Jill Saulnier made history as part of the first recorded fight in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) during a game between her team, the Boston Fleet, and the Ottawa Charge. This notable event reflects the growing physicality of the league, following previous instances of fighting in women's hockey. Saulnier described the moment as a natural reaction to the game's competitiveness, which has evolved in intensity. While fights in women's hockey are rare, this incident has gained significant attention and signifies a shift towards more aggressive play.
We were battling out there, Saulnier told The Athletic. She got a hold of my stick and dropped it down, and that was just kind of the green flag for me. I said, Let's go.'
It's a heated game, it's a physical game, and we're all very competitive, said Saulnier, now a forward for Boston after a January trade from the New York Sirens. It's just the way that the chips kind of fell in the corner.
Fights aren't entirely new to women's hockey. There was a line brawl between Canada and the United States at a pre-tournament game ahead of the 2014 Olympics, and another in the now-defunct National Women's Hockey League in 2016.
For the players involved in the PWHL's first fight, it was just a natural part of the women's game and a product of the increased physicality allowed in the league.
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