Manitoba Maple Leafs

Lore & Background

The Manitoba Maple Leafs joined the Western Women's Hockey League on June 5, 2010. The franchise was established in partnership with the Winnipeg Métis Federation to create opportunities for players of all ethnic backgrounds. Team president Bryon Stephen oversaw the organization. A selection camp was held in September 2010 to prepare for the inaugural season, which began on October 29, 2010, against the Minnesota Whitecaps. The team's first home game took place on November 5, 2010, and its first victory came two days later on November 7, a 5–2 win over the Edmonton Chimos. Victories were rare in that first season; the Maple Leafs finished third in the WWHL standings and did not qualify for the playoffs. On April 19, 2011, the Canadian Women's Hockey League announced a merger with the WWHL for the 2011–12 season, creating a combined team based in Edmonton and Calgary from the former Edmonton Chimos and Strathmore Rockies franchises. The Manitoba Maple Leafs and the Minnesota Whitecaps continued as active teams after the WWHL ended, playing a number of exhibition games. While the Whitecaps later joined the National Women's Hockey League in 2018, the Maple Leafs appear to have ceased functioning after 2014.

Reader's Guide

The Manitoba Maple Leafs represent a brief chapter in women's professional hockey, existing for only a few seasons in the Western Women's Hockey League. Their significance lies in their partnership with the Winnipeg Métis Federation, which sought to broaden participation in ice hockey across ethnic backgrounds—a notable initiative for inclusivity in the sport. The team's first victory, a 5–2 win over the Edmonton Chimos on November 7, 2010, marked a high point in an otherwise challenging inaugural season that ended with a third-place finish and no playoff berth. The 2011 merger of the WWHL with the Canadian Women's Hockey League effectively dissolved the league, leaving the Maple Leafs and the Minnesota Whitecaps as the only remaining active WWHL teams, playing exhibition games. The Maple Leafs' eventual disappearance after 2014, while the Whitecaps continued and later joined the NWHL, underscores the instability of early women's professional leagues. The team's legacy is tied to its brief existence and its role in a transitional period for women's hockey in North America.

Did You Know?

• The Manitoba Maple Leafs were founded in partnership with the Winnipeg Métis Federation to promote inclusive hockey.
• The team played home games at the MTS Iceplex in Winnipeg.
• After the WWHL merged with the CWHL in 2011, the Maple Leafs continued as an exhibition team until ceasing operations after 2014.