Karissa Donkin
@kdonk
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Reporter in CBC's Atlantic Investigative Unit. Writing about the PWHL for CBC Sports. She/her. karissa.donkin @cbc .ca Book tweets: @author_kdonk
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Joined March 2009
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Last Seen Profiles
Pinned Tweet
Here's something fun: You can now follow all of the PWHL coverage on CBC Sports in one place. Add it to your bookmarks! 🏒
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Marie-Philip Poulin insisted Laura Stacey get a picture with this photo of her great-grandfather, King Clancy, outside the Scotiabank Arena media room.
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OK this is cute. Both of these girls just proposed to each other on the ice at the PWHL Boston game intermission 🥹
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The PWHL Montreal-Boston game went on for so long that Montreal’s Leah Lum and Boston’s Abby Cook are now a year older than they were when they came to the rink. Happy birthday to them! 🫠
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Marie-Philip Poulin saw empty seats here at the Bell Centre in 2017, but hoped it would be packed for women’s hockey someday. It sure is today.
WHAT AN OVATION FOR MPP! 👏
Marie-Philip Poulin is introduced in Montreal at the Bell Centre as today's 'Duel at the Top' is expected to set a world record for attendance at a women’s hockey game
Watch
@PWHL_Toronto
vs.
@PWHL_Montreal
LIVE on
@cbcsports
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I’ve loved seeing gear from different eras of women’s hockey tonight. I saw a Boston Blades jersey. A Kori Cheverie Toronto Furies jersey. A Jayna Hefford jersey. And Sarah, who’s wearing her grandfather’s jacket from the 1st Women’s Worlds in 1990. He was one of the organizers.
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The cameras often show young girls in the stands at PWHL games. But the new league has been just as much of a dream come true for 64-year-old PWHL super fan Debbie Harrison, who's watched women's hockey progress over the years. This was a fun one to write:
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Erin Ambrose on the standing ovation for Marie-Philip Poulin today:
"She is the most incredible human being that I have ever been able to be around. She is the best leader ... so when people are able to give her that recognition, I don't think it can be done enough."
Une ovation exceptionnelle pour notre capitaine
The people love Pou 🫶
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I’m excited to share more about a project I’ve been working on for the last 2+ years — a book that explains how we got to this point in women’s hockey, and takes people inside the first PWHL season.
It’s close to my heart. I can’t wait to share it with you in Fall 2025! 🏒📖
🏒🥅 ACQUISITION ANNOUNCEMENT!🥅🏒
We’re thrilled to announce Goose Lane Editions has acquired Breakaway by Karissa Donkin (
@kdonk
). This book will take readers inside the PWHL’s groundbreaking first season.
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The PWHL's Jayna Hefford says on CBC News Network that no tickets are left for tonight's Game 5.
She says she prepared for a dip in demand after launch, but demand for tickets, merch, sponsorship is still rising.
"This isn't a fleeting moment. Women's sports is here to stay."
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Some interesting data from Elite Prospects on the PWHL's first month on their site: more than 48,500 views on the PWHL's league page, more than the AHL, NCAA or several men's leagues in Europe.
Top 5 viewed players: Taylor Heise, MPP, Sarah Nurse, Ella Shelton and Hilary Knight.
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PWHL New York announces it will play two games at the Prudential Centre (home to the NHL's New Jersey Devils) on April 20 (Pride game vs. Boston) and April 30 (Mental health awareness game vs. Ottawa).
Prudential Centre will be the 7th NHL arena to host a PWHL game this season.
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They did it. Tonight’s PWHL game is the most-attended women’s hockey game ever. Announced attendance is 19,285.
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I’ve always thought we don’t spend enough time talking about who is the best at this or that skill in women’s hockey.
So I asked 30+ PWHL players: If you could steal a skill from any player in the league, who would you steal from and what would you steal?
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“She’s the best goalie in this league, in the world.” - Alina Müller on her Boston/former Northeastern University teammate, Aerin Frankel.
She’s made 245 saves over seven playoff games.
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I've filed probably 1,000+ right to information requests over the last nine years in New Brunswick, spanning three different premiers. A couple of years ago, I started to notice a trend: I'd ask for records related to significant decisions, only to find none exist.
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Is it OK to eat chips at your desk at 8 a.m. if they're storm chips? Asking for a friend.
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Big moment for Ingersoll, Ont.'s Ella Shelton to score the first-ever PWHL goal for NY. Thinking back to the day she was drafted and asked what 10-year-old Ella would have thought of that: "Ten-year-old Ella didn’t know that women could play hockey." Now she's made history.
