New beginnings and dreams coming true: 3 stories from the inaugural PWHL draft

Erin Ambrose will never forget the day her hockey career in Montreal came to an abrupt end.

It was March 31, 2019 when Ambrose and the rest of the women who toiled in the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) found out their league was going to shut down, leaving them with nowhere to play professional hockey. 

Ambrose moved to Montreal in late 2017 after being cut from the Canadian women's Olympic team. Her time with Les Canadiennes became a turning point in her career, a sanctuary of sorts.

"It changed my life around, both as a hockey player and as a person," Ambrose said.

And it will be in Montreal that Ambrose will play professional hockey again, in a league where she'll be able to make a living doing so. Ambrose was chosen by the Montreal team in the new Professional Women's Hockey League on Monday at the league's first-ever draft. She was one of 90 players selected on a day that felt like a new beginning in the world of professional women's hockey.

She became the first defender taken by the team, a power-play quarterback who will get to ply her trade with arguably the best player in the world, Marie-Philip Poulin.

"This is one of the happiest days of my career as a professional hockey player," Ambrose said. "To be able to say that is very, very exciting. I haven't gotten emotional yet but I think it will happen at some point today."

Ambrose played hockey with boys growing up in Keswick, Ont., only shifting to girls' hockey in high school. She watched some of the boys she grew up with get drafted and go on to NHL careers.

WATCH | Erin Ambrose reacts to being drafted by Montreal:

On Monday, she finally had her own draft moment. Walking on the purple carpet lined with fans, she saw children wearing team jackets for hockey teams she played against growing up. 

"Those are the people that we truly want to impact the most," she said.

Six picks into the draft, Ambrose heard her name called. With a wide grin, she posed for a picture with Billie Jean King, holding a commemorative hockey stick. The Montreal team does not have a name or logo yet. 

After the draft, she planned to go out to celebrate with Sarah Nurse, first overall pick Taylor Heise and some family. For her, it wouldn't just be about celebrating her own selection, but a big moment in the growth of the sport.

"This is the start of something pretty great in women's hockey," she said. "I'm very honoured to be a part of it."