Erica Rieder Carries Her Hockey Dreams Into the PWHL

June 17, 2026, was a happy day for Erica Rieder and for her family and friends. Maybe one of the happiest of her young life. Rieder was drafted 60th overall by the reigning Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Walter Cup champions Montréal Victoire. The best part for Rieder is that friends and family can now watch her play in person more often.

The former University of Manitoba Bison captain had been playing pro hockey in Sweden for five years, first for MODO and then Lulea HF of the Swedish Women’s Professional Hockey League. Now she’s ready for the jump to the PWHL.

A Rewarding Journey From Regina Minor Hockey to the PWHL

Rieder was born into an athletic family in Regina, Saskatchewan. Her mom and dad, Ev and Greg, have cycled across Canada and around the world, while her brother Andrew played three seasons for the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League, then went on to play at Dalhousie University for the Tigers. Erica’s youngest sister, Emily, was also a prominent player in Regina’s minor hockey system but chose to follow her dream of becoming a teacher.

Rieder graduated from the Regina Rebels of the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League in 2014 and went on to a successful university hockey career with the Manitoba Bisons from 2014 to 2018. In 2017, Rieder represented Canada at the Winter Universiade and, in 2018, helped lead the Bisons to their first USports National Title.

Canadian Olympic Cycling Aspirations

Following in her parents’ cycling footsteps, Rieder took a sabbatical from hockey following the 2021-22 season for a year to pursue an Olympic team spot in track cycling. She took part in Canada’s RBC Training Ground, where she was identified for the sport. She trained for two years, including offseason training with Canadian Women’s Sprint gold medalist Kelsey Mitchell and Super Bowl champion and now TSN commentator Luke Willson, but fell just short of an Olympic bid. She eventually returned to Sweden to continue her hockey career, playing for Luleå HF from 2024 to 2026.

Getting Drafted Into the PWHL Means the World to Rieder

When asked about getting drafted and what it meant, Rieder said, “In my hockey career, I was just looking for a chance to be in the league. I mean, that’s just like in and of itself would be a dream. But then to be going to a team like Montreal with the roster that they have and having won last year, I mean, wow. Like I’m kind of I don’t want to say speechless…I’m just really excited about it.”

Rieder went over to her parents’ house to watch the draft and mentioned how it felt when her name got called: “In that moment, I realized that my win is also equally their win because of all of the sacrifices that parents themselves go through. The financial commitment of hockey is huge. You know, I think about the amount of times we’ve been on the road in snowstorms trying to make it to a tournament or games in wherever Saskatchewan and just the hours and hours and hours spent at the rink.

“It’s just such a sense of being grateful to all of the people that have helped me along the way and my parents being one of them for sure. I also thought of all of the coaches that have helped me at every stage, even past teammates that have made me better.”

It All Starts at Training Camp in November

At the age of 30, Rieder is looking forward to being a rookie again. She mentioned the feeling of being new and doing whatever it takes to help the team. “I will say (when) I look back, you know, all my rookie years, especially in college, I loved them. I love being a rookie, honestly. I’m here to learn. I love being around people that are more elite than I am. It makes me better.”

There are hundreds of people who are looking forward to watching Rieder this November. She’s shown she has what it takes to be a great teammate at every level, and to be that in the PWHL with Montreal is definitely the ultimate goal for her to reach. November can’t come soon enough for Rieder and her family.