The Fearless, Frozen Females of Hockey

One of the most talented goaltenders under 25 years of age in women’s hockey, Genevieve Lacasse can certainly be classified as an international superstar in waiting. Her involvement as a member for Team Canada in a gold medal effort at the Sochi Winter Games served as the final piece towards membership into the Triple Gold Club. The last three years have netted Lacasse all the components necessary to become only the second goaltender admitted into the exclusive Club, the first being fellow Canadian, Kim St. Pierre. Beginning in 2012 as a member of the Canadian contingent that claimed the gold at the IIHF Women’s Worlds in Burlington, Vermont, Lacasse would follow it up one year later with a memorable performance in Markham, Ontario. Standing between the pipes for the Boston Blades, Lacasse would backstop the black and gold to their first-ever Clarkson Cup championship. The experience was enhanced by the fact that she was the first rookie goaltender to win the Clarkson, along w

Rivals at the collegiate level in the WCHA and at the international level in the IIHF, Hilary Knight and Noora Raty are looking to extend their careers in a most unique way. Following in the footsteps of ground breaking women such as Manon Rheaume, Erin Whitten, Danielle Dube and Hayley Wickenheiser, they are looking for the chance to compete in competitive men’s leagues. With possible opportunities in Finland and Sweden, the involvement of Raty and Knight may not only help increase the awareness of the sport, it could help create other opportunities in North America. Considering some members of the CWHL’s Montreal Stars have participated in intergender games, there is no question that Stars competitors such as Caroline Ouellette and Charline Labonte are worthy of consideration for AHL or ECHL play. The greatest female goaltender in the history of Finland, Raty shocked hockey fans throughout the world when she announced that Sochi would represent her last foray in female hocke

Heading into the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, one of the key components for the Canadian national women’s team was definitely change. From new faces at every position to a new coaching staff, many members of Canada’s contingent were truly Winter Games rookies. In a semi-final game against Switzerland, a pair of rookies, Natalie Spooner and Melodie Daoust, would score their first-ever goals in Winter Games competition. Having broken the Toronto Furies franchise mark for most goals scored in one season, Spooner was certainly eager to get on the scoreboard for Canada. At the 7:29 of the opening frame, Spooner would manage to score on Swiss goaltender Florence Schelling (who faced 69 shots against Canada in the preliminary round), with the assist credited to Hayley Wickenheiser. It represented a significant milestone for Spooner, as she logged her first-ever goal in the Winter Games. Canadian captain Caroline Ouellette beat Schelling with a slapshot but the goal was disallowed due

From the outset, the fact that the United States outshot Sweden by an astounding 70-9 margin does not bode well for the cynics who believe women’s hockey should be removed from the Winter Games. While IIHF president Rene Fasel advised USA Today that he is optimistic about the sports’ future at the Games, the fact that Sweden qualified for the medal round is truly admirable. Considering that the Swedes were in the relegation round at the 2013 IIHF Women’s Worlds in Ottawa, Canada, they were not favored to be competing for medals in Sochi. A pair of visceral upsets, Switzerland defeating Russia, and Sweden upending their eternal rival Finland, certainly indicated that competition is improving in the women’s game. Although Canada will play the United States in the gold medal match for the fourth time in the history of the event at the Winter Games, Sweden’s goaltending definitely should encourage their fans to believe that a bronze medal is highly possible. Valentina Wallner and

For a generation of Canadian hockey fans, the idea of fan favorites such as the legendary Kim St. Pierre and the charismatic Tessa Bonhomme not donning the Canadian jersey on the world’s biggest hockey stage is nothing short of shocking. After providing such strong and emotional performances on home ice in Vancouver four years ago, no one could have foreseen how time would provide change four years later. Having both inspired many young girls to lace on the skates and play the game, their legacies in the game are assured. Despite their absence from the ice, neither is too far from the game. Both have taken on new roles as broadcasters, and providing a superlative performance. Working with Radio-Canada, Kim St. Pierre brings her expertise to the French-Canadian airwaves. As the analyst for Team Canada ’s broadcasts, she works with color commentator Martin Leclerc, who brings 20 years of experience in covering the game. One of the winningest goalies in the history of IIHF

After a difficult freshman season, Elaine Chuli has emerged as one of the comeback players of the year in Hockey East. Standing between the pipes for the Connecticut Huskies program, she is beginning to establish herself as an elite backstop. With the Huskies standing as one of the feel-good stories of the 2013-14 NCAA hockey season, Chuli, a native of Waterford, Ontario, capped off a remarkable month of January with Hockey East Co-Goaltender of the Month honors. Sharing the nod with Corinne Boyles of the Boston College Eagles, it is an award that celebrates how far the team has come in such a short period of time. Posting a won-loss mark of 3-7-0 during the month of January, there were positive signs for Chuli and her fellow Huskies. Considering the fact that no more than three goals were scored by an opposing team in any of those losses, it shows a much disciplined style of play on defense. Victories against Vermont, New Hampshire and Providence highlighted the month. Lo

As Saturday January 25, 2014 signified Women’s Hockey Day, the Toronto Marlies helped participate in the celebrations. Having invited three Toronto Furies players to take part in the ceremonial face-off at their home ice at Ricoh Coliseum, it was a special way of recognizing the growing impact that women’s hockey has in the Greater Toronto Area. Prior to the contest against the Wolves, second-year player Jordanna Peroff was joined by rookie Holly Carrie-Mattimoe and Furies veteran Martine Garland for the face-off. Joining them at centre ice included Marlies skater Sam Carrick and Keith Aucoin of the Chicago Wolves. Considering that the Marlies’ parent club, the Toronto Maple Leafs, is a sponsor of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, it is rewarding to see the Furies being integrated into one of the most prestigious hockey circles in Canada. Last season, the Furies participated in a regular season game at Air Canada Centre, and fans can only hope that the ACC shall stage anot

Selected in the fifth round of the 2013 CWHL Draft, Alyssa Baldin is not only one of the draft’s sleeper picks, she is building a strong case as Rookie of the Year. For the week of February 2, Baldin was not only in the Top 10 for the CWHL scoring race, she was third overall in scoring among CWHL rookies, trailing Boston’s Jillian Dempsey and Calgary’s Danielle Stone. Of note, her nine assists tie Dempsey and Blake Bolden for the lead among rookies. In a season that saw the Furies miss the likes of Rebecca Johnston, Natalie Spooner and Jenn Wakefield due to Sochi 2014, questions surrounded the club’s ability to score. With her presence, Baldin has emerged as a perfect fit for the blue and white. As a former captain with the Windsor Lancers of the CIS, she brings a tremendous maturity to a squad looking to return to their first Clarkson Cup finals since 2011. Having grown up idolizing Jayna Hefford, there is no question that she emulates her love of the game and smooth scorin