PWHL Vancouver Hosts First-Ever Youth Camp at North Shore Winter Club

PWHL Vancouver made history earlier this month, welcoming more than 130 girls to its first-ever youth camp at the storied North Shore Winter Club. Over two days, players from across British Columbia and beyond—from as close as Vancouver to as far as Revelstoke and the Yukon—came together for on-ice training, off-ice workouts, and leadership seminars guided by the newest team in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.

The camp marked the first official opportunity for PWHL Vancouver to connect with the city’s young hockey community. Led by General Manager Cara Gardner-Morey and Head Coach Brian Idalski, the sessions also featured instruction from Vancouver players Ashton Bell, Kristen Campbell, Jenn Gardiner and Nina Jobst-Smith.

For Idalski, it was a reminder of the impact professional athletes can have on the next generation. “The kids were super enamored with meeting the players, seeing the players,” he said. “I really believe they do such a great job and lean into being role models. They know the impact they have.”

Women’s and girls’ hockey in British Columbia have been steadily growing in recent years, with more than 10,800 players registered in 2023–24. That momentum has been part of PWHL Vancouver’s story since day one. When the league announced its expansion to the city in April, a local U11 team (the Vancouver Angels) helped break the news, highlighting the enthusiasm of the province’s youngest players.

Hosting this camp was a natural next step. Over four age divisions (U11, U13, U15, U18), the sessions blended skills development with off-ice learning, providing campers a holistic look at the sport while also reinforcing values of teamwork and perseverance.

The two-day camp also delivered the kinds of heartwarming memories that highlight the bond between athletes and their community. During a meet-and-greet, the entire camp sang “Happy Birthday” to one young player, drawing smiles from teammates and staff alike. In another moment, a camper presented Gardner-Morey with a handmade brochure suggesting a potential name and logo for Vancouver’s yet-to-be-unveiled team identity—a creative gesture that underscored how deeply the new franchise has already captured the imagination of local kids.

Perhaps most emblematic was what happened when Bell paused from her media availability near the rink. A group of girls, wide-eyed, began shouting, “It’s a PWHL player! It’s a PWHL player!” Bell quickly went over to say hello, sparking a flurry of excitement and a reminder of how representation on the ice inspires those in the stands.

For PWHL Vancouver, the camp was about more than just skills—it was about laying the foundation for a relationship with a passionate hockey community. Hosting it at North Shore Winter Club, a fixture in the city for more than 60 years, added symbolic weight. The facility has long been a hub for developing talent, and now it’s tied to the beginnings of the city’s first professional women’s hockey team.

As the franchise prepares for its inaugural season, events like this serve as both outreach and inspiration. They offer young girls the chance to see professional pathways up close, and they allow players and staff to deepen their roots in the community they’ll soon represent on the league’s biggest stage.

For the campers, the impact was immediate. They skated alongside role models, asked questions about hockey and life, and saw firsthand that the sport they love can take them farther than ever before.

And for PWHL Vancouver, the takeaway was just as powerful: the team’s future in the city will be built not only in the arena, but also in the connections made with the next generation of players.