Rundle Women's Hockey League builds community through sport — no skating experience required

Penny Lawless' first hockey career was short lived. 

At 11, she played for an organized girls' team, which was scrapped after a group of younger boys took over their ice time. 

"It was the 70s, and at that time they told us that girls' hockey wasn't really going anywhere," said Lawless, 58. 

As an adult, things are different. Lawless now has a standing game every Sunday night as a player and organizer with the Rundle Women's Hockey League, a grassroots league that's quickly gaining momentum in the Bow Valley. 

Players range in age from 18 to 70. While some are lifelong competitive players, many, like Lawless, have come to the sport in adulthood. 

Jennifer Rowley, 50, grew up figure skating and started playing hockey when she turned 40. Another player, Takeko Takahashi, was inspired by her husband to take up hockey when she moved to Canada around 30 years ago. 

"I wanted to beat him," said Takahashi, 58. 

New player Bronwyn Hepworth didn't know how to skate when she joined the Rundle league after moving to Banff last year. 

"I was like Bambi on ice, just terrified," said Hepworth, 29, who grew up playing field hockey in England.

"Luckily … the team just really looked out for me, and I feel like I gained confidence each week, which made me want to keep coming back."

The league has its roots in a weekly game of shinny that started in 2008, and gradually evolved into monthly games between players from Canmore and Banff. 

Once 40 people showed up at a single game, organizers figured they had enough for a full-on league. It launched in 2019 with four teams: the Jills, the Shrews, the Minks and the Vixens. 

While the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in the first few seasons, they've generated enough interest to