PWHPA announces Secret Dream Gap Tour stop in St. Louis

The PWHPA announced this morning that, in partnership with the NHL’s St. Louis Blues, the organization will be hosting its third stop of the U.S. leg of the 2021 Secret Dream Gap Tour in St. Louis, Missouri, from April 11-12.

The tour stop will feature Team adidas (Minnesota) and Team Women’s Sports Foundation (New Hampshire) in another head-to-head match-up, the final one before international competition begins. Over the course of the last two Secret Dream Gap Tour stops in New York City and Chicago, Team adidas has come away with three of a possible four wins, and currently leads all PWHPA regional training hubs in the standings.

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In 2020, St. Louis and the Blues hosted twenty international players, many of whom are currently rostered on PWHPA squads, for a 3-on-3 exhibition game between the U.S. and Canada at the 2020 NHL All-Star Weekend.

“We are honored to host the top women hockey players in the world for the second consecutive year and have the opportunity to continue building on the success of the women’s participation in the 2020 NHL All-Star Game,” said Chris Zimmerman, St. Louis Blues President and CEO, in the release.

The release also highlighted the return of three St. Louis-area players in the PWHPA to their old (and current) stomping grounds: Lindenwood graduate Nicole Hensley, St. Louis native Jincy Dunne, and current St. Louis-area resident Alex Cavallini.

“Since moving to St. Louis recently, I have been blown away by the eagerness and drive to grow the sport of hockey — for men and women,” said Cavallini in the release. She added, “The St. Louis Blues hosting the PWHPA Secret Dream Gap Tour speaks volumes to how much they believe in our game and our mission of creating a viable, sustainable women’s professional hockey league.”

The events of the weekend will follow on the heels of “community events” featuring the players of the PWHPA and in partnership with Bauer, the organization’s leading equipment sponsor. Such events include on-ice girls’ hockey clinics, a Youth Hockey Q&A with PWHPA players, and a Women in Leadership roundtable featuring players, staff, and more.

The first game, on Sunday, April 11, will take place at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, MO, the Blues’ official practice rink, at 5 PM CT. Monday’s game, on April 12, will be at Enterprise Center, and the puck will drop at 6 PM CT.

Official broadcast details have not been announced.

Editor’s note: The author of this article currently volunteers with the PWHPA outside of her involvement with The Ice Garden.