Yesterday, the Vancouver Canucks' ECHL affiliate, the Kalamazoo Wings, made a historic signing in goaltender Mariah Fujimagari.
Fujimagari, 29 years old from Markham, Ontario, will become the first woman goaltender to be offered a professional tryout contract from an ECHL team.
In the PHF's 2021-22 season with the Connecticut Whale, Fujimagari posted an amazing 1.40 GAA with a .934 save percentage through 18 games, carrying a 5-0 record. In a professional Swedish women's league last year, Fujimagari didn't fare as well, dropping to a brutal 4.52 GAA and .877 save percentage.
Hopefully, Fujimagari has success on her professional tryout, and cracks the all-male ECHL. It would be amazing to see a women's player at the top of their game compete against men on a potentially equal level. Hopefully now as the PWHL grows, women will have much more of an impact on all levels of hockey.