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What a great couple of years it has been for women’s hockey in Czechia. Olympic qualification, two bronze medals at worlds, and now a chance at the first u18 medal since 2014.
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Alina Müller scoring the double OT game winner and running off the ice like she forgot to turn her hair straightener off feels like a fitting ending to a wild Game 4. 🏃♀️
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It’s official: The PWHL has set a new world attendance record with 21,105 fans at the Bell Centre today. Big cheers from the crowd when that was announced.
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The pride of New Brunswick, Sarah Bujold, gets her first PWHL goal to open scoring for Montreal. ⚓️
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Today, we learned that a teenage boy in New Brunswick with a traumatic brain injury was held in lockup at a youth facility, a place he never should have been. After being released from a 30-day psychiatric hold, he took his own life.
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Good morning from TD Place in Ottawa, where PWHL players are on the ice for the very first time. Hockey is happening!
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Marie-Philip Poulin on playing at Centre Bell: “In 2017 when we played here [in the CWHL], it was surreal. It was a dream that happened and you jump out on that ice, you look up and see empty seats. But you hope that one day it will be packed.”
21,000+ fans expected tomorrow.
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PWHL senior VP of hockey operations Jayna Hefford says it's at the top of their to-do list to find a short-term solution for players to play/develop when they don't make a roster.
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When I spoke with Boston GM Danielle Marmer after the Feb. trade, she knew she gave up a “special player” in Sophie Jaques (who’s thrived in Minnesota).
But she said Susanna Tapani is a natural goal scorer who could help them win one-goal games. Seems like that has worked out.
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PWHL Toronto and Montreal will play their Feb. 16 game at Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs. They're billing it as the "Battle on Bay Street." Tickets go on sale Feb. 1.
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Four years after a human rights complaint forced UNB to bring back its women's varsity hockey team, the program has its first AUS title.
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Both Minnesota and Boston flew charter to Minnesota for Game 3.
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Kendall Coyne Schofield is playing tonight after giving birth to her son in July. I spoke to Minnesota GM Natalie Darwitz in pre-season about her work to return: “It’s a huge deal for all of her teammates. It’s a huge deal for women’s hockey. It’s a huge deal for women’s sports.”
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It’s a vibe inside the Verdun Auditorium. Great to see some of the pioneers in women’s hockey honoured at the ceremonial faceoff: Danielle Goyette, France St-Louis, Kim St-Pierre, Caroline Ouellette and Danièle Sauvageau.
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New Brunswick’s Sarah Bujold gets Montreal on the board with 19 seconds remaining, and the crowd erupts. I bet they are cheering in Riverview, too.
Tie game after the first period.
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I almost forgot (because what is time these days) that today is my six-year public broadcasting anniversary. Glad to be here. And I still love CBC sunrises.
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Good morning from the Fredericton airport! I’m headed to Utica today for the PWHL’s pre-season camp. Lots of fun stuff to come over the next few days with
@cbcsports
!
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You certainly can’t say this inaugural PWHL season has been boring. We’re in the last week of the regular season and there’s a battle for the final playoff spot, first place in the standings, and the chance for NY to lock down the 1st pick.
Every game means something.
The last week of the regular season begins tomorrow! 👀
Who will lock in the final two playoff spots?
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Oh man. The detail on Desbiens’ mask is unreal. Ouellette, St-Pierre and Rhéaume carrying their gear to the Verdun Auditorium 🥺
Un très bel hommage aux légendes du hockey Manon Rhéaume, Kim St-Pierre et Caroline Ouellette! 😍 Comment le trouvez-vous?
@adesbiens30
@couellette13
@Kim
St-Pierre
@PWHL_Montreal
@thepwhlofficial
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That's because Premier Blaine Higgs says he isn't writing down details of all the conversations he has, even when they relate to major decisions. "I think it’s difficult to say that we write down everything we talk about," Higgs said this week. "I don’t think that’s reasonable."
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PWHL Ottawa says all tickets released for the team's home opener on Jan. 2 vs. Montreal have been sold. The team says it's "currently looking into the possibility of releasing more tickets in response to the unprecedented demand/interest to attend our home opener."
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Some fun news: I’ll be spending a few months telling stories with
@cbcsports
starting in September. I’m looking forward to writing lots about women’s sports and Para sports, and the amazing people in those spaces. More to come soon. And story ideas are always welcome!
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Going to ask the PWHL to start all playoff games at 5 pm Atlantic so I can meet my Apple Watch sleep goals 🫠
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Boston’s depth won the series, but you’ve got to hand it to Montreal’s coaching staff for what they were able to accomplish this season despite injuries to so many drafted players.
