'A day I'll never forget': Newfoundland's Maggie Connors reflects on historic 1st PWHL game

Maggie Connors had a "pinch me" moment on New Year's Day as she stood on the blue line and watched women's tennis icon Billie Jean King drop the ceremonial puck in the first-ever Professional Women's Hockey League game.

The 23-year-old Newfoundlander featured prominently in that milestone event, earning player-of-the-game honours for her Toronto club in a 4-0 loss to New York.

While it wasn't the outcome she hoped for, her professional debut was the culmination of a childhood dream and the life's work of so many women who came before.

"A day I'll never forget," Connors told CBC News. 

Connors had been counting down the days ever since the PWHL came to fruition in 2023. It's the first time women's hockey has had a unified professional league featuring all the world's best under the same umbrella. 

King came to the Toronto locker room before the game to give the team a talk and announce the starting lineup. She then dropped the first puck alongside Canadian hockey legend Jayna Hefford.

Connors said she had chills. 

"It really does hit you and you kind of think of everyone that has come before you that hasn't had the opportunity. But also you think about the little girls … that they have this to look up to, and even the little girls in Newfoundland that are going to be playing and maybe one day want to play in this league. So you definitely soak in the moment and try and realize the the situation that you're in."

Connors said it was a lot to comprehend, but veteran teammates like Blayre Turnbull encouraged them all to take a moment during the game to soak it in and realize they were making history.

Each of the player's parents sent in childhood hockey photos, and Turnbull wrote a message on the back of each one, telling them how special the moment was going to be.

Toronto is back in action on Friday, travelling to New York for a rematch of the opening game. With the first one out of the way, Connors said, their team is feeling settled and ready to bounce back after a shutout loss. 

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