As the great sport of hockey continues to grow in popularity here in North Texas, we are starting to see players from this area thrive at the highest levels. Names like Calgary Flames forward and two-time Stanley Cup champion Blake Coleman of Plano, Frisco’s Seth and Caleb Jones of the Chicago Blackhawks, and Plano’s Stefan Noesen of the Carolina Hurricanes come to mind.
But, there is another name emerging, and her name is Hannah Bilka.
Bilka, a Coppell native, grew up skating in Grapevine and Irving. She is the captain of the Boston College women's hockey team and is on pace for her best season with the Eagles. She has scored nine goals and tallied 15 assists in 18 games this season.
The senior has made a name for herself in women's hockey, as she racked up 5 goals and 7 assists to help Team USA win the silver medal in the 2022 IIHF Women's World Championship.
I caught up with Hannah on the latest edition of the Spits and Suds podcast to talk about the emergence of youth hockey in DFW, her journey on travel teams, college, and putting on that USA Sweater for the first time. Of course, we have to dive into what she misses about North Texas and how she wants to give back to youth hockey locally.
Remember this name, Hannah Bilka. Check out the podcast below.