These Manitoba hockey moms are hitting the ice with their own league

For one group of St. Adolphe, Man., women, Sundays are for the moms.

After a week of work and parental duties, the group gets together to take part in their own hockey league known as the ‘St. Adolphe Hawkey Moms.’

“We’re busy moms who spend the week taking our kids to their activities and on Sundays it’s for us and we come play a game and have a drink afterwards,” said Karen Lussier, who is part of the league.

The St. Adolphe Hawkey Moms jersey.

The weekly pick-up games, which take place on Sunday evenings, have grown in popularity and skill and over the years.

“When they first started they were out there just trying to get better and better. Four, five years later they’ve done a fantastic job,” said Dean Gilkes, manager of the St. Adolphe Arena. “It used to be just a little bit of practice and now they play actual games.”

For some women, the league has helped to fill a void left behind from their former competitive playing days. It has also given the women a chance to connect with both new and old friends.

“I used to play competitive hockey and I was done with that, but I still wanted to play, and this was a perfect fit for me,” Lussier said.

“It’s in my hometown and I knew some of the girls from when I was growing up and I met tons of new friends.”

Th St. Adolphe Hawkey Moms are pictured in the locker room.

The format for the league is simple – before each game, players pick from a deck of playing card to determine whether they are playing on the light or dark team.

Once the rosters are set, the players hit the ice for a five-minute warm up and then play continuously without periods for the duration of their hour-long ice rental.

While moms make up the majority of the group, the weekly games are open to all women regardless of age or skill level, making it a welcoming environment for those who are new to the games.

“You can tell they are nervous when they start. They ask lots of questions to more experienced players and I always give them tips and pointers, but they improve every single week and everyone is having fun,” Lussier said.

Kori Plesiuk, who is part of the Hawkey Moms, only started playing as an adult. Now, she looks forward to Sunday nights, and not only for the hockey.

“I didn’t do anything for me before I started playing hockey,” she said.

“Sunday nights are my favourite, because I get to go out, I get to hang out with the girls, get some exercise, have fun. Go for it. Take that leap, you’re going to love it and you’ll never go back.”

The St. Adolphe Hawkey Moms face-off during a recent game. (CTV News Winnipeg Photo)