PWHL

A Full Circle Moment and Why I Love This Game: Mental Health, Mental Performance, and Growing Women’s Hockey

We took a little trip down to Vancouver so my daughter and one of her best hockey friends could experience their very first PWHL game. And honestly, my heart is still full.

Watching them walk into the arena, jerseys on, eyes wide, taking it all in reminded me why this game has meant so much to me for so long. Hockey has shaped not only my athletic career, but also my work in mental health, mental performance coaching, and athlete mindset development. Hockey has shaped my life in ways I could never have imagined. The people, the lessons, the relationships, the opportunities. It all comes back to moments like this.

When Past and Present Collide

What made the night especially meaningful was how personal it felt. I have played with some of these women. I was coached by Brian Idalski when I was younger. Later on, I coached with Myles at prep camp, coached some of these players directly, and now have the privilege of working with many athletes in mental performance and mental health.

To sit in the stands as a mom, watching my daughter and her friend cheer for women I once shared ice with or coached, felt incredibly special. One of those athletes even went on to become a fellow Ohio State Buckeye, which made the connection even sweeter, and got to hangout with them after the game!

Women’s Hockey and the Power of Representation

Women’s hockey has come a long way. For so many years, we played because we loved the game, even when the path forward was uncertain. Seeing the PWHL thriving, seeing young girls fill arenas, and knowing that my daughter gets to grow up with visible role models matters more than I can explain.

That night was not about stats or outcomes. It was about belief. It was about showing young girls what is possible. It was about legacy, leadership, and connection.

From Youth to the Olympic Stage: Mental Performance Coaching Across the Pathway

As an Olympic year approaches, we are excited to be cheering these women on as they represent their countries and continue to raise the level of the game. Through my work, I have had the honor of supporting athletes connected to Hockey Canada, USA Hockey, Team Canada, Team USA, Team Finland, Team Sweden, Team France, the IIHF, NCAA, PWHL, and the Olympic pathway, including athletes navigating NCAA and USport, and academy environments such as Shattuck St. Mary’s and RINK Hockey Academy.

I LOVE working with female athletes across the entire pathway, from youth to professional and Olympic levels. At every stage, it comes back to passion, love of the game, and the people who make sport such a powerful place to grow. Alongside mental toughness, resilience, confidence, grit, and healthy performance identity, I care deeply about protecting joy, connection, and humanity in sport. From youth girls just finding their confidence, to elite teens navigating pressure and identity, to professional and Olympic athletes competing on the world stage. Supporting women as both athletes and humans is one of the greatest joys of my work.

Why I Will Always Love This Game and the People in It

Seeing teams like the Vancouver Goldeneyes and Montreal Victoire on the ice, and watching athletes such as Marie Philip Poulin compete, is a powerful reminder of how far women’s hockey has come. Witnessing leaders like Jenn Gardner helping shape the future of the professional game reinforces why representation, leadership, and investment in women’s sport matters so deeply.

I love this game because of the people in it. The relationships, the shared experiences, the way hockey shapes character and community. And I love that my daughter and her friend get to see firsthand what strong, skilled, resilient women look like on and off the ice.

Moments like this remind me why I do what I do, and why women’s sport, athlete mental health, and mental performance development matter so deeply for the next generation.

If you are a female athlete, parent, coach, or organization looking to support mental health, mental performance, or leadership development in sport, I would love to work together.

Contact Barb to connect, collaborate, or bring mental performance and mental health support to your team or athletes.

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About the Author: Mental Health and Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes

Barbara Egan, LPC MHSP, RCC, ACS is a former elite hockey player and university coach, clinic owner, licensed mental health therapist, and specializes in youth to professional athlete mental health and mental performance. She is the founder and owner of Alive Counselling, an award-winning group mental health clinic, and works with athletes from youth sport through elite academy, NCAA, NHL, WHL, professional, PWHL, and Olympic levels.

Barb specializes in mental health and mental performance for female athletes, supporting confidence, composure, emotional regulation, identity, resilience, and performance under pressure. She has worked with athletes connected to the NCAA, WHL, NHL, PWHL, USA Hockey, Hockey Canada, the IIHF, Shattuck St. Mary’s, RINK Hockey Academy, and Olympic pathways.

She is also a mom of 4, speaker, and passionate advocate for women in sport and leadership.