MARYLAND HEIGHTS — On the rink, the hockey players zig-zagged through cones and skidded into snowplow stops. It was week five of practice, and the wobbles had mostly worked themselves out. Kim Seegers of Webster Groves watched her 5-year-old daughter from outside the glass during the recent Saturday morning drills at Centene Community Ice Center. “Her confidence has improved so much,” Seegers said. Austin Seegers, one of 48 girls who signed up for the St. Louis Blues’ six-week introductory program, likes to pretend she is the hockey-loving protagonist of “Inside Out 2.” The family has been visiting the skating rink on their own, too. Austin, a soccer and gymnastics veteran, works on keeping her knees bent and her head up. She chews on her pink mouth guard. If a movie character is what gets a girl on the ice, so be it, coaches say. But they credit the boom in girls hockey — up 65% nationally over the past 15 years, according to USA Hockey — to concentrated efforts, from recreational to professional levels, that target a long-overlooked population.
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Exposure helps, too. In its second year of existence, the Professional Women’s Hockey League has expanded its schedule and found a streaming platform. On March 29, Enterprise Center
will host its first women’s pro matchup, when the Ottawa Charge take on the Boston Fleet.
"I really like skating and really like scoring goals," said Isla Thomer, 9, of Olivette, who celebrates her third goal at the St. Louis Blues' learn-to-play hockey program for girls on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights. In the St. Louis area, girls have more opportunities than ever before, beginning with learn-to-play programs. Every National Hockey League franchise hosts one, but most — like the
Little Blues — are coed. The Little Blues were around for four years before the organization rolled out its companion, the
Girls Hockey Development League , during the 2020-21 season. About half a dozen other NHL clubs do something similar. “We wanted to grow the girls’ game,” said Sarah Peterson, the manager of youth hockey and fan development strategy for the Blues. In the first season, 114 girls ages 5 to 17 participated. Last year, that number more than doubled, and the club expects a continued climb. “Nationwide, girls’ and women’s hockey is more and more on the map,” Peterson said. That means there are more places for girls like Austin to compete after they graduate from learn-to-play. Three local hockey clubs — the Lady Cyclones, Affton Lady Liberty and Chesterfield Lady Falcons — are girls-only. About 10 others offer coed divisions. And everyone's drawing more players. No area high schools have girls hockey teams yet, but that’s the aim, said Jason Carrera, who is on the board for the
United Girls High School Hockey League in St. Louis. The league, formed in 2023, provides a “co-op system” for high school players. Girls represent their respective schools but compete on mixed teams. “That’s how the boys’ high schools started,” said Carrera. “You build your way up.” He also directs the
Lady Liberty and coaches his two daughters, ages 10 and 14. At the collegiate level, Maryville University added a women’s team in 2020, joining Lindenwood, which has had a women’s squad since 2003. “That’s basically a big billboard for girls hockey,” Carrera said.
"It's just fun to have a stick out and slide on the ice. You get to battle people and they are still safe," said Madalina Cloin, 12, of O'Fallon, Illinois, who skates in drills at the St. Louis Blues' learn-to-play program on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights. 'A big spike'
Jayna Hefford is the lead operations executive with the Professional Women’s Hockey League. Hockey today looks different from when she was a kid in Canada in the 1980s. She followed her brother into the sport and had no choice but to play with the boys. Eventually, there were enough girls for a team in her town, but they had to travel to other cities to find opponents. The spark that ignited a fervor for girls hockey, Hefford believes, was its inclusion in the Olympics in 1998. She suited up for Canada in those Games, and the four that followed. “We saw a big spike,” said Hefford, who lives in Toronto. “It’s been pretty incredible.” It still took awhile — especially in the Midwest — for the burgeoning interest to reach critical mass, and for the infrastructure to catch up. In 2002, the
Lady Cyclones became the first all-girls club in St. Louis. It had a single team and no rink. The Cyclones picked up steam slowly. Then, in 2019, it took advantage of a double power play: The Blues won the Stanley Cup — triggering youth interest across the board — and the Centene ice center opened, marking the first time the Cyclones had a permanent location. “That was a big thing for us,” said Zane Truman, the Cyclones vice president. “We needed a home.” Hockey has plenty of barriers to entry. Ice time is limited, so practices are often scheduled at odd hours. Rinks can be far-flung. And the required equipment is considerable — and costly.