Imagine having Bettez, Bujold, Marchment, Lásková and maybe even Vanišová in the lineup tonight.
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Spotify stopped working in the middle of our eight-hour drive, so it’s time to try out this mix CD left behind by the previous car owner…any predictions?
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Excited to be joining CBC's Atlantic investigative unit on Feb. 15. Still based in Fredericton, so please keep the story tips coming! (2/2)
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They’ve done it. The UNB men’s hockey team defeats UPEI 9-1 for the first 30-0 regular hockey season in U Sports history, in front of a sold-out crowd.
Looking at U Sports women’s hockey, Concordia is undefeated this season too, with two games left on their schedule.
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I chatted with PWHL Ottawa forward Hayley Scamurra about the loudest crowd she’s ever experienced, and what it felt like to score the first franchise goal in front of them. That and other highlights in a busy first PWHL week:
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Rae Tyler and I grew up together in Saint John's south end. It's been 15+ years since I've seen her but I'll always remember her smile.
Her family says she struggled to get the help she needed for her mental health. She spent the last three years living in a tent.
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Just met a family that drove nine hours from Fredericton (we should have carpooled) with the hope of getting into today’s game in Montreal. They got tickets at the last minute. You never know where you’re going to find other Maritimers! ⚓️
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I’m super excited to be covering the draft tomorrow with
@cbcsports
. It’ll be a big day in a new era of professional women’s hockey!
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My girlfriend has started getting into baseball and was *certain* Mike Trout is from New Brunswick. He is definitely not, but it totally sounds like the name of a guy who would sell you fiddleheads on the side of the road.
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Great feature on the PWHL's youngest player, Ottawa's Akane Shiga, in The Athletic from
@hailey_salvian
today.
“Her skill with the puck catches everyone’s attention because she can maneuver things in a small space that a lot of people can’t.”
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Something I've been working on for a few months with our friends at Radio-Canada: Top-secret records show New Brunswick, Alberta companies received millions in 'suspicious' transfers. We trace the New Brunswick connection to the
#FinCENFiles
:
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They are complex problems to solve. But after years of covering the child welfare system, I think it's one of the most important stories in New Brunswick. My full story on today's report, with more of these children's stories:
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I’d like to place a bet that Usher will perform at least four songs I downloaded illegally on Limewire on the family computer in high school.
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A crowd of 10,172 was just announced at Place Bell. The second sell-out in a row here in Laval. 👀
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Power play goals have not been easy to come by at large in the PWHL this season.
But Natalie Spooner on her own has scored more power play goals this season than all of PWHL Minnesota or Boston. Pretty remarkable.
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Brittany Howard’s shot is ridiculous.
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Digging through some old school stuff tonight. Grade 6 Karissa nailed it.
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PWHL Ottawa’s head coach and GM believe she’s one of the best defenders in the world. Meet Aneta Tejralová, the captain of the Czech national team who loves to block shots:
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A story I started working a few months ago at PWHL Ottawa's training camp - my profile of smooth-skating Ottawa defender Ashton Bell and her game-changing switch to defence in college:
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I’ll have a season preview for each PWHL team online at
@cbcsports
every day this week. Kind of like a fun women’s hockey advent calendar. First up is Ottawa, where head coach Carla MacLeod has prioritized building team culture:
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Some solid New Brunswick content on the back of goaltender Marlène Boissonnault’s new mask: the NB flag and what looks to be the lighthouse at Inch Arran Point in Dalhousie. ⚓️
Le nouveau masque de Marlène Boissonnault 🔥
Boss’s new helmet looks fire
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😊😊😊
Team is here from
@cbcsports
for the Battle on Bay St between
@PWHL_Montreal
@PWHL_Toronto
Let's go!!!!!!!
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You love to see it
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Cleaning out my childhood room today. Found a list of all the radio stations I could pick up at night on my Walkman:
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From small-town Manitoba to the bright lights of the PWHL’s first-ever game - my story on how Corinne Schroeder became, in the words of teammate Jade Downie-Landry, New York’s brick wall:
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OK, this is a weird thread, and I’m sorry in advance. When I was six years old, my grandparents had to move to Ontario for a while, so my grandfather could have an experimental lung transplant. Our community organized a fundraiser, and I have a vague memory of a huge salad. 🧵
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I’m travelling today and thinking of Nana Donkin, who we lost on March 5, 2021. She saw something on the news once about someone being kidnapped at an airport, and always used to worry about that when I left New Brunswick. Nana would be happy to know no one has tried to steal me!
