Mikyla Grant-Mentis fighting for one of few jobs with PWHL Ottawa as team hits the ice

Mikyla Grant-Mentis grinned ear to ear as she kneeled on the TD Place ice, chatting with Ottawa head coach Carla MacLeod.

The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) team hit the ice for the first time on Friday, and for Grant-Mentis, it was a moment she's been craving since she arrived in Ottawa earlier this week.

"It was awesome," Grant-Mentis said after her first practice. "It was the best time I've ever had at a practice, to be honest."

“I’m excited to fight for my spot” <br><br>2021 PHF MVP Mikyla Grant-Mentis is fighting for one of a few roster spots with PWHL Ottawa as the team hits the ice during training camp <br><br>Full story: <a href="https://t.co/kgGJnetrLK">https://t.co/kgGJnetrLK</a> <a href="https://t.co/tJRcSOkcsP">pic.twitter.com/tJRcSOkcsP</a>

It was the first chance for Grant-Mentis to show the vision and offensive skill that made her MVP of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) in 2021, and the start of her battle to lock down one of six roster spots remaining in Ottawa.

"I've never been put in this position before, so I'm excited to fight for my spot," Grant-Mentis said. "What I would bring would be just my heart, my grit and then the fun aspect of hockey as well because I'm a little bit of a jokester sometimes."

It also marks the end of a turbulent and extra long off-season for the 25-year-old from Brampton. Grant-Mentis planned to return to the PHF's Buffalo Beauts on a contract that was due to pay her in the neighbourhood of six figures.

That all changed when the PHF was sold and shut down at the end of June, with the new owenship group creating the PWHL in its place.

Grant-Mentis was able to focus entirely on hockey last season, quitting her second job as a delivery driver. But she found herself