THUNDER BAY — The Thunder Bay U22 Queens have joined the Manitoba Women's Junior Hockey League.
This season, the team will be travelling west to play each of the league's other eight teams, with the first road trip scheduled for Oct. 18 to Oct. 20.
"It's very exciting news," said head coach Rich Tatebe. "We wanted to provide an opportunity for female athletes in Thunder Bay to continue to play competitive hockey while maintaining flexibility for their school and their work schedules. But most importantly, to provide an opportunity for their love of hockey."
Until now, the U22 Queens have typically played all over Ontario, and at times in the U.S., on a schedule Tatebe said requires "a really big commitment."
The Manitoba league is a good fit for a variety of reasons.
The Queens are already familiar with it, having played an exhibition series last year, and Manitoba's academic schedule is similar to Ontario's, which is convenient for players attending Lakehead University or Confederation College.
Tatebe said travel costs are also expected to be a little lower.
"All our players pay out-of-pocket," he said. "They're students. So we try to keep it affordable, and one of the ways we do that is by going to Manitoba."
He said the move to the Manitoba league has been welcomed enthusiastically by the players, and has already brought more attention to the U22 program.
"We're just now getting a bigger buzz around the Northwest and Ontario, and getting players from all over. We've had a few people reach out from the States, from farther north, farther south and farther west."
Regulations for the junior league allow the Queens to ice three overage players as well.
One of these is Bethany Welton, who's enrolled in concurrent education and outdoor recreation at Lakehead.
She welcomes the opportunity to play against the Manitoba teams, saying it means she can continue to enjoy a sport she's been passionate about since the age of five.
"I'm just still looking to be competitive, and play in a league that really cares about the competitiveness of continuing girls hockey."
Welton, who plays defence, would like to see more options for female players in the future.
"I think just more recognition of the fact that there is girls' hockey to be played, and there needs to be more like what the guys have," she said. " Always, there's lots of tournaments, there's lots of building points for them, where for girls in Thunder Bay it's a lot of money to travel to play tournaments. You have to go to Toronto, you have to go to Minnesota."
She praised the U22 Queens for working diligently to promote women's hockey.
"The coaching staff this year and the last few years have done a really good job of reaching out to girls and making sure they know about the program, and that the Queens program is here to support us and make sure we do really succeed in Manitoba," Welton said.
