The MT64 Hockey Association’s inaugural Ladies’ Hockey Night at the Marty Pavelich Ice Rink drew nine participants Sunday evening, a number that organizers described as “exceeding expectations” and participants described as “the perfect number for a sport that requires six per side if you don’t count the goalie, which we did not have.”

The weekly sessions, open to women of all ages and skill levels, were launched with the goal of expanding access to a sport that has historically been dominated in southwest Montana by men, boys, and one very aggressive 11-year-old who plays in three different leagues.

“We just wanted to create a space,” said organizer Kim Halverson, a former collegiate player from Minnesota who moved to Bozeman in 2018. “A space where women can get on the ice without being checked into the boards by a teenager.”

The nine participants ranged in age from 19 to 62 and in skill level from “played competitively in college” to “has never stopped on skates intentionally.” The session opened with a basic skills clinic, which organizer Halverson said went “really well, except for the stopping part.”

“I know how to go,” said participant Ruthie Andersen, 44, a graphic designer from Bozeman who signed up after her son left his hockey gear in the mudroom for the 300th consecutive day. “I just haven’t figured out the stopping yet. I kind of aim for the boards and hope for the best.”

By the session’s second hour, the group had divided into two informal teams and played a scrimmage that all nine participants agreed was “the most fun I’ve had in Bozeman this winter,” which several clarified was “a low bar, but still.”

The rink, named after Bozeman native and Stanley Cup champion Marty Pavelich, typically hosts youth leagues and men’s pickup games. Rink manager Tony Despain said he welcomed the addition. “We had the ice time available on Sundays. Nobody was using it. Now nine people are using it. That’s nine more than zero.”

Halverson said the program will continue weekly and hopes to grow through word of mouth. She has set a long-term goal of forming a full women’s league in the Gallatin Valley, which would require a minimum of 30 regular participants.

“So we need about three times what we have,” she said. “Which sounds like a lot, but this is Bozeman. There are 60,000 people here. I only need 30 of them to want to play hockey on Sunday nights instead of watching Netflix.”

She paused. “The Netflix thing might be the harder sell, actually.”

Andersen said she plans to return next week and has ordered a helmet. She has not yet ordered the ability to stop.