Jade Downie-Landry has been playing hockey since she was four years old.
This year, however, the centre from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu is going pro for the first time, playing with the Montreal Force in the Premier Hockey Federation.
"I think it's huge," said Downie-Landry. "It's a great opportunity for us to play hockey and demonstrate what we have and what we can offer to the game, but it's also wonderful to know that little girls can look up to us and dream of playing professionally as well."
The Force is sitting in the middle of the standings six games into its first season in the league. The team is in Minnesota this weekend to play the Whitecaps in back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday.
Results-wise, The Force is in the middle of an up-and-down season.
Every weekend, the team won on Saturday and lost on Sunday, and not only has Montreal lost all three Sunday games, but the women have lost every game by the same score: 3-2.
"I guess we need to play more games on Saturdays," joked Smith. "We've been in all of those games, arguable all of those games could have gone either way."
Rather than playing all its home games at the Verdun Auditorium, the team plays its home games across Quebec, from Sept-Iles to St-Jerome to Riviere-du-Loup.
Though the travel is trying at times, it gives the women a chance to expose girls to the professional women's game.
"We have a wonderful opportunity, to be honest with you, to grow the game, and I think it's a real opportune time to have a women's professional team in Montreal," said coach Peter Smith. "Young girls will get a chance to see some real fine role models and some real good hockey and I think that will inspire them to continue in the game or even pick up the game."
Smith coached McGill University's women's team before taking the reins at the Force. He said the team has the potential to do great things, while showing how high the quality of women's hockey now is.
"It's a great opportunity for us to play hockey and demonstrate what we have and what we can offer to the game, but it's also wonderful to know that little girls can look up to us and dream of playing professionally as well," said Downie-Landry.
The women skating in the PHF may not sign contracts as large as their NHL counterparts, but say that doesn't mean they don't work and play as hard as the men.
"We put in the same amount of hours, the same efforts. Everything we put in is the same as what a professional men's team would put into their sport," said Downie-Landry.
Some could argue they work harder.
The Force players all have full-time jobs or go to university during the day before practice at the Verdun Auditorium.
Forward Brooke Stacey, from Kahnawake, for example, has a full-time job in her community's Mohawk Council office, and she is also raising a two-year-old son.
Stacey played with the Buffalo Beauts from 2019 to 2021 before returning to the pro game when Montreal got a team.
"The team is great, and it's just fun to be back again," she said. "It's a big adjustment with everything going on in life, being a mom and a full-time job, but going smoothly so far."
The Force players say a pro women's team in Montreal is well deserved.
"I think it's earned," said Downie-Landry. "It's something that we've worked for for a really long time and women deserve this.
"I don't think any woman out there is saying we're going to provide the same exact game as men's hockey. I don't think that's the point. I think it's just promoting a different kind of game that's just as interesting and fun to watch."
For Smith, he only sees growth potential in women's pro hockey. Proof of that came this week when the league announced the team's salary caps would increase from $750,000 this year to $1.5 million next season.
"I really do believe that the game will grow," said Smith. "Young girls will get a chance to see some real fine role models and some real good hockey, and I think that will inspire them to continue in the game or even pick up the game."