Isla Thomer, 9, of Olivette, prepares for the final practice of the six-week St. Louis Blues' learn-to-play hockey program for girls on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights. Parents balk at sinking hundreds of dollars into pads, sticks and skates if they aren’t sure their kids are in it for the long haul. Four times a year, the Cyclones club — which now has 19 teams — holds a “try hockey for free” class. The Blues’ development program costs $250 for six sessions and a full set of equipment, which the girls can keep. The Affton Lady Liberty, up to 10 teams from the three it started with in 2016, makes a lending closet of secondhand gear available for its players. “We’re trying to ease that initial cost,” said Carrera, the league director. The benefits are worth the investment, he said. A built-in community. Stronger bodies. And stronger minds. “The girls still play a physical game,” Carrera said. “But they want to know the why, the when, the how.”
'Time and patience'
At the Blues’ learn-to-play session, explanations accompany each drill. Coach Erika Mueller, 21, oversees stick-handling. She spells out the importance of perseverance. She demonstrates how to bounce back up after a tumble. Mueller, of Webster Groves, is herself relatively new to the game. In high school, she took up ice skating and then enrolled in an adult learn-to-play program. “It takes a lot of time and patience,” Mueller said. “It’s really neat to see the progression.”
Coach Erika Mueller leads players to raise their sticks up to celebrate completing the St. Louis Blues' learn-to-play hockey program on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights. Montana Opsal, 8, a veteran of the Blues development league, returned to the rink with her parents on a recent Saturday to watch her little sister practice. She had already shared her hard-earned wisdom with 5-year-old Prairie. “I kept trying when I fell,” Montana encouraged Prairie. And that grit landed Montana, of Crestwood, a spot with the Lady Liberty, where she dabbles in every position but favors forward. “I have a lot of friends on the team,” Montana said. “I love playing.”
Ginger Gamble helps her daughter, Myra Friedland, dress in her gear on the final practice of the St. Louis Blues' learn-to-play hockey program for girls on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights. Brandon Hoernis, of Swansea, helps his daughter Anya, 5, lace up her skates for the St. Louis Blues' learn-to-play hockey program for girls on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights. Evelyn Alvarado, Anya Hoernis and Zoe Mueller scrimmage in a drills at the final practice of the St. Louis Blues' six-week, learn-to-play hockey program on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights. Girls developing their love and skills for hockey in Blues' youth program
"I really like skating and really like scoring goals," said Isla Thomer, 9, of Olivette, who celebrates her third goal at the St. Louis Blues' learn-to-play hockey program for girls on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights. Brandon Hoernis, of Swansea, helps his daughter Anya, 5, lace up her skates for the St. Louis Blues' learn-to-play hockey program for girls on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights. Isla Thomer, 9, of Olivette, prepares for the final practice of the six-week St. Louis Blues' learn-to-play hockey program for girls on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights. Water bottles including one of Princess Minhwa belonging to Anya Hoernis, 5, line the boards during the the final practice of the six-week St. Louis Blues sponsored learn-to-play hockey program for girls on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights. "It's just fun to have a stick out and slide on the ice. You get to battle people and they are still safe," said Madalina Cloin, 12, of O'Fallon, Illinois, who skates in drills at the St. Louis Blues' learn-to-play program on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights. Coach Erika Mueller leads players to raise their sticks up to celebrate completing the St. Louis Blues' learn-to-play hockey program on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights. "I learned how to skate backwards and cross my feet," said Isla Thomer, 9, of Olivette, as she puts on her skates for the final practice of the six-week St. Louis Blues sponsored learn-to-play hockey program for girls on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights.
