23 Feb 2024
Posted by Jonathan Eto 
Loading ...
Akane Shiga is the youngest and only Japanese player in the new Professional Women’s Hockey League, playing for Ottawa’s team. Photo credits: Dr. Jonathan Eto.
OTTAWA — Japan’s Akane Shiga is breaking barriers in the new Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). At only 22 years old, Akane is the youngest and only Asian-born player in the six-team league.
The inaugural season has players who range in age from 22 to 36, with 55 per cent of players from Canada and 35 per cent from the U.S. The final 10 per cent are made up of nine different nations.
Led by Coach Carla MacLeod, Ottawa is the most ethnically diverse squad and perhaps the best fit for Shiga. MacLeod coached Japan’s Women’s National Hockey Team from 2012 to 2014, where she helped the team qualify and compete in the Sochi Olympics.
When asked if her time in Japan has helped connect with Shiga, MacLeod jokes, “You’ll have to ask her… I’m yelling random Japanese words at the kid, and she just smiles and nods.”
“There are enough words that I’ve learned in my two years in Japan that I try to help her with when Madoka [her translator] is not there to translate for her. But she’s been a treat to work with, and she’s the consummate professional.”
Shiga’s professional career began with a record-setting attendance of 8,318 fans for a professional women’s hockey game in their home opener at TD Place in Ottawa. That record was later broken five days later in Minnesota with 13,316. These records attest to the amazing popularity of the new league. Toronto has already sold out all their games for the rest of the season.
Playing the wing, Shiga skates hard at both ends of the ice. While on the second unit power play, she’s earning decent ice time and plays with quick shifts. Nikkei Voice had a chance to ask Shiga a few questions through her translator.
Akane Shiga with her Ottawa teammates on Jan. 13, 2024 at Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto. (Left to right): Mikyla Grant-Mentis, Akane Shiga, Fanni Garát-Gasparics, and Becca Gilmore. Photo credit: Dr. Jonathan Eto.
Nikkei Voice: How does it feel to be the youngest and the only Japanese player to play in the top women’s hockey league in the world?
Akane Shiga: For me to be the only Japanese player in the league is a great honour and growing the game back at home is something I really want to do.
Being the youngest, I try not to think about it too much and just focus on the game and not let the age factor affect how I play on the ice.
NV: How are you finding the transition from playing in Japan versus North America? What adjustments are you having to make both on and off the ice?
AS: For the on-ice transitions, hockey in Japan is a little more reserved, and it’s a bigger ice surface; people try to hold on to the puck a little more. Coming here, I’m expected to shoot a lot more and be more aggressive, so that’s something I always try to keep in mind. As for off the ice, I think the communication has been the biggest transition, not just the fact that there is a language barrier, but everyone is a lot more vocal about their own opinions and whatever situation they’re in, but that’s something I’m trying to work on and improve on as well.
Akane Shiga is the youngest and only Japanese player in the new Professional Women’s Hockey League, playing for Ottawa’s team. Photo credit: Dr. Jonathan Eto.
NV: Coach Carla MacLeod is well-known for her work to help Japan make great strides in women’s hockey. How does it feel to be coached by her?
AS: Her having ties to Japan and having contributed to women’s hockey in Japan just make things more exciting for me to play for her, and she’s been great and considerate about the language barrier and trying to use simple terms and easy sentences to make me feel comfortable, and I’m very appreciative for that.
NV: How did your passion for hockey start? Who did you look up to?
AS: My passion for hockey first took off after watching the 2014 Sochi Olympics, that was when I really wanted to play for Japan and try to pursue hockey as my career. Yurie Adachi, No. 11, who used to play for Japan and is now retired, is someone I looked up to as a child.
NV: What is your favourite hockey moment so far?
AS: World Championships in Calgary when [we] played against Hungary and scored [my] first goal there, that will always be a memorable one.
***
Though the league still doesn’t have official team names, the league’s popularity continues to grow and make great progress.
Gambare, Akane-chan!
***
