Kaleigh Fratkin is still feeling the sting of her Boston team falling just short of winning the Walter Cup in the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s historic debut season.
But finishing runner-up can’t diminish what the Burnaby native and her fellow players accomplished in helping birth a brand new league that exceeded expectations on almost every front.
“We had a lot of highs and lows, you know, as a group,” said Fratkin, speaking from Boston. “But there were some unbelievable positives that were probably the coolest things I ever went through in my hockey career. And I’ve been playing for a decent amount of time now.”
Top of the list, says the 32-year-old defender, was playing regularly in front of thousands of fans, including during Boston’s first-round playoff sweep of Montreal.
Notable, too, was the pure joy when Boston rose from the dead in game four of the final series, forcing a fifth and deciding game with a goal in double overtime only 70 seconds after Minnesota’s potential cup-clinching goal had been waived off.
Watch | Kaleigh Fratkin talks about potential for pro women’s hockey in Vancouver:
Burnaby’s Kaleigh Fratkin says opportunities for B.C. female hockey players are much better now than when she was young.
“That was really … that was a roller coaster of emotions,” said Fratkin. “Very surreal to have been a part of that.”
Top-shelf excitement and entertainment were just some of the inaugural season’s hallmarks. Add to the mix a series of new attendance records, merchandise that flew off the shelves and an impressive television and streaming presence that put the PWHL on solid footing in year one.
And how nice is that for someone like Fratkin, who’s navigated a pro career through 10 years of shaky entities that became stepping stones to the PWHL — the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, the National Women’s Hockey League and the Premier Hockey Federation.
“There’s been some huge gain of momentum this year, from fans and from media support,” said Fratkin. “To get to what we accomplished in this first season was something that … definitely did push the envelope for where we are right now in the sport.”
The difference is what happens when you have the deep pockets of billionaires Mark and Kimbra Walter, owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers, financially backing the league with a critical mass of money needed for early stability.
For players, that means a reasonable salary averaging $55,000 per season, as dictated by the collective bargaining agreement struck between the PWHL and its players’ union.
By comparison, eight years ago, Fratkin was the highest-paid Canadian player in the NWHL, earning $20,000 as a league all-star and top-scoring defender with the Connecticut Whale.
The full list of accomplishments since graduating from Boston University is impressive: 2015 Clarkson Cup champion with the Boston Blades, 2020 and 2021 NWHL defender of the year and back-to-back Isobel Cup champion with the Boston Pride in 2021 and 2022.
Fratkin forged the foundation for her career on Vancouver-area rinks, where she was the first female skater to play B.C. boys AAA midget hockey alongside the likes of Sam Reinhart and Alexander Kerfoot.
Maintaining a balance while navigating the highs and lows of the evolving women’s game has been key to her longevity. For that, she credits dad Ron, who passed away two years ago.
“He used to say if you want to stay … there are sacrifices,” she said. “You’re not getting paid millions of dollars, and it’s not glamorous, but if you want to do it, it’s important to continue.”
Credit for a sharp sense of style — frequently on display during game walk-ins — goes to mom Marilyn, owner of Real Hip Clothing in Vancouver, a local supplier to minor hockey, lacrosse and soccer associations across the region.
“I blame ALL the fashion stuff on my mom,” laughed Fratkin. “She’s been in the sportswear business for a million years.”
Fratkin will be a free agent later this month and hopes another contract is in the offing.
As for the PWHL expanding to her home province, she feels there’s definitely opportunity down the road.
“I would love to see a women’s professional team in Vancouver. There’s an appetite for it … in Vancouver specifically, but also in British Columbia, and you can see it with all the youth development leagues,” she said. “A team there would be really special.”