Welcome to Episode 3 of Growing the Game, where each week I talk to an expert about growing a particular sport in a particular country.
This week, we have a very unique guest whose knowledge is not limited to just one country, so while the main subject is women’s hockey in Russia, we’ll also talk about the sport’s growth in Canada as well as the United States. Our special guest is Hayley Williams, a decorated professional hockey player in Russia, who was born and raised in the United States and also has experience playing professionally in Canada. She’s also the founder of an organization called Hockey Worldwide, which we’ll discuss a little bit later.
Check out the show notes below: 2:14 – Hayley’s background 12:30 – Fan attendance for pro women’s hockey leagues 16:00 – Television and streaming 17:23 – Welcome to Russia 20:55 – Effects of coronavirus 22:13 – Identifying top talent 24:25 – Growing the game & WHL in Russia 29:23 – Implementing Russian pro structure in North America 31:42 – Finding ambassadors for the game 34:11 – Hockey Worldwide
