PWHL Toronto's Natalie Spooner shows motherhood can embolden a career

"Grueling. But you can do both." 

One day ahead of the first game in the PWHL playoff series, I'm standing in the Coca-Cola Coliseum chatting with the league's top scorer— Natalie Spooner. The 33-year-old Spooner, ever smiling, and I talk briefly about motherhood, parenting a toddler and her outstanding performance in the inaugural season of the professional women's hockey league.

At the sold-out game, in a five-game series against Minnesota, Spooner is the first goal scorer. The crowd goes wild to applaud her getting Toronto on the board early in the first period. It is no surprise that Spooner, who some are saying will be awarded the league's MVP award, is adored. One of the signs reads "SPOONER - MOM POWER."

As someone who has covered women's hockey for over a decade I find this fascinating. The narrative that being a mom is a form of strength and potential not something to hinder or stop a career.

Spooner is not the first literalhockey mom. Other national superstars like Becky Kellar-Duke, Cheryl Pounder, Megan Mikleson, and Caroline Ouelette went back to playing after having children. But as the landscape changes and there is more understanding about the needs for women in sport, opportunities to have families while playing as a career have scratched the surface. 

During this series, Toronto is currently up 2-0,  Spooner is facing Kendall Coyne-Schofield, captain of Minnesota and herself a mom of a baby boy born in July, 2023. 

But what Spooner and Coyne-Schofield do offer are proud examples on social media and broadcasts of professional players who get support from their league for doing their jobs and having families. The public displays of them parenting while playing a demanding sport are not only examples but