Timing’s a win for women’s sports bar as pro teams thrive

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When a sextet of Canada’s best female athletes posed in Olympic glory almost 100 years ago, they could never imagine lending their nickname to a women’s sports bar, where past sisters are celebrated on a wall beneath televised hockey and soccer, while great grand-daughters rock to The Bangles and Go-Go’s.

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The Matchless Six is a pop-up project on Dundas Street West with an eye to a permanent female footprint.

The huge success of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, soccer in Montreal and the coming WNBA team here in 2026 is quickly building a new fan base — which also loves to gather for games to drink and eat. 

This week’s opening ceremonies for the Paris Olympics was perfect timing to put a mini-Hall of Fame in the popular Dock Ellis pub and change the channel from the Jays to highlights of the PWHL, World Cup soccer and all women’s sports overseas in the five-ring circus.

Thursday’s launch coincided with patrons watching Canada beat New Zealand in soccer under Christine Sinclair’s framed national team sweater. 

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Montreal-based Twenty6 Communications, in conjunction with Bavarian brewers Weihenstephan, organized the three-day pop-up, led by company founder and former collegiate hockey player Michele Boileau-Barmash and NHL broadcaster/alumnus P.J. Stock.   

“Ratings around women’s sports are skyrocketing, such as in the U.S. with the WNBA, so financially supporting it is a smart decision,” Boileau-Barmash told the Sun. “But you forget about the Matchless Six. As Canadians who love sports, the fact we don’t know their story is remarkable.” 

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It was during the 1928 Games in Amsterdam that women were first allowed to compete in track and field, previously judged “too strenuous” for them, while others felt letting them compete was “immoral.”

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In the 100-metres and relay, Bobby Rosenfeld, Ethel Smith, Jane Bell, Myrtle Cook, Jean Thompson and Ethel Calderwood won four medals and first place in points in their combined events. The Canadian Press dubbed them the Matchless Six and they came home to a hero’s welcome.

“The future is here, but we have to thank the past,” Stock said. “I have three daughters and there are always those moments you want to push them in sports but there was no real (end game) to it. Now we’re getting that with soccer, the PWHL and WNBA.

“It takes a moment to sit back and realize that the future is here, but we have to thank the past. The pop-up is celebrating the history of the brand (Weihenstephan is more than 1,000 years old and has been active in sponsoring women’s sports in Europe and North America) by celebrating what’s made women’s sports’ special. 

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“We want this bar concept to have legs, for people to realize the opportunity. The first one through the wall is often the bloodiest, so we’re knocking down some doors and hopefully opening some eyes.”  

Boileau-Barmash put in plenty of research to find archival pictures of the Matchless Six and female athletes through the eras to present day, including a framed Hockey News cover of Cassie Campbell with Olympic gold in hockey. 

Through Sunday, athletes and media personalities will be visiting Matchless Six, such as soccer players/broadcasters Amy Walsh, Clare Rustad and Diana Matheson. 

“People such as (PWHL Toronto’s) Natalie Spooner are out there pushing the envelope,” Stock said. “But as a community we have to respond, give back and support. Hopefully we get a lot of people come in to see the Hall and the great moments of women’s sports on TV. We don’t show that enough.” 

The bar is offering a promotion this weekend for a free pitcher if a women’s team of any sport aged 19 with a minimum four players. 

Lhornby@postmedia.com 

X: @sunhornby 

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