Queer Hockey Nova Scotia to start official league this fall

An organization dedicated to making hockey more inclusive for LGBTQ players in Nova Scotia is starting a new league this fall.

David Lewis, who runs Queer Hockey Nova Scotia, is one of the organizers of the league expected to start in September and run until March.

Lewis said the league will provide members of the LGBTQ community and their allies a safe and comfortable place to play.

He said his organization has been seeing more queer individuals becoming interested in playing in their own league.

"Hockey has had some negative aspects towards queer individuals and some have been kind of scared away from the sport even though they loved it," said Lewis.

"So we're just trying to find a safe space where they can develop the skills and most of all have fun on and off the ice."

The organization has been quickly evolving, starting with a first official game in 2021 and then a tournament, the Halifax Pride Cup, in 2023.

He said the organization has made a call out for people who want to join the new league, and in less than a week, there's enough interest to support four teams.

"We would love to play on a regular basis and have some competitiveness," he said. "Pickup [hockey] is great and we have a lot of fun, especially with our music selection, but we really want to have regulated games for us to play at least once a week."

Lars Glofcheskie is a player planning to join the league. They have been playing hockey since they were 12 years old.

Glofcheskie also played intramural hockey in university and they'd often be the only person changing in the women's locker-room. 

"I'd sit alone in the change room and I'd go home alone … it was definitely very isolating and I'd intended to stop playing hockey after a couple years of that,"