The Greater Toronto Hockey League marked an important milestone on Sunday, March 8, hosting its first-ever all-girls GTHL Development Day at Scotiabank Pond as part of the League’s International Women’s Day weekend celebrations.
The sold-out event welcomed 40 participants from across the League for a day of on-ice and off-ice development, connection, and inspiration in an environment designed specifically for female players. Open to girls ages Under-10 to U15 playing at any level within the GTHL — including house league, select, and competitive (A, AA, AAA) — the day reflected the League’s continued commitment to creating opportunities for girls in hockey.
Players took part in an on-ice session led entirely by female GTHL instructors, while the off-ice portion featured team-building activities, lunch, and a special player panel where participants had the opportunity to ask questions and hear directly from university athletes about their hockey journeys.
Special guest instructors included four members of York University women’s hockey team — Clara Liu, Dora Veghelyi, Alix Walchuk, , and Nicole York — along with Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold player Sydney Pyburn, a GTHL alumna, recipient of the GTHL’s J. Norman Sharp U18 ‘AA’ Scholarship Award, and former U18 ‘AA’ All-Star fuelled by Gatorade.
“I never really had an opportunity like this when I was playing within the GTHL,” shared Stephanie Hyde, GTHL Manager of Development and Community Outreach. “We heard it from a few girls from the university teams — they were very excited and wanting to give back because they didn’t have an experience like this themselves when they were growing up.”
The day also featured an activity called Positivity Postcards, where participants shared messages to a future young girl thinking about playing hockey. The initiative encouraged players to reflect on their own experiences while offering support and encouragement to the next generation. Click here to view the players’ messages.
For many participants, the day offered something they had not previously experienced — the chance to learn in an all-girls environment and see women leading every aspect of the game.
“It’s just so important for young players to see women in positions of leadership in hockey,” shared GTHL Coach Instructor, Mercedes Watson. “To see it is to believe it, and it shows that hockey is a space for women and girls as well.”
The Girls Development Day followed the sixth annual free Women’s Only Coach Clinic, held Saturday, March 7, also at Scotiabank Pond. For the sixth consecutive season, the GTHL partnered with the We Are Coaches program to offer free women and girls coaching clinics designed to increase the number of women trained as coaches in Canada.
“The GTHL has over 400 women leaders across the league now as team officials and we see that represented in our participants as well,” Watson continued. “The GTHL is truly becoming a co-ed league with girls involved at all levels and today is a really great example celebrating International Women’s Day.”
New this year, the GTHL offered a Development 1 clinic for women and girls. The Development 1 clinic is designed for coaches at the competitive U10 and above level and includes an on-ice training component.
With the We Are Coaches program, the goals are to:
- help build infrastructure to support and sustain the participation of girls and women in hockey in Canada
- develop women role models and leaders within the hockey community
- remove barriers to coaching education for women
“These clinics are so important because they eliminate barriers for women to access coach participation,” said Watson. “Not only do they provide high quality development opportunities for these coaches but they also provide connection, mentorship, and sponsorship which we know is incredibly important for women in sport. I can think back to when I was getting my coach education and I was the only woman in a room full of 50 men. It was intimidating, so this is a great opportunity to eliminate that barrier.”
Together, the two events showcased the GTHL’s continued investment in growing the game for women and girls — from creating more development opportunities for players to building pathways for more women behind the bench and in leadership roles throughout the League.
Hyde summed up the importance of the weekend’s initiatives simply: “For the GTHL, we see a girl playing anywhere as a win for all.”