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My story today: We obtained copies of COVID wastewater testing, and Public Health’s discussion about the results. Public Health wouldn’t comment. “…We are no longer seeking to confirm and detect every single case occurring in the province or within specific communities.”
#cdnfoi
N.B. wastewater data suggests some COVID-19 cases went undetected in 2021:
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Six valuable points with regulation wins in the last two games for PWHL Toronto. We’ve learned a lot about the team over these last two home games including, perhaps most importantly, that their win song is Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5.
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Claire "Bobby Orr" Dalton is named the PWHL's first star of the week after her weekend hat trick vs. Ottawa, which included Montreal's first shorthanded goal in franchise history.
Ottawa forward Daryl Watts and Boston goaltender Aerin Frankel are the second and third stars.
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The PWHL says its inaugural game on New Year's Day between Toronto and New York reached a total of 2.9 million (!) Canadian viewers on CBC, Sportsnet and TSN. Peak viewership was 1.113 million viewers midway through the 2nd period.
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Tsongas Center is sold out today for PWHL Boston’s final regular series game, with an announced attendance of 5,964. Biggest crowd here so far this season.
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The PWHL team that drafts Sarah Fillier will get a generational player who can see the ice and find ways to score like few others.
My story on her journey to projected 1st overall pick in the 2024 draft, and how she navigated the bumps along the way:
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UNB defeats St. FX 2-1 in double OT to win their third AUS women’s hockey title in a row.
Another banner to hang in the Aitken University Centre rafters for
@UNBWHockey
.
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Some notes on merchandise sales, playoff format, possible rule changes and more - checking in with the PWHL as the league races toward a Jan. 1 puck drop:
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Montreal will finally have its home opener at Verdun Auditorium on Sat. vs. Boston. Marie-Philip Poulin on that day: "It's going to be so exciting. We've been training there since Nov. and finally we get our people in our arena, we create that fun environment. So I cannot wait."
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It looks like the world’s largest caesar salad was made in Mexico in 2007. But my grandfather got his transplant and lived another decade, thanks to Saint Johners and the big salad. Here he is that day with my Nana and other family. Thank you for going on this journey with me.
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"Rae wasn't just a drug addict on the street," Rae's dad said. "Rae was so much more. She was fighting and fighting for something but not getting anywhere because she had nowhere to go."
Here is Rae's story, from
@thewrightpage
and I:
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That is a well-deserved goal for Emily Clark in her home province. She’s been on one these last two Rivalry Series games.
Emily Clark wraps around the defender and fires one home to extend Canada's lead to 2-0 🚨
#RivalrySeries
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"So far this fall, the province has had 15 times the cases it had last fall, even though nationally, numbers are down over the same period." Great reality check here from
@cbcjones
:
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My story today: New Brunswick is building a new $32 million jail in the Fredericton region. But the government is withholding all records that might explain why the government thinks we need to spend millions on a new jail:
#cdnfoi
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Very excited for this event with
@ddale8
, who was (very deservedly) nominated for a National Newspaper Award today for his tireless Trump fact checking!
Award-winning journalist Daniel Dale will deliver the Dalton Camp Lecture in Journalism, Thurs. March 21 at 7:30PM in the Kinsella Auditorium.
Dale will offer a personal account of his reporting on Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and U.S. President Donald Trump --
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That was a GAME. The best rivalry in hockey keeps getting better.
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Another story from my trip to PWHL Ottawa's training camp last month: How hard work on the family farm led Emerance Maschmeyer to Ottawa, where she has the chance to chart her own path as the team's starting goaltender:
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After the first three regular season games (and before last night’s Toronto-NY game), I took a look at why the PWHL is showcasing more physicality, and how the league is aiming for more consistency in officiating:
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If any Toronto folks are looking for a fun place to watch the PWHL game today, CBC Sports has got you covered:
Kick off Women's History Month with us at Peaches Sports Bar! 🍑
We're watching PWHL action between
@PWHL_Toronto
and
@PWHL_Ottawa
at Peaches Sports Bar in Toronto on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET 🏒
If you can't make it, watch the action LIVE on
@CBC
and
@CBCGem
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The government has said New Brunswick’s jails are overcapacity, and we need a new $38 million jail. But the province changed the way it counts the number of people in jail, and it makes jails seem more crowded than they really are. My story today:
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Thanks to Priestman Street School for having us at their career fair today. So many great interview questions from the kids. “How old are you? … Wow, that’s older than both my parents!” 🤪
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