Theresa Bailey

Theresa Bailey is a Canadian hockey advocate, author, and entrepreneur. She is best known for founding the online community Canadian Hockey Moms and for her work in improving hockey culture. She created the CanadianHockeyMoms.ca network in 2010 to support and connect hockey parents and later co-authored the national bestselling book Hockey Moms: The Heart of the Game (HarperCollins, 2022).

Bailey is also the founder of Starfish Synergies Inc, a consulting company.

Early career and education Bailey holds a master's degree in Community Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University (2000). Prior to her hockey-related initiatives, she worked in research, evaluation and community development projects in Ontario, often focusing on youth and education. In 2009, she established a consulting practice called Synergy Change Builders, through which she facilitated training programs and strategic planning for organizations. (This venture would later evolve into Starfish Synergies.)

Founding of Canadian Hockey Moms In early 2010, during the Vancouver Winter Olympics, Bailey launched Canadian Hockey Moms, initially as a personal blog and forum for hockey parents. The idea was sparked by a personal experience: "I started this website when my 7-year-old son had only one shift in an entire game and I didn't know how to deal with it," she said. Frustrated by the lack of resources and community support for new hockey parents, she created the site to share advice, stories, and encouragement. The site originally bore the title Hockey Mom in Canada, but after growing rapidly, it was renamed to CanadianHockeyMoms.ca (following a request from CBC lawyers to avoid confusion with the Hockey Night in Canada brand)

Hockey Moms book and authorship Building on over a decade of community stories, Bailey co-wrote Hockey Moms: The Heart of the Game, published by HarperCollins in October 2022. Co-authored with veteran sportscaster Terry Marcotte, the book is a compilation of more than 30 stories from hockey mothers at all levels of the game. It includes tales from mothers of NHL stars (for example, Connor McDavid's mother, Kelly, contributes) as well as from moms in small-town rinks, weaving a "celebration of the unsung heroes behind the game". Bailey and Marcotte spent years interviewing moms across the country, capturing themes of dedication, sacrifice, humor, and love.

Personal life Theresa Bailey lives in Central Ontario with her three children.

Publications Aubry, T., Flynn, R.J., Gerber, G., & Dostaler, T. (2005). Identifying the core competencies of support providers working with people with psychiatric disabilities. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 28(4) pp 346-53.

Bailey, Nelson, (2003) A Process and Outcome Evaluation of a Shelter for Homeless Young Women. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 22(1).

Van de Hoef, S. Sundar, P., Austin, S., Dostaler, T. (2011). Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice, 2(2).

Books Bailey, T., Marcotte, T. (2022). Hockey Moms: The Heart of the Game. HarperCollins: Toronto.