Last Friday, Taylor Keast made SJHL history when she was called to dress for the La Ronge Ice Wolves. She was the first female in the league’s history to dress for a game. She didn’t see any time on the ice, as she was the backup goaltender for Jordan Frey.

While her appearance in the league was brief, for many girls playing hockey in the province, the moment she stepped on the ice, it was something important for them.

“She could influence others to try,” said Elizabeth Gill. Gill plays Atom hockey for the DQ Blizzards in Weyburn. “It makes it seem almost impossible for a girl to not make the SJHL.”

There have been a number of other girls and women who have played junior hockey and professional hockey in men's leagues. Shannon Szabados won goalie of the year when she played in the AJHL before embarking on a pro career in the United States. Charline Labonte played in the QMJHL, and Hayley Wickenheiser played professionally in Europe.

For Gill, she always had a goal of one day playing junior hockey, a branch of hockey which seemed impossible for girls in Saskatchewan, until Feast broke the league’s gender barrier.

“It made me sad that girls couldn’t play there, but since she broke that, I think that if I keep playing well, like how I do now, I would be able to make it.”