Delta Female Ice Hockey Association launching inaugural season<\/p>\n
Published 1:45 pm Monday, June 29, 2026<\/p>\n
Lace up those skates and tape those sticks, because Delta girls now have a hockey home to call their own.<\/p>\n
The newly-formed Delta Female Ice Hockey Association (DFIHA) \u2014 officially hitting the ice as the Delta Stars \u2014 has opened registration for its inaugural season, which kicks off in September.<\/p>\n
\u201cDFIHA is proud to offer girls in Delta a welcoming space to learn, play and love the game of hockey, regardless of skill level,\u201d president Gillian Lowrey said in a press release. \u201cOur goal is to ensure that every girl who wants to play ice hockey has a spot on the bench, a program designed to support their growth, and coaches dedicated to girls in the game \u2014 right here in their own community.\u201d<\/p>\n
DFIHA is Delta\u2019s first all-female minor hockey association, incorporated in 2025 to grow opportunities for girls in the game, according to the Delta Stars\u2019 website. The association evolved out of South Delta Minor Hockey Association\u2019s long-standing Delta Stars program, as well as girls playing with North Delta Minor Hockey Association.<\/p>\n
Until now, Delta was one of only a few communities in the Lower Mainland without an independent female hockey association. But that\u2019s about to change thanks to momentum fueled by the Vancouver Goldeneyes\u2019 inaugural season and girls signing up for hockey in record numbers nationwide.<\/p>\n
\u201cHockey Canada reports that over 115,000 girls registered to play hockey across Canada for the 2024\/2025 season, and since 2022 women\u2019s and girls\u2019 hockey has grown by 30 per cent \u2014 nearly three times the growth rate of the men\u2019s game. Females represent around 19 per cent of amateur hockey players in Canada,\u201d the association\u2019s website states.<\/p>\n
DFIHA is 100-per-cent volunteer-run, non-profit organization, entirely dedicated to building a sustainable, rock-solid program designed to get and keep girls in the game.<\/p>\n