Sask. man proud to watch daughter take faceoff at inaugural PWHL game

When Mick Hart turned on the telecast of the first Professional Women’s Hockey League game between New York and Toronto, he didn’t expect to see his daughter on the ice.

But Hart was excited when his daughter skated out for the ceremonial faceoff.

New York captain Micah Zandee-Hart didn’t play in the game due to an ongoing injury, but she suited up to go to centre ice where Billie Jean King dropped the ceremonial first puck in the game against Toronto on Monday.

“It was very cool because she had shoulder surgery in July and she’s not actually cleared to play until probably the third week in January, which is why she is missing the rivalry series with Hockey Canada — the first four games — and she is going to miss the first two weeks of her New York season,” Hart said.

“I talked to her on New Year’s Eve and I said, ‘Are they going to let you suit up and let you take the ceremonial faceoff?’ and she said, ‘No, I will be up in the press box.’ When the game started, there she was taking the faceoff and that was a historic moment.

“It was a total surprise to me because I didn’t think they were going to let her do it.”

The PWHL’s inaugural season features six teams: Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa and Toronto. A number of Olympians are on the teams’ rosters, including Saskatoon’s Emily Clark.

While Hart calls Kenosee home, Zandee-Hart grew up in Saanichton, B.C., where she played her minor hockey. She eventually attended the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton when she was 15 years old.

“Most of the girls my daughter plays with — she’s been playing since she was six years old — and like a lot (of them), she played with boys. There was no girls team where she grew up so she played with boys from age six to age 13 and went away to Penticton to a hockey academy at age 15,” Hart said. “Not many guys go away to leave home to play hockey.”

Prior to playing in the PWHL, Zandee-Hart played four seasons at Cornell University. The defenceman has represented Canada multiple times on the international stage, winning gold with the under-18 team and a gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Hart believes the new hockey league finally gives women an option to play hockey at the pro level consistently.

“It gives young girls something to look forward to and something that they can say, ‘I can do that,’ ” Hart said. “My daughter always wanted to do that, but up until this league got going, the best she was able to do was get a college scholarship and play for her country if she was good enough to be asked and that’s what she ended up doing.

“It’s nice that she is able to do something and make a living at it finally. She’s on a sustainable wage and hopefully that’s going to get nothing but better. The one thing I’ve been saying to her since about age 15 is, ‘You’re living the dream.’ It’s something I wish I could have done or lots of people I know would have loved to do what she is doing. She’s not making a fortune like the boys.

“When she played with the boys, she got up for the 6 o’clock (a.m.) practices and did the exact same things those guys did and those guys all got the opportunity to go and play in the big league and make a ton of money. That was never an option for her but she just loved the game so much she just kept at it and it looks like her dream has maybe come to fruition.”

While Zandee-Hart wasn’t on the ice for New York’s 4-0 win over Toronto, Hart is looking forward to getting out and watching a game.

“A lot of my friends texted and asked me if I was out there. I knew she wasn’t going to play so if I go to watch her, I want to watch her play and not just take a faceoff. It was really cool because it’s such a historic moment,” Hart said.

“Her good friend and teammate Ella Shelton got the first goal and her stick and (the) puck are going into the Hockey Hall of Fame right away. That’s such a great thing — and, of course, you always like to beat Toronto, so to beat them 4-0 was a great thrill for all of us.”