Inside a historic women’s hockey fight and why it changed PWHL rules: ‘We were battling out there’

Nearly a decade ago, the Solnener generation was an energy line to the Canadian women’s national team, and won two Olympic medals and a world championship.

Now she can add a new line to her autobiography: she threw the first real punches in the history of professional women’s hockey league, in a battle with Ottawa Teresa Vanifa.

“We were fighting there,” said Soolner Athlete. “I got my stick and dropped it, and that was just a kind of green science for me … I said,” Let’s go. “

The first legal battle in #Pwhl. 🥊 PWHL_BostonSolnener generation and pwhl_ottawaTEREZA VANIšOVA Square. #PwhlJill_saulnier Vanisovatereza pic.twitter.com/l6fr5bivmv

– Melissa Burgis (_LISSABURGESS) February 21, 2025

February 20 fighting during a game between the Boston and Ottawa fleet was the first ever in PWHL and one of the most viral moments in the league.

The battles are not completely new to the women’s hockey game. There was a line of fight between Canada and the United States In the pre -tournament game Before the 2014 Olympiad, another in the Hockey National Association now in 2016.

Usually there are major strokes and scrums after zeroes at the professional and international levels. But these moments – with fist – were few and far apart.

For players participating in the first battle of PWHL, that was just a natural part of the woman’s game and a product to increase the permitted physical in the league.

Soleenner, who is now a Boston striker after A. January Trade One of the sirens in New York. “It is just the way the chips fell into the corner.”

The accumulation of battle included at least a great success of additional examinations by SAULNIER against Vaniová, one of the best goals in Ottawa. When Vanišová got up, Saulnier stick threw the ground on the floor.

“I felt that the next just step was difficult,” Solnener said. “At the present time, it was physical and that battle happened. There was directly and was a message on every side.”

None of the players fell, as usual in the hockey game for men, given that the women players wear full cages that protect their face – not persuasion like most of the NHLERS, which leaves most of its face exposed. In both league, players are not allowed to remove their helmets to fight.

“It will just look ridiculous to drop gloves,” Solnener said, given that they will get a cage with their bare hands.

Nearly 6000 fans of TD Place Arena were in Ottawa on their feet. Likewise, the players were on every seat. Five minutes after the fighting, Utaoa defender Ronga Savolinin scored to make the match 2-1 late in the third period. When Vanišová came out of the penalty box, only three seconds scored in the game to send it to additional work and score the first “Gordie Howe Hat” trick in the league history – when the player scores a goal, helps a goal and fights in the same game.

“I thought it was great, he made the fans go,” said Solnener. ))

Ottawa eventually lost 3-2 in additional time, and Solnener and Vanchiova participated in the handshake line after saying, “a nice battle.”

“You see the intensity of the game and this is the fun part of this league,” said Utawa coach Carla McCloid after the match. “None of the players retreated and I think there will be little tune on this topic, which is not bad for the game either.”

The battle has made news around the world with TMZ and Daily Mail newspaper headlines, which usually do not cover the hockey game for women. And it went on social media while 16 million people across North America were watching Canada and the United States in the conclusion of the four countries.

Last week, fans gave the Saulnier bracelets that explain “Fight Club” in the beads and shirts that “Jill Saulnier Fight Club”, who wore a family member of Boston against Montreal at the bell center on Saturday.

“I think more people have communicated than when we won a gold medal,” said Solnener, a member of the Canadian Olympic team for the year 2022. “It is clear that you shouldn’t fight every game, but I think it was already good because it got more holidays in the league.”

PWHL, which only officially started in January 2024 will take exposure. The battle was also a nice evidence that the league is full of skilled players who can play with ingenuity and speed, but also embraces physical. However, the battles are not something they want to be the base.

The league rules book clearly states that “the fighting is not part of the PWHL game”. Before a quarrel last month, there was not much clarity about what the penalties might impose, otherwise that the players who are fighting should be removed from the game.

SAULNIER and Vanišová were given only rough minors to fight them, which led to some confusion about the rules. Last week, Al -Douri explained that the fighting will now be punished with a 5 -minute penalty and the misconduct of the game, with the ability to discipline after the review and take into account the repeated criminals.

According to Solney, the Director General of Boston Daniel Marmer is called “the base of the Solician generation”.

The new rules should prevent players from fighting frequently. In a short season of 30 games, players may not be ready to sit in an additional game only to give their team a batch of energy after fighting. The equipment barrier will also remain a natural deterrent to fight in the women’s hockey game.

Moreover, the fighting is far from common in other levels of a woman’s game. Until examination of the body is never allowed in the girls’ hockey game girls, which means that these skills are not usually taught. In children’s hockey game, a body examination is presented at a level less than 14 years, and by the time the player reaches the professional level, the fighting was a large part of the game.

Saulnier does not think that its battle will open the flood gates for more moments in the future. But she said, she will definitely not be the last time we see a fight in the professional hockey of women.

“With the level of physical, you will never see it in PWHL.”

(Clarification: Dimitrius Robinson / Athlete; Pictures: Toy Parl / Getty Images)