How ex-PWHLer Erica Howe's hockey experience helped her battle breast cancer

At Erica Howe's first oncologist appointment on Sept. 11, 2024, she posed a question that had never been asked before.

"Can I play hockey?" Howe wanted to know, not long after learning she'd been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Exactly one year later, having not laced up skates in 365 days, Howe asked again.

This time, the answer was different.

"Well, I think you can start with five minutes of ice time. You absolutely cannot play goalie," the doctor said.

Each sentence elated Howe, the former Toronto Sceptres goalie who now works as a firefighter, for different reasons.

The first is obvious.

"I just know when you go play hockey with your friends, you're loving life. I know the kind of impact that could have on me mentally," she said.

The second, perhaps less so. Unless, of course, you too are a goalie.

"I don't know if you know anything about goalies. But in retirement, we do not want to play goalie. So I was like, 'I'm going to need that in writing,'" Howe joked. "I can only play forward and score goals."

Howe, the 33-year-old from Orleans, Ont., has now completed active treatment for her cancer with no evidence of disease. However, since her cancer was hormone positive, she remains on suppressants.

Last December, her worlds collided when the Sceptres hosted a bra-toss fundraiser for breast-cancer research during a game against the Montreal Victoire. Howe fought through tears to deliver a post-game speech and was immediately embraced by longtime friend Laura Stacey.

On Saturday, Howe will take the mic once more as a keynote speaker for Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer, a Princess Margaret event in Toronto where both the PWHL and a group of fellow firefighters have entered teams.

"I'm just excited to see the impact and the