The Fearless, Frozen Females of Hockey

The feeling of optimism that opens the Calgary Inferno’s fourth season is defined by an energetic and exciting offense that evaded the club for several seasons. Off-season trades for Haley Irwin and Bailey Bram were complemented by the free agent signing of Rebecca Johnston. Considering that Irwin and Johnston each won their second Winter Games gold medals at Sochi 2014, it supplies Calgary with two of its most accomplished players on offense. Complemented by Bram, the first woman from Manitoba to compete on Canada’s U18, U22 and Senior Teams (she won gold at the 2012 IIHF Women’s Worlds), it composes a titanic trio that transform the franchise into Clarkson Cup contenders. Coincidentally, all three of them were selected in the landmark 2012 CWHL Draft, which would lay the foundation for a new generation of CWHL superstars. Irwin and Bram were selected by the Brampton Thunder, although Irwin would end up playing for the Montreal Stars, while Johnston was drafted by the Toronto

As the Brampton Thunder rebuild, hoping to recapture the glories of season’s past, an impressive rookie crop forms the foundation. Led by Sochi gold medalist Laura Fortino (the first overall pick in the 2014 CWHL Draft) along with 2014 Patty Kazmaier Award winner Jamie Lee Rattray at forward, a patient fan base sees only good things ahead. Such an example was evident during the Thunder’s season opener. Facing off against the Calgary Inferno, who made significant offseason upgrades to their offense, the host team Thunder put up a valiant fight. Standing between the pipes was rookie backstop Erica Howe. Having grown up in the Ottawa area with Rattray, the two have been teammates at the PWHL, IIHF and NCAA levels, winning the NCAA Frozen Four title in 2014. While the Inferno’s offense overwhelmed Brampton, prevailing by a 5-2 score, the rookie crop never gave up. Howe only gave up one goal in the first period (Jenna Cunningham at 9:02) while stifling four power play attempts by t

For the crowd pouring into Waterloo’s RIM Center, it must have been a surprise for the CWHL’s hardcore fans to see Tara French wearing an opposing team’s sweater. A reliable and steady blueliner for the Brampton Thunder, Tara French now has a new home with the Toronto Furies. Exchanged for rookie blueliners Leah Whittaker and Candice Styles, it must have been a visceral experience for French to wear the colors of a Furies team she has only known as a rival. Suiting up for the Furies as the Brampton Thunder challenged them in a neutral site game; the Furies would emerge with a hard fought 2-1 victory in the shootout. On the surface, it would appear to be a win-win trade for both sides. Styles and Whittaker, selected 17th and 27th overall in the 2014 CWHL Draft are a pair of talented blueliners with plenty of potential. Raised in Cambridge, Ontario, Whittaker competed at the NCAA level with the now-defunct Niagara Purple Eagles program. A stay at home defender, her presence shou

Having lost her battle with ovarian cancer on June 3, 2013, Sue Deacon left behind more than a loving family, but a group of individuals from Toronto’s Bill Bolton hockey league. The league members would become like a second family to Deacon providing friendship and support during a challenging time. Considering that she did not begin league play until after her diagnosis, her spirit for the game, and for life in general, was inspiring. Initially diagnosed during March 2002, she was only given a 40% percent chance of surviving another two years. Just 39 years old at the time, she exceeded those two years and positively impacted a lot of others lives. Forging on for another 11 years, hockey became its own form of therapy. As the sound of skates sliced up the clean ice surface and the roar of the sirens echoed throughout the arena, it would prove to be a pleasant distraction from the constant checkups that took place every three weeks. Planning her treatments around her hockey

While the obligations of the real world place many women’s hockey players into a difficult crossroads, Mallory Deluce has engaged in a labor of love. Although her playing career saw her reach great heights with gold medals for Team Ontario and the Under-22 Canadian Team, an NCAA Frozen Four title, complemented by a stint with the Toronto Furies, Deluce is reaching even bigger heights as an airlines pilot. Many women’s hockey players have the game in her blood, with previous generations having played. In Deluce’s case, it was flying that was in her blood as her father and brother both work as commercial pilots. Currently a First Officer of the Air Georgian team, which flies routes for Air Canada, she is also a spokesperson for Air Georgian’s Cadets Program. In between winning the 2011 NCAA Frozen Four and being selected by the Toronto Furies in the second-ever CWHL Draft, Deluce earned her private license at the St. Thomas Flight Centre in southwestern Ontario. For her instrume

Leading in to the Sochi Winter Games, just one trading card set featured women’s hockey players (the Topps US Olympic and Paralympic Set ). The set had cards of Hilary Knight and the Lamoureux Twins, marking a disappointment for women’s hockey card collectors who were expecting a wider selection. In a hobby where there are very few trading cards of female athletes of any sport available (except Topps’ Allen and Ginter Sets ), the aftermath of Sochi breathed new life into the hobby. The 2014 Crown Royale hockey card set featured five women’s hockey players in its Fans of the Game insert set. Of note, the players in the set included Tessa Bonhomme, Jennifer Botterill, Meghan Duggan, Julie Chu and Meghan Agosta. Unfortunately, each card had a limited print run of 99 per card, making it a very difficult pull for collectors. While each card was autographed, they were difficult to find in the secondary market. Taking into account that the Meghan Duggan card marked the first time that sh

Fair play paid positive dividends for Natalie Spooner and Meaghan Mikkelson in the semi-finals (11th leg overall) of The Amazing Race Canada. Having left Peake’s Wharf in Charlottetown at 4:32 am, the hockey heroines were among four times that had to drive over the Confederation Bridge towards New Brunswick. Upon reaching one of Canada’s first four original provinces, the drive continued for another 140 kilometres to Shediac, known throughout Atlantic Canada as “the lobster capital of the world.” As a side note, this marked the first time that the program ever held a leg in New Brunswick. While the brother/sister team arrived at Shediac first, they were lost en route to their destination, leaving the door open for Spooner and Mikkelson to be the first team to arrive. The first challenge in the race may have also been the easiest of the entire race. Arriving at an Acadian birthday party at a local Dairy Queen (of note, the fast food giant is also a sponsor of the program), the ra