Canadian forward Sarah Nurse says her new PWHL Barbie doll shows young girls that becoming a professional hockey player is a real and reachable goal.
Representation Beyond the Ice
Canadian hockey star Sarah Nurse will begin her first season with Vancouver’s new Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) franchise this fall. But even before hitting the ice, the Olympic MVP is making an impact off it — with a Barbie doll created in her likeness.
A Collaboration for Visibility
The initiative is part of a collaboration between Tim Hortons, Mattel, and the PWHL, which also features Montreal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin. Each player now has a Barbie dressed in full hockey gear, complete with skates, stick, and puck. The campaign highlights women’s achievements in hockey while promoting role models for the next generation.
Why the Barbie Matters
For Nurse, the project is about more than merchandise. “It’s a big privilege to show the younger generation that women can be professional hockey players,” she said. She noted that many women never had the chance to play the game or see themselves represented in toys growing up. The dolls, she added, have already connected with “different generations of women.”
Building on Previous Success
This isn’t the first time Nurse and Poulin have partnered with Mattel. A similar project launched in 2020 celebrated their Olympic influence, and Nurse says the response was so strong it justified a second edition. “They were such a huge success the first round, they had to bring them back again,” she explained.
A Career of Firsts
The Barbie launch adds another milestone to Nurse’s high-profile career. She was the first woman to appear on the cover of EA Sports’ NHL video game in 2023, and she played a key role in negotiating the PWHL’s first collective bargaining agreement. Now, she will suit up with Vancouver’s inaugural roster alongside fellow Olympians Emerance Maschmeyer and Claire Thompson.
What’s Next
PWHL Vancouver is set to debut in November at Pacific Coliseum, marking the league’s expansion to the West Coast. For Nurse, balancing the start of a new chapter in her career with inspiring young athletes is all part of the same mission: proving that hockey dreams are no longer limited by gender.
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