HALIFAX - When Toronto Sceptres captain Blayre Turnbull grew up playing hockey in Stellarton, N.S., she didn鈥檛 look up to any professional women's players 鈥 because they didn鈥檛 exist.
She idolized the elite women's national team players suiting up for Canada at the world championships and Olympics, and male NHL players.
But when she was young, no females made money from playing the game she loved.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something you could really never dream of,鈥 the 32-year-old Turnbull said Wednesday night after the Sceptres lost 2-1 in a shootout to the Montreal Victoire in the Professional Women's Hockey League's first-ever Halifax game.
鈥淲hen Allie (Munroe) and I were kids, this opportunity wasn鈥檛 a possibility,鈥 Turnbull added, referring to her Toronto teammate and fellow Nova Scotian. 鈥淔or us to be here tonight in our home province, in a sold-out building, with people (holding) thousands of signs and (wearing) PWHL merchandise and Toronto Sceptres jerseys, I think it鈥檚 something that when we have time to think about this game and reflect, it鈥檚 an incredible moment and one that we鈥檙e really proud of.鈥
A sold-out crowd of 10,438 inside Scotiabank Centre cheered equally for Toronto and Montreal as PWHL arrived in Nova Scotia's capital city.
The game marked the first of 16 neutral-site matchups this season 鈥 and the first of two in Halifax 鈥 as part of the league鈥檚 Takeover Tour to explore possible expansion markets.
Fans in the city already support Halifax Tides FC of the Northern Super League, a professional women鈥檚 soccer team that debuted during the league's inaugural season this year.
鈥淓veryone in Nova Scotia supports women鈥檚 sports incredibly,鈥 said Munroe, a 28-year-old blueliner from Yarmouth, N.S. 鈥淚t was just a privilege to be a part of this game."
Sceptres head coach Troy Ryan of Spryfield, N.S., said the impact his team and the Victoire had during the PWHL鈥檚 takeover event extended beyond just inspiring young girls who may want to play professionally one day.
鈥淲e had a coaching panel where we sat and connected with local coaches and community coaches,鈥 Ryan said, adding the PWHL also had a business breakfast to interact with local leaders 鈥渁nd showcase women鈥檚 professional sport.鈥
Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who scored the shootout winner Wednesday, was rooting for all the Nova Scotians, no matter the team.
Poulin said the standing ovation for Munroe, Turnbull, Ryan and Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie of New Glasgow, N.S., 鈥渨as very special.鈥
鈥淓very time you come to a different community, you cheer for them,鈥 Poulin said. 鈥淵ou want to cheer for them, and they show up for us.鈥
鈥淚t was amazing to see the young girls and the boys in the crowd, and having our jerseys on, and wanting our autographs, it鈥檚 just extremely special,鈥 Cheverie added. 鈥淣ow that we鈥檙e seeing so many associations and girls鈥 teams travelling from all over Nova Scotia to be here, and 鈥 the other Atlantic provinces, it鈥檚 so important for these meaningful moments to happen in hockey and for our sport to continue to grow.鈥
Cheverie also pointed out that females are coaching on the benches, serving as on-ice officials and working behind the scenes to help grow the women鈥檚 game.
鈥淚 just think that the sky is the limit and young people can now see that you can make a living doing many different jobs in sport on the women鈥檚 side,鈥 she said.
The heated on-ice rivalry that forced the game into overtime and a shootout certainly helped build up excitement inside the packed downtown venue.
鈥淎ny time Toronto and Montreal play, it鈥檚 always a really high-paced, highly competitive game,鈥 Turnbull said. 鈥淚鈥檓 really proud of the way we responded tonight. We stuck to our game plan. It would have been nice for us to get the win.鈥
Despite the Toronto loss, Turnbull said the ultimate goal was to leave each location knowing they鈥檝e made a positive impression on little girls so that they can dream big.
鈥淔or young girls now to have the chance to see us play in the PWHL, I think it鈥檚 an awesome opportunity for them to chase their dreams 鈥 and to try to be professional hockey players when they grow up,鈥 she said.
The league returns to Nova Scotia's capital city on Jan. 11, when the Ottawa Charge face the Boston Fleet. Both games quickly sold out as fans wait to see whether the league expands to Canada鈥檚 East Coast.
This report by 好色tvwas first published Dec. 17, 2025.
