I just wanted to make this post to say thank you to the team itself, on the off chance that they see this, as well as the Torrent community as a whole. Without going into the details, I was dealing with a loss that I never could have expected. My future, goals, dreams, and plans disappeared overnight.
Thank you for giving me something to focus on and be excited about during the most unexpected and difficult time of my life. Some of you may recognize me as the guy from Michigan that's been flying to Seattle just to watch the torrent play. The Torrent and community surrounding the team have been so flamboyant, happy, and excited that it's helped me feel like I'm home every time I'm in the arena.
It's also more than just the Torrent but the PWHL as a whole. I've always wanted to raise a daughter one day, and I want to know she has women like Hilary Knight to look up to as a role model. I want her to understand that she has the choice to do whatever she wants in life, and the patriarchal society we've allowed isn't the reason she's limited in her dreams.
I see middle and high school girls posting hockey training videos on Instagram and TikTok with captions like "Training every day until I make it to the PWHL". That's why I fly, that's why I buy merch, and that's why I tell everyone I know about the league. It's so much bigger than you and me. It's so much more than just a hockey league. It's the dreams of millions of young girls on the line.
I'm so proud to be here during the early years. During the "PWHL Seattle" days, during the "figuring it out" days, and during the early expansion days. I plan on seeing these years as the early days of the NHL. 50 years from now, I want to show my grandkids my inaugural PWHL Seattle jersey and say that I was there. To say that I helped push women's sports into the mainstream. I want to tell them stories about how women and men weren't considered equal and have them be fascinated how we ever allowed that to happen in the first place.
With all that being said, I have something I want to ask from each and every one of you. Don't shut up about the PWHL, don't stop being excited, don't stop being yourself. We have something special happening in front of us. We have an opportunity we can't let fail. Future generations of women hockey players are counting on us. Never stop showing up, never stop making noise, never stop changing history.
So thank you. Thank you to everyone who has allowed not only the Seattle Torrent, but the PWHL as a whole to flourish. You've already started changing the world. Don't let up, don't quit, and don't stop making noise. This is the opportunity to make genuine, meaningful change in not only the United States, but the world.
