Premier Hockey Federation All-Stars hit the ice on Saturday morning at Mattamy Athletic Centre, joining a pair of Toronto youth teams for some fun practice and skills development sessions.
“It was awesome and such a great turn out with a lot of the young girls and even some older players,” said Shiann Darkangelo, captain of the Toronto Six. “It’s awesome to be a part of this event to be able to be a role model for players in the community. Doing these type of community events are so simple, but are so impactful.”
Darkangelo was among a group of eight players who joined members of the Leaside Girls Hockey House League. The All-Stars had the opportunity to create their own drills at various stations around the ice, working on different skating movements, plus passing, shooting, and handling the puck. Everyone was kept energized and engaged throughout.
“When I was younger I had mostly male hockey role models, NHL players for example is who I would look up to,” Darkangelo said. “It’s great for young players to have role models so they might think ‘I can do that one day’. I didn’t have that opportunity when I was a kid as there wasn’t a women’s professional league back then. I think it’s very important to do things in the community to grow the sport.”
All-Star captain Kaleigh Fratkin was part of the first group with Darkangelo, along with her Boston teammates Jillian Dempsey, Élizabeth Giguère, and Aneta Tejralová, Toronto’s Brittany Howard and Saroya Tinker, plus Minnesota’s Sydney Brodt, and the Riveters’ Kelly Babstock. They all share the interest of inspiring the next generation in a way that’s different from their own early experiences in the game.
“When I was playing, some of the events that I got to go to or the camps that I attended were predominantly boys camps,” Fratkin said. “I would be the only girl there and the role models would be the men on the ice. It’s really cool that I am in that position now where these young girls are coming on the ice and they have female role models where they can aspire to play in the PHF. It is a direct path that they can see what the potential is.”
Fratkin and her fellow All-Stars all lined up on the bench after the session to sign autographs for their new fans. It’s an example of the passion for the game that exists all over the city and fuels excitement for Sunday’s game.
“It’s nice to be in Canada. It’s not necessarily a hometown, per se, but I have a ton of family back east,” Fratkin said. “My mom is originally from Ontario so I will have a ton of cousins, aunts, and uncles who will be at the game. My mom is going to be here too which will be nice to feel like it is a hometown event. Everywhere you go when you arrive on Canadian soil there is hockey everywhere. It is really cool the game is going to be on TV and show on TSN and ESPN.”
The second group of All-Stars to connect with the community included Boston’s Kali Flanagan, Loren Gabel, Corinne Schroeder, and Olivia Zafuto, Toronto’s Leah Lum, Kati Tabin, and Emma Woods, and the Riveters’ Madison Packer who all had the opportunity to practice one-on-one with members of the North York Storm U13 Girls. Team World All-Star coaches Erika Holst and Venla Hovi also provided instruction.
Tickets for Sunday’s game are still available and can be purchased online via TicketMaster for $29.50 including taxes and processing fees. The PHF All-Star Game will also air live across the United States on ESPN2 and in Canada on TSN, TSN.ca, and the TSN app beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Photos by Nathan Fernandes
