Vasko turning pro
Alexa Vasko’s dream has become reality.
The 24-year-old St. Catharines native was drafted last week by the Toronto franchise of the Professional Women’s Hockey League which begins play in January of 2024.
“I think it’s what we dream of when we’re little girls,” said Vasko, a graduate of Governor Simcoe Secondary School. “I remember watching on TV and wanting to play in the NHL. Unfortunately being a female, that wasn’t necessarily possible.
“Being professional athletes and being able to make a living doing this is incredible.”
The PWHL is comprised three teams in Canada (Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa) and three teams in the United States (New York, Minnesota, Boston) and replaces the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF; formerly the National Women’s Hockey League), which was bought out and dissolved in July 2023 to make way for the creation of the new league.
Vasko had no inkling who would select her.
“Going into that day we were super excited but everyone was also a bundle of nerves as well because you have six great organizations that you could go to. Honestly, whichever one picked me I would be really happy and I’m excited to be close to home as well.”
Vasko said the league’s draft day, held at the CBC Centre in Toronto, was a first-class affair.
“It was an incredible day, definitely a whirlwind of a day,” she said. “The league and Canadian Tire did an amazing job of putting the event on. We were treated like absolute pros. It was really cool with the purple carpet and seeing the little girls there with their signs.
“It was just amazing.”
Vasko appreciates the sacrifices made by others before her who paved the way for the new league.
“Girls that came before us had to have second jobs. I know teachers, firefighters and they would have to balance that with having 9 p.m. training sessions,” she said. “Last year we were able to make money playing in the PWHPA (Professional Women’s Hockey Player’s Association) and I was grateful to just focus on training.
“I’m fortunate enough to be one year out of college and played in the PWHPA for about a year but you have girls who have been fighting for a league like this for years and years, and to be able to do it for those girls, it’s just incredible.”
Vasko, who graduated from Mercyhurst University with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Athletic Management, moved to Montreal about a year ago to train with a group of other players who are part of the Canadian National Team program.
She was in St. Catharines recently for a National Team Camp and has high hopes of continuing to represent her country.
“Growing up I always wanted to represent Canada and being younger I wanted to make the U18 team and then the development team which I did and now something I can strive for is the Senior National Team as well,” she said. “Being invited to the National Team Camp in St. Catharines was another big step for me.”
Vasko’s resume of representing her country is impressive: 2016: U18 Team Canada Series vs USA, Assistant Captain; 2017: IIHF U18 World Championships in Czech Republic, Assistant Captain, Silver Medal; 2018: Development Team (U22) Series versus USA; 2019: Development Team (U22) Series versus USA; 2021: National Women’s Team Camp; 2022: National Women’s Team Camp; 2023: National Women’s Team Camp.
Vasko plans to return to Montreal to continue training before heading to training camp in Toronto in November.
The season is scheduled to begin in January and run through late May or early June with a break for the Women’s World Championship.
Teams began constructing their rosters in the summer of 2023. All six teams were allowed to sign three players during an initial 10-day free agency period. Emily Clark, Ridley College graduate Brianne Jenner and Emerance Maschmeyer became the first three players signed to PWHL contracts when they signed with Ottawa earlier this month.
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