As women's hockey grows, Nova Scotia's Mae Batherson aims to grow with it

Growing up in a family of athletes, Mae Batherson couldn't help but be competitive.

"She hates to lose," said her father, Norm Batherson. 

Hockey is inherent in the Batherson family.

Mae's brother, Drake, plays in the NHL for the Ottawa Senators. Her father played in the American Hockey League and Europe after helping the Acadia Axemen win a national championship in 1993.

Norm said his daughter always worked hard. It's one of the reasons he believes his daughter has only just begun to show what she's capable of as a hockey player.

"It's promising," Norm said. "There's still a lot more for her [to offer]."

Mae, a 24-year-old blue-liner, is coming off a rookie season in which her Minnesota Frost won their second consecutive PWHL championship in a league that's just two years old.

WATCH | Frost captain Coyne Schofield lifts the Walter Cup:

Frost captain Kendall Coyne Schofield hoists PWHL's Walter Cup

Being part of the championship run showed Mae what it takes to win at the highest level of women's hockey. As the league grows on and off the ice, she said she is focused on growing with it as a player.

"I was put into some different roles and honestly … I just tried to deliver and play my game and help the team the best I could," she said. 

The pace of play in the PWHL is unlike anything Batherson had experienced in her career. She admits she didn't want to make a costly mistake as the team went deeper into the playoffs.

She's driven this off-season to get more confident playing her style of game.

"Just improving on my speed and getting stronger, pinpointing some skill work and walking the blue line," she said. "Hopefully I can improve my offensive side next year, too."

After signing a two-year contract extension, there's