Waiting game nears end for elite female Manitoba hockey players

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This article was published 05/09/2023 (1122 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The days of uncertainty are almost over for Kati Tabin.

More than two months since the Premier Hockey Federation was bought and absorbed by the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, the 26-year-old Winnipeg blue-liner is closer to knowing what her future in the game will look like.

The fledgling Professional Women’s Hockey Association, which unveiled a league plan last week to have six franchises play in its inaugural season, is currently in an early free-agency period that ends on Sept. 10.

Elite performers — up to three players per team — such as Canadian superstar Marie-Philip Poulin are expected to be signed during this window.

The remaining players will be available in a draft scheduled for Toronto on Sept. 18 with the regular season projected to open in January.

“The unknown is really tough — mentally, physically, everything — when you’re trying to plan your life but not have a plan,” said Tabin on Tuesday.

“It’s kind of backwards in a way. But I have a good feeling about this new league and hopefully getting drafted to a team, and once the draft kind of hits Sept. 18 we’ll see what happens and go from there. I’m just trying to stay as positive as possible and just kind of focus on what I can control.”

In June, Tabin thought her immediate future was secured when she reupped with the PHF’s Toronto Six, signing a two-year, US$220,000 contract extension.

A month later, the assets of the PHF and its seven franchises were absorbed and all existing contracts were nullified.

“I think this new league is going to be structured way better than kind of what the PHF was structured as,” said Tabin. “We’re going to have more coaches and more professionals on board. It’s going to be one great giant league, which was the main goal. So, although it didn’t work out with my contract, I’m not too worried about it. I’m just hopeful that it all works out with this new league.”

Goaltender Corinne Schroeder of Elm Creek, who signed with the Montreal Force in May after earning PHF rookie and goaltender of the year honours with the Boston Pride, was among those without a deal. Schroeder posted 19-1-0 record with a 1.67 goals-against average and .955 save percentage in 2022-23.

A group of Manitoba players are prime candidates to play for one of the PWHA’s teams in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, New York, Minneapolis-St. Paul or Boston.

Included in that group are Schroeder and former Six players Taylor Woods and Alexis Woloschuk, both defenders, and Team Canada blue-liners Jocelyne Larocque and Ashton Bell and goaltender Kristen Campbell.

Tabin, who led Toronto to an Isobel Cup championship last spring, was the top scorer among PHF defenders last season with four goals and 14 assists in 24 games.

“I want to play hockey for as long as I can,” said Tabin, who is also a marketing associate at Yamaha Motor Canada based in Toronto. “So, that’s kind of what my goal is right now and I’m focusing on training and working out and we’ll see what happens after the draft.”

Before turning pro, Tabin played four years at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn.

“I feel like I kind of had my fun in the States and I personally would love to stay in Canada,” said Tabin. “Sometimes, it just doesn’t work out like that and if Minnesota or Boston or whoever kind of reached out to me with with a deal, it would be a no-brainer for me because I’m not trying to be picky.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca