". I share those sentiments.

As someone who has been in the sports journalism world for a long time, it was an important moment for the industry and for sport, in general. I've never attended a women's hockey draft with this type of grandeur. I met so many colleagues and the word that kept being repeated about covering and being part of this day was "honoured."

It almost didn't feel like a women's hockey event because of the attention to every detail, and the manner in which it was happening. I have covered sports for a long time and I have never seen something in Canada of this magnitude. The space, the attendees and the hype was amazing. As the kids say, the vibes were immaculate.

As the names were called and 90 women were being called to stage and presented with a PWHL hockey stick (official team names and logos have not yet been announced) a number of things were happening: media was capturing the event, fans were celebrating, friends were cheering, and parents and families were beaming with pride.

Emma Maltais was selected by Toronto and the 11th overall draft pick. Her shiny hot pink blazer and matching eight-inch heeled shoes were as impressive as her hockey skills. I spoke with her parents, Jennifer Harris and Mario Maltais about what it meant for them to witness their daughter's career take off in this manner. The Burlington, Ont., couple told me they were "thrilled." They watched their daughter get selected by the hometown team. But Harris made another point.

"We are grateful," she said. "We are grateful to the women who stood up and they fought for our girls. Like Marie-Philip Poulin and Blayre Turnbull."

The families know the present but they have lived the history.

So many of the parents of young girls in hockey never had any guarantee that their children would have an opportunity to play professionally. We have seen leagues before, expansion teams come and go. But this felt different.

When Taylor Heise was announced as the first overall pick by King of the inaugural PWHL draft, there was a sense of knowing. It was anticipated that she would go as the first pick but sources close to her told me that she did not know ahead of time.

The elation and excitement was real for many of the picks. I was in the media room when former PWHPA player and national team defender Erin Ambrose (picked to Montreal) said confidently: "this is the happiest day of my life!"

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What this draft means

Liz Knox and Kristen Richards have lived extensive professional hockey lives. The couple have been in different roles such as an advisory capacity and also played in the CWHL and the PWHPA. They spoke with me about what the first official draft means. Knox, 35, is officially retired but Richards, 31, was identified for the draft and not selected. She now moves into free agency.

I asked Richards if she feels any resentment that this type of draft experience never happened for her before during her pro career.

"Not at all," Richards said. "No one likes to be a pioneer when they're in it. But as soon as you see the work start to come together, it's a pretty amazing thing. Watching all of these girls get to be here and walk upon stage, is their first experience of professional hockey, this is what it should have been all along. And we're really happy for them."

There is a way to celebrate the intention of the moment and recognize that there is much more work ahead but you have to start it. I thought about the players who haven't been selected.

Knox reflected on this, too.

"My hope is that each of those players finds that moment for them today, too. Whether it's a young athlete getting picked up by a team or seeing their friends succeed, even if it's just a small piece of this puzzle coming together. Anyone who is in this room, and others, helped make this happen."

There are, of course, moments when I look around the space and know there is work to do. As I write this, there are only two Black women in the league: Sarah Nurse (Toronto) and Sophie Jaques, drafted 10th overall heading to the Boston team. There is a list of players who remain undrafted and do not know where they will be playing or if there is room for them in the new league at all. I will tell those stories, too. They are a part of women's hockey in Canada and their histories and participation are crucial to document.

As I process all the celebrations and the moments of hope from Monday, I will keep watching. I intend to keep covering and savour the sense of gratitude that I got to cover this occasion in my own lifetime although there were only a select few of racialized women in the media section.

But I know there will be more moving forward. Because they've built it, now it's time to come.