Although, recently, most eyes have been on the Women’s National Basketball Association , another women’s professional sports league has been slowly taking center stage: the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).
The ice hockey league consists of six franchises across North America: the Montréal Victoire, Ottawa Charge, and Toronto Sceptres from Canada, and the Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost and New York Sirens from the United States.
Twenty-four-year-old Abigail Levy plays as the backup goaltender for the Sirens, selected 64th overall in the 11th round of the 2023 PWHL draft. Get to know the young Jewish star of the PWHL.
Abbey Levy’s journey to hockey
Levy’s sports journey began like many pro athletes: watching on the sidelines.
She was born on April 2, 2002, in Congers, New York — a charming little town about an hour outside the hustle and bustle of New York City in Rockland County — as the third child of five. Her first hockey experience was in watching her brother Harrison compete.
Instantly, Levy was hooked.
“I first got into hockey by watching my older brother play,” Levy told Unpacked. “I always wanted to play and never knew women or girls could. I asked my dad if I could be the first woman hockey player at age 9 and he immediately got me gear and I started playing.”
Given the lack of female teams in the area, Levy spent most of her childhood playing on boys’ teams.
“The start of my career was on all-boys teams,” she recalled. “I lasted until age 15 in Westchester and then I went to prep school.”
That prep school was none other than Shattuck St. Mary’s, a prestigious Episcopal boarding school in Minnesota that’s known for its hockey development program. Levy shone brightly there, winning three USA Hockey National Championships in three seasons.
Hopping into the high-stakes rink
In 2016, Levy committed to Minnesota State University, where she took her talents to the Mavericks as their star goaltender.. By the 2020-2021 season, she was suiting up for Boston College, home of the Eagles. She stayed with the team as a graduate student in 2022 and 2023, earning the honor of being named an alternate captain.
Once a graduate, Levy was selected 64th overall by the Sirens in the 2023 draft, helping fill out the roster of the newly-founded league. Not long after, in November, she inked a one-year contract with the team.
Related Post: The 10 best Jewish sports moments of 2024, from the Olympics to the NHL
In the league’s inaugural season, Levy posted a .906 save percentage. By June 21, 2024, she’d survived her first season and signed a one-year extension.
“I always wanted to play in New York,” the hockey star said. “When I found out there was a team in my region, where I grew up, it was a no-brainer to want to be back home with my family and in a place that is so near and dear to my heart.”
Abbey Levy’s connection to Judaism
Levy’s Jewish identity comes with an interesting backstory. Levy’s father, Justin, was adopted into a Jewish family, and her mother converted to Judaism when the two got married.
Although Levy identifies as Jewish, her upbringing wasn’t steeped in religious tradition.
“We grew up not very religious at all because our Sundays and weekends were consumed with my brothers playing hockey and basketball,” Levy said. “I would say that sports was our religion.”
That being said, Levy grew up participating in many Jewish customs. She recounted a Passover seder from her childhood that became so intense, she ended the night with a welt on her head.
“My parents definitely tried to teach me around the holidays,” she told JTA . “But I think as a kid I was a little brat sometimes. I definitely just stuck with hockey and that was probably always on my mind. And now growing up, I’ll probably have to go back and look more into the religion.”
When it comes to her professional life, Levy says her religion rarely comes up.
“Not many people talk about their religion in the league,” she noted. “I think that, especially in women’s hockey, I never really ran into individuals who pride themselves on religion. In football, you see it a lot but on the women’s side of hockey, I never really saw it being put out there.”
As a member of the LGBTQ community, as well, Levy has found the women’s hockey world to be accepting.
“It hasn’t affected much,” she says. “A lot of people that are in the professional league are part of the LGBT community. I never had any problems growing up being who I am. I never questioned or dealt with adversity around that. I kind of just live my life. If someone comes up to me with an issue, I just walk away.”
