More than 200 young women gathered in Etobicoke, Ontario, for three days of free ice time, instruction, and community at a summer camp built to make hockey more welcoming to players from underrepresented backgrounds.
The Women of Color Hockey Collective hosted the camp with support from the Professional Women’s Hockey League and e.l.f. Beauty, bringing participants together with coaches Sophie Jaques, Jade Iginla, and Mikyla Grant-Mentis. The New York Amsterdam News reported that the program is part of broader PWHL diversity efforts as the league prepares for its fourth season and expands to 12 teams.
Iginla, a recent Brown University graduate and the 18th overall pick in the 2026 PWHL Draft, was one of three Black women selected this year. She will play for the league’s new Hamilton team and said creating visible pathways for young girls matters to her.
“Now more than ever we’re trying to create a space for everyone and bring everyone in,” Iginla said.
Her own path into hockey came through her father, Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, who played in the NHL. She acknowledged that many children enter the sport without the same access and said the camp gave participants room to enjoy hockey without the pressure of proving how far they could go.
Jaques, a member of Canada’s 2026 Olympic silver medal team, spoke with campers about the opportunities hockey created for her beyond competition. She also explained how the problem-solving skills developed through her engineering studies continue to help her on and off the ice.
The camp comes during a year of major milestones for Black women in hockey. Laila Edwards became the first Black woman to score an Olympic hockey goal for Team USA, while Kelsey Koelzer’s history as the first Black hockey coach in NCAA competition remains another example of representation expanding across the sport.
The PWHL will add teams in Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas, and San Jose next season. As the league grows, programs like the WCHC camp are helping more girls see a place for themselves in hockey before they ever have to imagine a professional future.
