Doug Grandy, a father in New Brunswick, Canada, is redefining girls’ participation in hockey. Rink Rebels is a recreational and competitive hockey club specifically for female athletes that Grandy founded after seeing the disparity in playing opportunities offered to young women compared to young male hockey players.
Grandy told CBC News, "I feel like with female hockey, sometimes the equality isn't always there like it should be," he said. "The boys’ hockey … it just seems to take a forefront and a lot of the girls don't really have a place to call their own."
Without Rink Rebels, many of the girls involved would be forced to join co-ed teams or struggle for limited recreational ice time at a high price.
Rink Rebels is open to all girls, ranging from those wanting to play hockey recreationally all the way to Triple-A players. The league’s signature event each year is the Friendship Tournament, where all players are guaranteed five games on the ice, access to empowering keynote speakers, and an evening of music, dancing, and friendship. The Friendship Tournament will take place Aug. 8-10, 2025, with over 200 female athletes in attendance.
"Growing up, I never had something like this," said coach Katia Pelowich. "So, just getting involved in something I love and I'm passionate for has been awesome so far."
Affordability is also a hallmark of Rink Rebels. At just $25 per ice session, Grandy hopes to open up hockey to those who otherwise might not have been able to afford it. And girls’ participation is rising overall. In New Brunswick, 21% of all registered hockey players were girls, and Hockey Canada reported over 600,000 competing women.
"We always have to go back to the grassroots: why did the girls start playing? They started playing because of the community, everybody that's around them. So as long as we stick to that here with the Rink Rebels, I think that we're going to be able to help a lot of girls,” said Grandy.
