Greig to live out PWHL dream

By Lethbridge Herald on June 13, 2024.

olivia Hokanson/Colgate Athletics Photo Dara Greig is seen here playing for her Colgate University team.

by Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

Lethbridge’s Dara Greig is set to live out her dream as a professional female hockey player in the near future.

Greig was drafted 23rd overall in Monday’s second annual Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) draft by PWHL Montreal out of Colgate University.

She was at home with family and friends when she got drafted.

“I was kind of expecting to go a bit later in the draft but (I am) so excited,” said Greig.

“Montreal’s a great city, they have a great team (and) obviously getting a chance to be on the same team as Marie Philip-Poulin is a dream of mind. So I couldn’t be happier and couldn’t be more excited about it.”

After being uncertain at the beginning of the season as to what she wanted to do after college,

it wasn’t until Greig saw how the PWHL took off, the success in its first year and the quality of hockey that it might be a reality for her.

“It started to really become a reality and a dream throughout the course of the year,” she said.

“So definitely by the end of the season it was something  I had been working towards and just was super hopeful to get drafted. So for it to happen is pretty surreal.”

Greig felt it has meant everything being a female hockey player and getting this opportunity.

“The goal was to use hockey to get my schooling paid for as a scholarship, but the idea of playing pro hockey was never really a dream I could have or something to look forward to as there wasn’t really a league that was working or growing ,” said Greig.

“For the Professional Women’s Hockey League to take off kind of right in time for my college career to end, and for me to get drafted and to have a chance to be a part of that, it means everything.”

Greig is the older sibling to brother Ridly who is a forward with the Ottawa Senators, who was supportive younger brother for her.

“Once we kind of realized I could maybe have a chance (to) play in this pro league, he’s been a really big support system for me kind of going (through) this journey to try to make the step to play pro,” said Greig.