Trans and non-binary hockey players have found a home with Team Trans. The international collective formed four years ago, hosting all-trans teams playing against one another in internal draft tournaments across North America. The National Hockey League is a vocal supporter, using social media to combat bigotry, while the collective relies on donations to fund travel and hosting.
Mason LeFebvre, who joined Team Trans in Boston in November 2019, said the experience was life-changing. A trans hockey player since the age of 10, LeFebvre finally found other players with whom he could identify. “I’ve invited these players to come stay with me in my house for a weekend at events we’re hosting or just an open-ended invitation in general”, he said. “It almost doesn’t matter” that they’re trans, he added, “they can simply exist as people”.
For Danny Maki, being able to be comfortable in a locker room has been one of the highlights of his time with the team. Maki, who grew up in a “hockey family” and played from the age of two, had not played for around 10 years before joining Team Trans via a Minnesota hockey community. The vice president of the Twin Cities chapter has been mentioned in anti-trans articles after getting injured on the ice. These “nasty articles”, he said, have put “a target on us”. However, he remains committed to “representing the possibilities for trans individuals”.
