MONTREAL -- The Professional Women’s Hockey Players' Association will take on Korea's Olympic hockey team in Laval this weekend, a game it hopes will give a boost to women's hockey in Canada.

The PWHPA formed following the folding of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League at the end of the 2018-2019 season. 

“As soon as the players got together (after the folding of the CWHL), we started talking, trying to find solutions and ways to use this next year to change the face of professional women’s hockey,” said Karell Emard, a PWHPA member and spokesperson.

On Sunday, the Association’s first event in Laval will feature a game between PWHPA players and Korea’s Olympic team. The puck is set to drop at 6:30 p.m. at Place Bell. 

Emard is excited for the game, as it will bring in new elements for fans, she said.

“This is going to be a great opportunity to promote women’s hockey and all its angles," she said. "We have a team that travelled from Korea to play us. There’s going to be goals, saves, and fans are going to see it all.” 

Tickets can only be purchased on game day at Place Bell’s box office. They cost $10 for adults and $5 for children aged 12 and under.

The PWHPA has been quite busy over the past few months. Its tour, the Dream Gap, has already been to Toronto, New Hampshire and most recently Chicago, all with the hope of expanding women’s hockey and getting fans, especially young ones, to the rink. 

Each event has been considered a success, Emard said, noting that the important thing is that one event helps lead to the next. 

“It’s important to go into those community hockey hubs that believe in what we’re doing," Emard said. "You do one, it goes really well, and then more people get involved. And the calendar gets pretty full."

Mélodie Daoust, PWHPA member and Team Canada forward who spoke to CTV earlier this month, put the PWHPA’s goal quite simply: “We want to keep women’s hockey at the forefront and be able to be there for the next generation so that they can make a job out of it.” 

Last season, Les Canadiennes de Montréal players received a stipend of about $2,000 each, which Emard says is better than what players got a few years ago - which was nothing. 

“We fought for years and years to be considered professional hockey players," Emard said. "I would love for everyone to know that we were not supported, we did not get any type of salary. That’s a reality that we faced. I want to tell the world that we are not quitting because it’s hard."

But the PWHPA is about more than just a paycheque. 

“We’re just asking the strict minimum to be true professional players, so not to have to work 40 hours a week,” Emard said, pointing out the choice players have to make between finding time to take care of their bodies versus the time-consuming responsibilities they have at their day jobs. 

Local hockey fans should stay tuned, as the PWHPA will be playing several games over the next few months in the Montreal area. Most notably, the PWHPA’s first game on the Island will be a game versus Cegep André-Laurendeau’s men’s team at Mount-Royal arena on Nov. 24.

“Our goal is to bring the best product to our fans," Emard said. "We owe it to them.

"We have such a good fan base here in Montreal that it’s a no-brainer.”