A League of Their Own: Adult Women’s Hockey Takes the Ice this Spring

Lazers Hockey Club (LHC) is proud to announce the launch of its first-ever Adult Women’s Hockey League, coming to Dakota Community Centre (DCC) this April. This new league marks an exciting step forward in expanding organized hockey opportunities for women in Winnipeg.

“We are launching the first-ever women’s hockey league this spring,” says Tyler Riel, Director of Ice Programming at DCC. “This league will offer a structured, competitive environment with full support for officiating and record-keeping, making it a great opportunity for women to play organized hockey.”

LHC and DCC bring decades of experience to the ice, having hosted the Dakota Hockey League (DHL) for nearly 30 years. The DHL currently supports more than 100 teams and 1,800 participants, establishing a proved foundation for high-quality adult hockey programming.

Building on that success, LHC is now focused on creating a comparable, long-term league experience for women.

“We have been actively working to develop more programs and opportunities for women to get on the ice,” explains Riel. “Over the past year we have held Skills and Drills programs and a Drop-in League for women, and the response has shown there’s a demand for something more structured.”

The Adult Women’s Spring League will run from April 8 to May 27, with games held Wednesday evenings at 7:10 PM and 8:20PM in the North Rink of the Jonathan Toews Sportsplex.

Similar to the DHL, each game will consist of three 12-minute periods, with referees, timekeepers, game sheets, and stats tracked on a dedicated website. The league is open to all women aged 18+, regardless of prior league experience.

“We’re excited to get this league off the ground and hopeful to see strong registration,” Riel adds. “Our goal is to build a stable roster and foster a welcoming, competitive community for women hockey players in south Winnipeg.”