The Fearless, Frozen Females of Hockey

Home to the prominent Ottawa Vanier Women’s Ball Hockey League (OVWBHL), the hockey mad city of Ottawa played host to the 2015 Canadian Ball Hockey Association (CBHA) nationals. Hosting six women’s teams, including three from Ontario, at the Jim Durrell Recreation Complex, the quest for gold featured an exceptionally strong amount of talent. From the outset, the OVWBHL featured two of its teams in the Nationals, including the Vanier Mooseheads, who captured the 2014 championship. Their top players were goaltender Nathalie Girouard and forward Elysia Desmier, who both played for Canada in a gold medal effort at the 2015 ISBHF Worlds. Joining them were OVWBHL rivals, the Ottawa Rebels, featuring several Team Canada alumnae, including Fannie Desforges and Jessica O’Grady. Of note, both were also members of the 2014 Mooseheads, with O’Grady scoring the gold-medal winning goal. The presence of such talented players ensured that the promise of high quality ball hockey defined the eve

Prior to the opening ceremonies of the 2015 Para Pan Am Games, ice sledge hockey superstar Billy Bridges was recognized for his inspiring legacy as an elite disabled athlete by having the opportunity to participate in the Para Pan Am Torch Relay. Adding to the magic of this milestone was the fact that his spouse, CWHL co-founder and Triple Gold Club for Women member Sami Jo Small joined him. Of note, they had the opportunity to be part of a historic torch relay. Two separate Para Pan Am flames were lit on August 3, the first day of the torch relay. Flames were lit in Canada’s capital of Ottawa, along with iconic Niagara Falls. The five day journey, the largest ever for a Para Pan Am Games, consisted of 250 torchbearers and 700 kilometers on the road, culminating in the two flames unifying in Toronto. Bridges and Small had the privilege of unifying both flames at David Pecaut Square near Toronto’s City Hall. In addition, legendary Paralympic athlete Rick Hansen, immortalized f

As the youngest member of the Bram hockey family, 22-year old forward Shelby Bram has carved a proud legacy that complements the achievements of her seven brothers and sisters, along with father and influential coach Bill. Having recently signed with the NWHL’s Buffalo Beauts franchise, she is part of a growing trend of strong Canadian talent joining the incipient league. Of note, she is one of several accomplished Canadian forwards joining the Beauts growing roster, including the likes of CIS stars such as Dana Skeats from Wilfrid Laurier, along with UBC’s Tatiana Rafter (who signed on the same day as Bram). Following in the footsteps of her older sister Bailey, she spent the last four seasons playing with the prestigious Mercyhurst Lakers program in Erie, Pennsylvania. Of note, the two sisters were teammates during the 2011-12 Mercyhurst Lakers season. Majoring in exercise science, Shelby played in more than 100 consecutive games with the program. Among some of her impr