Prince Albert's own Brooke Hobson played for Modo in Sweden last season but has come back to North America to join the Boston Pride. (Submitted Photo/Brooke Hobson)

By Rob Mahon

Hobson Joins Boston Pride

Pride of Prince Albert: local hockey star Hobson joins PHF’s Boston Pride

Jun 8, 2023 | 5:00 PM

Prince Albert native Brooke Hobson is bringing her hockey career back to North America. The 24-year-old defenseman has signed on to join the Boston Pride of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF).

Hobson, who played five seasons with the Prince Albert Bears before joining Northeastern University, is part of the latest influx of talent to the women’s professional hockey ranks. Since it was formed in 2015 as the National Women’s Hockey League, it’s grown from four teams to seven.

“I’m super excited,” Hobson said. “Boston is a place that’s close to my heart since I went to school there for five years. I’m super excited to be joining the league. There’s a bunch of good talent in the league and coming to the league this year, so it’s going to be tough competition.”

Northeastern University is located in Boston, and during Hobson’s time there she was named captain in back-to-back seasons. That makes this move something of a homecoming.

“I still know a bunch of the girls on Northeastern that I played with, and also a lot of the girls that I played with there ended up staying over there and getting jobs,” Hobson said. “I do have a lot of friendships and relationships over there, and that’s going to make it a little more welcoming right at the start.”

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Playing professional hockey and being able to focus on the sport is a big draw to the league for Hobson, something she got a taste of last season playing for Modo in Sweden. It was a shift in culture, but Hobson was one of several North Americans on the team, which made the transition easier.

“I have nothing but great things to say about it,” said Hobson. “I went over there and had never really been overseas for a long time before, and they made me feel welcome right away and made sure I felt like I was at home, gave me everything I needed to get adapted really fast.”

Now Hobson begins the preparations for a move back to Boston, though she’s getting to spend some time with family in Prince Albert before she leaves. While she’ll still be a long way from home, she’ll be far closer and her family will find it that much easier to stay in touch with her.

“That was a big part of why I wanted to head back,” Hobson said. “My family, they’ve always supported me as much as I could have ever asked. They’ve made trips to Boston to watch me multiple times, my sister, my brother and my parents.”

From Prince Albert to Boston to Sweden and back to Boston again, it’s been a long hockey road for Hobson but she’s never forgotten where it began. Years later, she still looks back fondly on her time with the Bears that jump-started her career.

“That was where I spent five years of my junior hockey career so I think that’s where I first started to develop and learn a lot of things I needed to learn before going into college,” she said. “If it wasn’t for them and the organization they have in PA, I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am in my life.”

Hobson’s plan is to start skating again in July in preparation for the season.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP