The Fearless, Frozen Females of Hockey

In a season where the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to qualify for their first postseason since 2004 (in which they played the Philadelphia Flyers), Phil Kessel has emerged as the centre of attention. While the club looks for a pair of forwards that can complement his skills, perhaps their best option would be Phil’s sister, Amanda Kessel. During the 2012-13 NCAA season, Amanda Kessel has had a year to remember. She earned her 200th career point in only her 99th career contest. Playing with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, she helped the squad reach several milestones, including the longest unbeaten streak in NCAA women’s hockey history, and a 22-0-0 start. Of note, Kessel is also the NCAA’s leading scorer. Should the Gophers remain undefeated and win the NCAA Frozen Four, Kessel shall be a key component of that unprecedented success. Over a decade ago, Meghan Sittler, the daughter of Maple Leafs legend Darryl Sittler was a scoring phenom with the Colby College White Mules. Event

With the 2013 IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championships being hosted in Ottawa, Ontario, Hockey Canada has chosen to recognize the local foundation Do It for Daron as its charity of choice. As an Ottawa based foundation, DIFD honors the life of the late Daron Richardson. The foundation has helped to not only provide a message of hope, but is has given inspiration to an entire generation of young women’s hockey players in Ottawa. Canada’s April 3 contest versus Switzerland will feature a section of the arena dedicated to DIFD. All seats sold in the Power to the Purple section (as purple was Daron’s favorite color) will result in five dollars from each ticket sold going to DIFD. During that day, one dollar from all program sales will also be donated to DIFD. The Canadian national women’s hockey team had the opportunity to witness the power of DIFD at its 2012 autumn training camp in Calgary, Alberta. Ashley Gilbank, a women’s hockey coach from the Ottawa area rollerbladed acro