Shannon P. Murree of Barrie is a vocal supporter of the PWHL, at games and on social media.Galit Rodan
Shannon P. Murree’s pathway to hockey fandom didn’t begin with just the game itself. A few years ago, the social entrepreneur was asked to sponsor an ad for her hometown Barrie Jr. Sharks, an Ontario U22 elite-level team operated by the Barrie Women’s Hockey Association. When Murree searched for stock images for the ad, she found that most were of men or boys, or of women with a hockey stick, half naked.
She decided to make her ad about that experience and a call for equality. The team subsequently invited Murree to be their official sponsor, and she joined their management committee to oversee diversity, equity, inclusion and community initiatives.
“I love the hockey part – the speed, strategy, teamwork, energy – but what first drew me was getting to know female junior hockey players and seeing their potential on and off the ice.”
From that involvement, Murree says it was natural to support the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) when it launched in 2023.
“I love to see Sarah Nurse or Victoria Bach representing their communities. Seeing diverse athletes opens minds to the idea sports belong to everyone. I was a mixed girl, and there was no representation for me to play hockey. I didn’t realize it was available to me.”
Golden age for women’s professional sports
A season-ticket holder for the Toronto Sceptres, Murree attends most home games even though the trip takes her at least 90 minutes each way. She also bought additional season tickets to auction off or gift to people who can’t afford them, and promotes the PWHL on social media.
Although she has taken her three adult children to games, Murree also appreciates going solo and getting the chance to know many other fans. “We’re in an arena to watch hockey, but it’s this camaraderie.”
According to a study conducted in late 2023 by Canadian Women & Sport, an organization that advocates for gender equity in sport, two in three Canadians aged 13 to 65 consider themselves fans of women’s sports.
“There’s been such a shift in interest and support,” says Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO of Canadian Women & Sport.
Murree watches the Toronto Sceptres play the Boston Fleet in the opening game of the 2024-2025 PWHL season at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto.Galit Rodan
She credits our women’s national teams for some of the shift. “We had back-to-back Olympics with our women winning gold in soccer and hockey. The athletes were vocal, particularly on the soccer side, that conditions weren’t in place to be winning medals by virtue of the fact we didn’t have a domestic professional-development space.”
This could be a golden age for fans of women’s professional sport in Canada. Beyond the PWHL, the Northern Super League, a Canadian women’s professional soccer league, is launching this April with founding clubs in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax. Toronto will also get a WNBA team, the Tempo, in 2026.
A welcoming atmosphere
Nicky Cottee, an international co-ordinator at Western University’s Faculty of Law, is excited about the Northern Super League and already has season tickets for AFC Toronto.
“The women’s soccer supporter community has really been growing, and it’s incredible. I can’t wait to see where this goes in this country, now that we’re going to actually have professional women’s soccer to go to,” she says.
While Cottee grew up playing soccer in the 1980s, she didn’t follow any team. Then around 2011, she started hearing about the Canadian soccer phenom Christine Sinclair and began supporting the women’s national team.
That evolved into following the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League, primarily because of their Canadian players, Sinclair and Karina LeBlanc. She watched them play in 2013 in Rochester, N.Y. “It was magical and fun, and they were so welcoming. And they had chant sheets so we could follow along. My husband, two kids and myself just felt included right away.”
Cottee serves on the board of the Voyageurs, the unofficial supporter group of the Canadian women’s and men’s national soccer teams, and is proud of its inclusive culture.
Sandmeyer-Graves stresses the need to appeal to young fans who will drive the future of the new women’s professional leagues. “They’re saying if given the opportunity, they will follow more, share more, buy more. But the investment has to come for this to be realized.”
She adds that the athletes talk about themselves as partners in these teams and leagues. “So they’re motivated to spend time before and after games signing autographs, taking photos and engaging on social media in ways men aren’t expected to, and frankly don’t need to, because there’s no threat the NHL is going anywhere.”
That sense of a personal connection has become a key feature in the fandom of women’s sports. Murree says she enjoys the PWHL interactions between players and the kids who run up to the glass to post signs or offer gifts. “I mean, I don’t see friendship-bracelet exchanges at the NHL.”
