7 Questions with Gabi Gibson
One of hockey’s biggest TikTok influencers discusses her pathway to success
May 1, 2025
As seen in the Spring 2025 issue of the magazine
Gabi Gibson first laced up her skates at the age of three, but it wasn’t until she was nine before she found her passion between the pipes. Growing up loving hockey helped pave the way to becoming one of the biggest hockey influencers on the internet, which started during the COVID-19 pandemic when she began dishing out fun content on TikTok.
What started as a way to keep busy and let her creatives juices flow during lockdown has grown into over 5.3 million likes and nearly 200,000 followers continuously entertained by her content.
Gabi took the time to chat with Ice Warriors about her massive following, her passion for photography, the PWHL and so much more.
1. You are the ‘TikTok goalie from Alaska.’ How did that come about, how did you start producing content, and when did you realize you were a hit?
GG: The day I decided to download the TikTok app was the day I was influenced to become something big to inspire the world, but I wasn’t sure what that was quite yet. After about a week of brainstorming, I decided to focus my platform on hockey-related content as this was the sport I grew up playing as a child. It only took a little bit of time during the hunker down for my platform to grow. In this moment, I knew I needed to be an inspiration for not just hockey players, but any athletes on the TikTok platform. My main focus was to create content that others would relate to but also focus on ways to keep my platform on a hockey niche. This is how I got my nickname ‘the TikTok Goalie from Alaska.’ There wasn’t any big girl goalie TikTokers, especially from Alaska, so this was the given name for myself to allow others to recognize me. Once my platform grew, the hockey rinks started to open up. Slowly, hockey players were able to recognize who I was and reference me as the ‘TikTok Goalie from Alaska’ or say, ‘Hey, look, it’s Gabi Gibson!’ This is when I knew my platform was becoming something big and my content was making a mark in the hockey world.
2. How did you get into hockey, and what drove you to playing goal?
GG: I didn’t try goalie until nine years old. I decided to try goalie out when goalie rotation was an option, however, I was not skilled in this position during this time. When I was 10 years old, I decided to take on a full season of goaltending, however, it did require me to spend countless hours at the rink utilizing private goalie lessons, attending goalie camps, and working with the goalie coach during team practice practices. The reason why I decided to play goalie was because I could create my own look through customization of my helmet. My very first paint job was ultrasonic on the front and a brick wall painted in the background. I decided to go with this look because it described me as a fast goalie and playing like a brick wall. I love the idea of the goalie being different than everyone else on the ice, which is why this position caught my attention.
3. You've attended some pretty cool events thus far. What are some of your top takeaways and experiences from some of the events you've attended?
GG: I am very fortunate enough to be involved in several events with Bauer, invited to the Winter Classic in Boston, working with Warrior this year, and meeting some amazing people from all around the world in several other events! Some of my major takeaways from these events is that everyone is in the same boat, one way or another. Being an influencer can be fine and allows you to build new connections with any brands and people, however, behind closed doors people don’t understand the stress that influencers go through. It is very difficult to maintain a platform on your own while balancing a personal life. Being able to connect with other influencers to receive feedback and build connections to either help yourself or help each other grow is the best thing I have taken away from these events.
4. The PWHL continues to set records and is on the verge of growth. What has caught your attention of the PWHL so far, and how exciting is to see a professional women's league doing this well in only its second season?
GG: It’s caught my attention in several different ways. I have attended a few games in Boston and let me tell you these were the most electric games I have ever been to. The fans are very involved, very supportive, and the attendance to each game doesn’t disappoint. It is so heartwarming to see women’s hockey grow as the years go on, and now seeing an extension to Vancouver is super exciting! Looking back at a handful years ago when I was being scouted for college, I remember when women’s hockey was so small that there were only a few professional women’s hockey teams, for example the Buffalo Beauts and a few other teams. The fact that there are women’s teams expanding all over the United States and Canada is amazing and allows other talented women to play in the professional league, other than retiring after college or forced to play in Europe. I have a few friends who are playing in the PWHL and it is so cool to see them succeed and play competitively still to this day. As I know, I will not be able to play professionally, I hope that I can coach young goalies to pursue their dreams while creating content on my platforms to influence them to follow their dreams.
5. What type of fun content would you like to create that is on your bucket list?
GG: A few that come to mind would be skating with the PWHL for a practice, creating content with a professional team, such as in the NHL, meeting NHL players, trying a new sport with a professional athlete, or capturing photos of a professional sports team.
6. Photography is a passion of yours. What attracted you to photography and what are some locations or events you would like capture?
GG: I have always had a love for taking photos, whether it was selfies, of nature, of other people, or sports related. When I was 13, I had a friend who owned a camera, and I always talked about learning photography and the desires to own my own camera one day. Personally, I feel as though photography allows someone to be creative in their own ways, which is why I also became a content creator. Becoming a photographer has allowed me to meet several new people, make new connections, and capture moments in several different variations. If I were to choose some locations or events to capture, I would want to become a professional photographer for the NHL, MLB, NBA or the NFL. I also want to expand on my horizons and learn to do videography. However, at this time, photography is my main focus as I want to grow in that department. I haven’t built enough connections to photograph professionally, but if the opportunity were to ever appear, I would definitely take it. I am in hopes that something lands in front of me in the near future, but for now I will continue content creating with photography as a side hobby.
7. Be it hockey or photography, do you have any advice for young girls looking to follow their passions?
GG: The best advice I could give is to keep trying. For me, photography was out of my comfort zone, however, I built connections by attending events for free. I was able to build connections with parents, friends, and other athletes by attending events on my own. As for the sports realm, I would say don’t overwork yourself in a way you fall out of love for the sport. Don’t let a coach or a teammate ruin a sport for you; focus on yourself and work for what you want. It is important to love the sport you play and have fun doing it. Build those connections with coaches and mend those friendships because when you’re older, and you look back on your career, you want to look back without regret. Thank your parents and your friends for the support they have given you, the time they have put in for you to succeed, and the money they have invested in a sport for you to love and to remember.