Brianne Jenner On The Return Of Hockey Night In Canada Featuring The PWHL

Welcome inside our CBC Sports Digital Studio. Joining me now to talk about the future and some exciting news in women's hockey in Canada is PWHL star, Breanne Jenner. Breanne, welcome. Thanks for having me. Let's get right to it, because as I said, exciting news. A lot of people are jumping for joy today to find out. Of course, Hockey Night in Canada is returning, but this time with the PWHL a part of it. What was your reaction to this news? Oh, I was so excited. I mean, obviously, as a Canadian, as a Canadian hockey player, You know, you grew up with Saturday nights, hockey night in Canada. I remember the sights and sounds of that in my living room growing up. So to have our league featured in year four, it's just amazing. I think the momentum that we have as a league, it's exciting for us as players, and I think our fan base is going to be thrilled. Can you talk me through those sights and sounds? Paint the picture. What were those memories like for you as a kid? You know what? We always had it on Saturday night. You know, I can remember the song, the voice of Ron McLean. But I think for me, you know, I was always in front of the TV with a mini stick in my hands. That's what I remember. And I was always pretending that I was one of those players in the game. So for young girls that may be... They're in similar positions now for them to see their heroes on Hockey Night in Canada. It's just so exciting. Did you ever break anything in your living room? Oh, probably, yeah. I have a visual in my head with the mini stick. You know what? I used one of those little foam balls, so I think I stayed out of trouble that way. You can avoid it that way. But I always had a stick in my hand. Nice. Well, you've got a lot going on this year, obviously, leaving Ottawa to join the expansion team in Hamilton. How excited are you? Just thrilled. I think it's such great news for the league to expand to 12 teams. There's going to be so much women's hockey on TV, you know, to be a part of building. The culture, the team, the fan base in Hamilton is just a privilege and I feel really excited to be bringing the best in women's hockey to a city that really deserves it. So you are going to be a part of this debut game because the first PWHL game featuring in Hockey Night in Canada, December 5th in Montreal when they host Hamilton, at which point they'll also be raising their Walter Cup banner. So how special is it, do you think, to have this debut game fall on what will already be such a historic day? Yeah, it's amazing. I think it's going to be one of those ones that, you know, I remember probably for the rest of my life, you know, to play on Hockey Night in Canada. That's what you dream about growing up. You know, you didn't think it was a possibility, and now all of a sudden it is. And to be playing, you know, the Walter Cup champs, you know, in their barn, it'll be a pretty exciting game. Do you feel like when you think about the first conversations you had with teammates, with staff before this league came to fruition, that the vision you initially set out is coming to life? Absolutely. But I don't think any of us would have predicted it to happen this quickly. The momentum that our sport has, all of women's sports, it's just really exciting. I think women's hockey is having a moment, and I think it's just going to continue to build. And to be here in, like I said, season four, I think it's beyond our wildest dreams. Are there any moments that you can remember? You talk about being surprised that the momentum has picked up as quickly as it has, where you kind of look around, maybe it was during a game, and think, okay, this is the real deal. There's been so many of those. One that sticks out to me is I remember last year playing in one of the new markets, Seattle, and it was near the end of the season. And, you know, their team didn't have a hope of making the playoffs at that point. And there was 16,000 fans in their building, so engaged in the game. And I remember looking around and thinking, you know, we've arrived. If a regular season game like this is creating this type of buzz in this city, it's just amazing. But there have been so many moments like that. You know, the home opener when I played in Ottawa, the first ever game. Everyone was in their seats well before warm-up began. There's just so many moments like that where it's really hit home how great of a fan base we have and how much that fan base is growing. I'm glad you bring up that game in Seattle, though. For them not to be in the playoffs and to get a showing like that with the amount of passion I'm sure you saw is incredible. I went to my first Toronto game a couple years ago, and I was looking around, having conversations with other fans, asking if they had been watching hockey for a long time, and they were like, no, this is my first one, but they're holding the rally towel, like throwing it around. So it's really cool to see how many people are investing in the game that probably wouldn't otherwise have. And I'm sure that's one of your proudest accomplishments, you know, contributing to a world where young Canadian girls won't know a reality without professional women's hockey. How meaningful do you think it'll be for them to turn on the TV on a Saturday and see the PWHL? You nailed it. I think it is one of the proudest accomplishments is being able to play in this league and for our sport to arrive at this moment. You know, I always say it's as important for the young girls to see as it is the boys as well, for them to know that there's no... gap between what the girls can dream of achieving and the boys can dream of achieving. I think it's so great for our hockey community and our country and for young girls now to see their heroes on Saturday night hockey night in Canada. It's just unbelievable. Do you plan on organizing a very similar routine for your family? Although you'll be playing, I'm sure, most Saturdays, but mini sticks in the living room with your kids in front of the TV. Yeah, we've got the mini sticks out. We'll see. I think they'll probably want to be there in person for some of these. They like to be there in the rink. But yeah, it's pretty exciting. The games that we're not playing on, they'll definitely be on in the living room. And yeah, we won't be putting Paw Patrol on that night, that's for sure. Priorities, right? Thank you so much, Brynn. Congratulations again. We look forward to watching you. Thank you.