TRURO, Nova Scotia (August 26, 2021) – The Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) today announced the first Secret Dream Gap tour of the 2021-22 season will take place in Truro, Nova Scotia. The showcase will take place at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre, current home of the Truro Junior A Bearcats, on November 12-13. 

When the puck drops in Nova Scotia it will mark a major milestone for women’s hockey in the region as this will be the first professional women’s hockey game to be hosted in Atlantic Canada. The showcase will feature Toronto (Team Sonnet), Calgary (Team Scotiabank), Montreal (sponsor TBA) and the PWHPA’s newest hub, Boston (sponsor TBA). 

“The social and economic impacts of this event will be significant to our recovery from the

Pandemic,” said Bill Mills, mayor of Truro. Added Christine Blair, mayor of Colchester, “We are incredibly excited at the opportunity to build a partnership with the PWHPA for this upcoming season, especially given the many challenges we have all faced along the way.”

The teams will play one game each on Friday, with the winners from each game moving on to play in the championship game on Saturday and the losers facing off in the consolation game. Players will compete for cash prizes and for season ranking points. In addition to the games, players from the PWHPA hubs will also take part in skills clinics and speaking engagements with local girl’s hockey players and organizations. 

“Hosting the PWHPA Dream Gap Tour is much more than just an event opportunity for our team,” said Matt Moore, General Manager of the Rath Eastlink Community Centre.  “It’s about demonstrating our commitment to the players, it’s about social wellbeing for our community, and it’s about our unwavering promise to support equality in sport”. 

With the Province of Nova Scotia anticipating that September 15th will represent the transition to phase 5, organizers are anticipating all public health Covid-19 restrictions to be lifted, which includes the venues capacity to host fans.  The PWHPA and venue staff will ensure that all athletes participating in the showcase will align with provincial and national regulated public health requirements for safe cross border travel and gameplay. 

“I am thrilled that the PWHPA is finally making its way to Atlantic Canada,” said PWHPA Operations Consultant Jayna Hefford. “The opportunity to expand our reach and make an impact in local communities across North America is exciting and we’re thankful for everyone who’s been involved in making this event come to fruition. I know the players are looking forward to playing in Nova Scotia and continuing the momentum from last season.”

Amy Walsh, Executive Director of Hockey NS, added, “We are so excited to welcome the PWHPA Dream Gap Tour to our province and provide this platform for women’s hockey. This is an incredible opportunity for Nova Scotians to watch some of the best players in the world play the sport they love. We believe this showcase will inspire girls in our province to chase their own hockey dreams because if you can see her, you can be her”.

The showcase will mark the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that Canadian and American teams will compete in the same showcase, with the newly announced Boston region crossing the border into Canada. During the 2020-2021 season, Minnesota (Team adidas) and New Hampshire (Team Women’s Sports Foundation) competed against each other in New York, Chicago and St. Louis, while Calgary (Team Scotiabank), Toronto (Team Sonnet) and Montreal (Team Bauer) faced off in a week-long event in Calgary. Minnesota and Montreal were respectively crowned American and Canadian Secret Cup Champions. 

About the PWHPA

Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association’s (PWHPA) mission is to promote, advance and support a single, viable professional women’s ice hockey league in North America that showcases the greatest product of women’s professional ice hockey in the world. The organization aims to provide a united voice to players advocating for the creation of a sustainable professional league. PWHPA is working to accomplish its mission by coordinating training needs and programming opportunities and collaborating with like-minded organizations to make hockey more inclusive for women and future generations. To learn more about PWHPA and the Secret Dream Gap Tour, visit pwhpa.com.

About Rath Eastlink Community Centre 

The Rath Eastlink Community Centre (RECC) was built by the community, designed to benefit the health and wellness of the community and operates with a mandate to increase the interconnectedness of the community. Governed by a not-for-profit Board of Directors, the RECC is full of exciting options that will help you and your family live an active lifestyle. Hosting an Aquatic Centre with two pools and a 2.5 story water slide; fitness centre and studio with cardio, weight lifting, and circuit equipment; athletic development centre; indoor 35’ high rock climbing wall; NHL sized ice pad for skating, surrounded by 2,500 fixed seats; in-house food & beverage provider; and a walking/jogging track free for public use, the recreation opportunities are extensive! Home to the Truro Junior A Bearcats, the Community Credit Union Arena within the RECC has seating capacity for over 3,000 for concert and sporting events, and has played host to several major sporting events, such as, the Grand Slam of Curling, World Junior A Hockey Challenge, and the Down Syndrome World Swimming Championships. 

Contact Information

Community Inquiries: social@therecc.ca 

Media Inquiries: media@pwhpa.com