The Fearless, Frozen Females of Hockey

A remarkable example of team spirit and community outreach came when players from the Clarkson Cup champion Toronto Furies participated in Toronto ’s Annual Pride Parade. Taking into account that the event brings over 1 million spectators to the parade route, it has become one of the largest of its kind, becoming a signature event for Canada ’s largest city. Considering that the CWHL is a proud partner with the You Can Play Project , founded by Patrick Burke, the son of CWHL Board Member Brian Burke, it is a group that looks to eliminate homophobia from the locker room. Patrick’s brother Brendan had come out in November 2009 and sadly lost his life in an auto accident a few months later. You Can Play! is a unique way to also honor his life. In the last few months, the CWHL has seen several of its players show remarkable courage with their own public admissions. Living legends such as Caitlin Cahow, Jayna Hefford and Charline Labonte (who have 11 combined Winter Games appeara

The hot streak continues for Natalie Spooner and Meaghan Mikkelson as they successfully captured the third leg of The Amazing Race Canada . It would prove to be a historic accomplishment for these female hockey heroes. Of note, the third leg took place in Hong Kong, in an episode titled “Snakes and Liars”, the first time that Amazing Race Canada was contested overseas. Leaving first from Tofino , BC among the nine remaining teams, it was a point of pride for Spooner and Mikkelson as they were the first Amazing Race Canada contestants headed towards an overseas destination. Throughout the early legs of the races, they have set a standard of excellence for the rest to attempt to emulate. As the rest of the teams would soon discover, the arrival in Hong Kong would prove to be highly eventful. The first aspect of the third leg in the race featured registration for a morning blessing from a group of monks at Ngong Ping Village . This was followed by a challenging 268 step asc

With ESPN Magazine’s 2014 edition of the Body Issue consisting of a strong influence of athletes from the Sochi Winter Games, one of the world’s greatest female hockey players is among the remarkable group. A member of the valiant   US women's hockey team that captured silver in Sochi, Knight graces its pages.  Having scored the first goal for Team   USA at the Sochi Winter Games, she joins the likes of other Sochi stars including Jamie Anderson, Aja Evans and Paralympic athlete Amy Purdy. Definitely one of the faces of USA Hockey, Knight becomes the second women's player next to Julie Chu, a four-time Winter Games participant and the first-ever to capture three straight Clarkson Cup titles, to appear in the Body Issue.  The opportunity to appear in the highly popular magazine is certainly testament to Knight’s remarkable (and growing) popularity. Whatever quality it is that Knight possesses, she definitely has it. Also invited to participate in the famous celebrity

From being introduced first among the contestants in the second season of The Amazing Race Canada, it would prove to be a trend for Natalie Spooner and Meaghan Mikkelson. During the first episode, titled “What’s It Take to Get a Cup of Tea?”, this remarkable duo never ranked lower than second place in any of the legs of the race. Things literally got off to a flying start as the Roadblock (a feature of the race) indicated that one contestant from each team had to jump out of an airplane. Taking into account that first episode was filmed in Victoria, British Columbia, the daring skydivers got a beautiful view of one of Canada’s greatest cities. With Spooner volunteering to jump out of the plane, there was a brief moment of concern. A combination of nerves and dizzy spells made Spooner vomit in the plane. With Mikkelson on the ground waiting for her, she was curious as to why she did not jump yet as several planes were circling in the air. Declaring that the quickest way to

Rogers Centre in Vancouver served as the backdrop for a special celebration in Canadian hockey. With Hockey Canada president Bob Nicholson having retired, said celebration served as the epilogue to what has already shaped up to become a memorable 2014. Members of the Canadian men’s and women’s gold medal winning contingents at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games were joined by the Under-18 national women’s team who experienced their own golden glory at the IIHF U18 Women’s Worlds. Such a gathering was more than just a special event, it was an opportunity to reward the efforts of players, coaches and support staff with a special memento. Honored with a championship ring, the members involved with Sochi received a square shaped diamond encrusted ring in silver. The U18 team received a gold ring with the Hockey Canada logo composing the top. Taking into account that the heroes of women’s hockey consider the Olympics their Stanley Cup, a ring is very appropriate. All Stanley Cup champions