Girls hockey is just over 30 years old in Duluth, and the first generation of skaters have now made their mark on the next generation.

“As soon as I could walk, she had me in skates,” said Signe Gorham, a sophomore for the Duluth Northern Stars.

Her mother, Anne Gorham, is no stranger to hockey in Duluth.

“My parents were really hesitant of letting me play boys’ hockey,” said Anne. “I couldn’t do it. So I remember when the flyer came to our school saying, ‘Girls’ hockey’s here, icebreakers are here.’ I was like, ‘I am doing this,’ and I did. I had a 12-year career.”

As a member of multiple girls hockey teams years ago, Anne is now watching her daughter, Signe, flourish for the Northern Stars, as one of the first ever second generation players in Duluth girls hockey’s history. A big part of that is the opportunity given to girls in this generation of hockey, and how the game has changed.

“You always get to tell me about how many opportunities I have, and then I can be thankful about it,” said Signe. “Because there’s so many camps and skating stuff I can do. She had maybe one option during the summer. There was so many. Anything she could work on hockey wise. I could do almost anything I wanted.”

“The quality of play has improved so much,” said Anne. “Sometimes when I look around and see how fast the game is, how strong the girls are, their hockey knowledge, it’s just leaps and bounds, I think, from what we experienced.”

Signe being a second generation player signifies that more players are on the way, all thanks to their moms.

“This is my favorite thing to do.” said Signe. “This is my passion. This is what I’ve done my whole life. And it’s amazing, because she is one of the reasons I get to do this directly.”