The Millerettes are a local dual-roster team made up of girls from Steinbach and the surrounding area.
All of the girls play on a regular co-ed team, and have the option to also play on a girls team.
Ryan Canada, one of the Millerettes coaches, says there are five dual-roster teams in the southeast, plus the girls-only teams that play in a league.
“So the dual-roster teams aren't in a league per se, but we do play against all the other dual-roster teams in our area.”
The Millerettes team started three years ago, and this is the first year they have had a Millerettes jersey.
“The last couple of years we've just been using the Millers minor hockey jersey.”
The Millerettes team is made-up of girls from Steinbach, Mitchell, La Broquerie, St. Anne, and Landmark.
“The logo and the jerseys, between all of those communities, there's red, there's blue, and there's white, so we kind of tried to figure out a jersey that would fit for everybody.”
He says there was consensus among the girls to figure out their own jersey.
"So we came up with a couple of concepts and put it in the group chat and then this was the one that we chose.”
Though the team is from various communities, they do have to register under one association.
Canada says last year they registered under La Broquerie’s association, because the majority of the girls lived in La Broquerie. This year, the Millerettes are playing under Steinbach Minor Hockey.
He adds that this year, a lot of the girls only first met each other at their first practice.
“But now you see these girls on the ice together, and they've been together now for a month, and you can tell that they're making friendships and they're joking around on the ice and laughing with one another.”
Canada says they practice once every two weeks to get the girls together and to develop the girls as a group.
As for opportunities for games throughout the season, the team is playing exhibition games against the other five girls' teams that are dual-roster teams, with one exhibition game already played.
They are also entered in a tournament in Winnipeg near Christmas-time, and have also registered for Provincials.
Canada believes the future of female hockey in southeast Manitoba looks good.
“Seeing the numbers of girls that have registered in all the associations and knowing how many girls teams at the levels of hockey we have in the Southeast, it's very, very positive, and it's going to be positive going forward.”
He says they have seen a growth in numbers.
“Even this year for Steinbach Minor Hockey Association, we are up to 10 plus girls at our U7 age, and last year we had two or three.”
Along with the numbers rising, Canada says there are more and more teams, and with dual-roster, the girls are getting more opportunities.
“Yes, they may want to play co-ed until they have to play girls, but to give them the girls option to play and to meet these other girls, I think is very important in their development and in creating an opportunity for them.”
With files from Carly Koop