PWHL Seattle connects across age groups with inaugural Summer Camp

PWHL Seattle took another step in building roots in the Pacific Northwest earlier this month when the brand-new franchise hosted is youth and adult summer development camp. Held at the Kraken Community Iceplex, the new training facility for the league’s expansion team, the event welcomed more than 100 participants across eight sessions.

The two-day camp offered opportunities for players of all ages. Sessions were divided into three groups: adults, with 38 participants; U8/U10, with 33 participants; and U12/U14, with 39 participants. Each group worked through a mix of on-ice skill development, games and team-building activities led by Seattle’s coaching staff.

PWHL head coach Steve O’Rourke, who attended every session, said he was struck by the enthusiasm from both ends of the age spectrum.

“The camp was really cool. Two things stood out—I’d never done an adult’s camp. It was really exciting to see the enthusiasm and excitement these people have around having this new team here. Amazing to see,” O’Rourke said. “The other thing, with the younger camps, is how long the girls have been playing for. ‘Four years,’ ‘five years,’ ‘eight years.’ One girl has been playing for 10 years already! I think it speaks to what the area is doing already with girls’ hockey and why it will just explode once they see these women play.”

Joining O’Rourke on the ice were Seattle players Hannah Murphy and Megan Carter, who worked directly with the campers during drills and took part in off-ice activities. At the end of day one, the two players sat for meet-and-greets and Q&A sessions, posing for group photos with the campers. On day two, they signed autographs and chatted with families, adding a personal connection to the camp experience.

The weekend also produced small but memorable moments that spoke to the growing excitement around women’s professional hockey. Some participants brought along PWHL x Tim Hortons Barbie dolls, purchased in Canada just days earlier, and asked Murphy and Carter to sign them.

For PWHL Seattle, the camp was about more than sharpening skills. It represented the first chance for the team to engage directly with its fan base in a hands-on way, setting the tone for the franchise’s relationship with the community ahead of its inaugural season. With Seattle already recognized as one of the country’s fastest-growing hockey markets—particularly since the arrival of the NHL’s Kraken in 2021—the addition of professional women’s hockey is expected to accelerate opportunities for girls and women in the region.

By the close of camp, the message was clear: this was only the beginning. PWHL Seattle’s first summer camp set the stage for a future where young athletes in the region can see, and skate alongside, their role models leading the way in the professional game.