Happy Friday, folks! It’s Alyssa Turner from the Ice Garden. As July wraps up, I’m not sure about anyone else out there, but the hockey void feels massive to me right now. As there’s still loads of time remaining until puck drop, I wanted to take today’s Hockey Friday piece to dive into what various women’s hockey players across North America have been up to this summer.
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From hosting camps for kids, training sessions, 3-on-3 summer leagues, hiking, and everything in between, women’s hockey players from coast to coast have kept themselves busy.
When the season’s on break, the work doesn’t stop for women’s hockey players. This summer, PWHL stars have been sharing their passions and expertise at camps across Canada and the United States. Renata Fast and Emma Maltais hosted their fourth annual camp in their hometown of Burlington, Ontario, while the New York Sirens and Boston Fleet held team camps with roster players stepping in as special guest coaches.
Goalies have been getting in on the summer camp action as well. PWHL Vancouver’s Emerance Maschmeyer hosted the first-ever EM38 Goalie Camp in Chelsea, QC, running from July 28–31, featuring guest appearances from Olympic gold medalist Genevieve Lacasse and 2025 Walter Cup Final MVP Gwyneth Philips.
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This four-day goalie camp was designed to elevate attendees’ skill set, combining on-ice instruction with off-ice training and daily classroom sessions on nutrition, game preparation, professional habits, and more.
Earlier this summer, former Metropolitan Riveter and Toronto Six defender Saroya Tinker led Black Girl Hockey Club’s third annual Canadian summer camp. As founder and executive director of Black Girl Hockey Club Canada, Tinker was joined by PWHL Vancouver defender Sophie Jaques and PWHL Seattle forward Mikyla Grant-Mentis. What began in 2023 with 68 participants grew into the camp’s largest and most successful turnout this year, welcoming over 160 BIPOC girls to the three-day event. According to their website, their summer camp is open to players aged 8 and older, including adults. This year, BGHC Canada welcomed three players from the Kenyan Ice Lions to the annual camp.
The PWHL’s current offseason is unlike anything the women’s game has seen before. Entering its third season this fall, the league is growing from six to eight teams with the additions of Seattle and Vancouver. Fans, players, and media have witnessed a whirlwind of movement through the expansion draft, free agency, and the 2025 PWHL Entry Draft. As the summer rolls on, players making moves to new teams and cities are sharing their excitement about the places they’ll soon call home.
Jennifer Gardiner, fresh off a strong rookie season with the Montreal Victoire, inked a one-year contract with PWHL Vancouver this offseason. Growing up in Surrey, BC, the former Ohio State standout is no stranger to a hike in the beautiful province of British Columbia, and earlier this summer, she took to TikTok to share a hilarious and painfully accurate representation of what the average hike in British Columbia looks like. She was joined by fellow PWHL players Claire Dalton, Mariah Keopple, Mikyla Grant-Mentis, and Sandra Abstreiter.
Despite it being the offseason, we all know that hockey players are built differently and just can’t seem to stay away from the competitive nature of the sport. That includes the likes of several top-tier players in the PWHL and the NCAA who often spend their summers taking the ice in the women’s divisions of 3-on-3 summer leagues in Minnesota and Quebec.
Da Beauty League’s rosters are loaded with talent from top to bottom. Fans in Edina, MN, are treated to some of the best talent in women’s hockey each week, especially for fellow Minnesota Frost fans. Back-to-back Walter Cup Champions Taylor Heise, Grace Zumwinkle, and Maddie Rooney are joined by standout college players such as Carly Humphrey, Ella Boerger, and Ellie Morrison, creating an incredible on-ice product full of skill and excitement.
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The Living Sisu Hockey League in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, has quickly established itself as a summer showcase for elite women’s hockey talent. Among its regulars is none other than Marie-Philip Poulin, who lights up the ice almost every week alongside her fellow and former teammates and peers at both the professional and college levels.
The LSHL has been a very popular summer league for various men’s professional hockey players, especially Quebec-born talent. Throughout the five-week-long season, four teams per division compete for the overall ranking. Weeks 6 and 7 are playoff weeks. Last season, Gabrielle David and Ève Gascon’s team took home the championship. Fans in the stands at LSHL games are always in for a treat on Monday nights when the women take the ice.
| Mondays: Soccer |
| By: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Women’s Soccer |
| Tuesdays: Tennis |
| By: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer |
| Wednesdays: Basketball |
| By: Howard Megdal, @HowardMegdal, The Next |
| Thursdays: Golf |
| By: Marin Dremock, @MDremock, The IX |
| Fridays: Hockey |
| By: @TheIceGarden, The Ice Garden |
| Saturdays: Gymnastics |
| By: Lela Moore, @runlelarun, Freelance Writer |
