The Fearless, Frozen Females of Hockey

Emerging as one of the surprises of the 2015-16 hockey season, Valeria Lamenta’s fairy tale season continues with recognition as the most outstanding player in Canadian Interuniversity Sport women’s ice hockey. Only in her second year with the Guelph Gryphons, the resident of Montreal has made a significant impression. From the outset, her nod as the Brodrick Trophy winner makes her the first recipient in Guelph program history. In addition, she is only the third goaltender honored, joining a class that includes former Canadian national team members Kim St. Pierre, who starred at McGill in 2003 when she won the trophy, and Wilfrid Laurier’s Liz Knox, who garnered the honor in 2010. As a side note, the other nominees for the honor included AUS representative Kelty Apperson of St. Thomas and a pair of former Brodrick Trophy winners, Sochi Winter Games gold medalist Melodie Daoust (2013) with RSEQ powerhouse McGill and Iya Gavrilova (2015), a superstar with Canada West’s Calgary Di

As professional women’s hockey experienced its first season since 2010-11 (dating back to the CWHL and the now-defunct WWHL) which saw two championships contested, the result was an exceptional number of historic firsts. Adding to the sense of history was the fact that there were many unique coincidences and connections, contributing to a new chapter of six degrees of separation in women’s hockey. The inaugural Isobel Cup was contested in Newark , New Jersey , home of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, and captured by the NWHL’s Boston Pride. With the win, Boston became the first women’s hockey city to capture women’s hockey titles in two separate leagues. The Blades captured the CWHL’s Clarkson Cup in 2013 and 2015, while the Pride became the NWHL’s first-ever champions. Although the Pride enjoyed the jubilation of being crowned as champions, it was an event noted by compassion as the squad dedicated their Cup victory to Denna Laing, who suffered a career-ending injury at the inau

In a season that culminated with the Princeton Tigers capturing the ECAC regular season championship, there has been a remarkable extra source of motivation. As former two-time Tigers captain Denna Laing suffered a spinal cord injury in the Women’s Winter Classic (contested on New Year’s Eve 2015), the outpouring of love and support from the hockey community, both female and male, has been nothing short of astounding.   Such admiration has been proudly displayed by the Tigers, hoping to raise her spirits while showing the true essence of teamwork and devotion. Earlier in the month, road trips to Dartmouth and Harvard culminated with a visit to Denna Laing in the hospital. Tigers head coach Jeff Kampersal led the roster into the Boston hospital as Laing greeted them with a warm, glowing smile. Senior Maddie Peake, a former teammate of Laing showed leadership by bringing ease and comfort with questions for Laing. The result was a cordial and jubilant experience which also saw Laing p

In a game that took less than two hours to complete, 17 scorers from Les Canadennes de Montreal contributed at least one point as the Boston Blades were pummelled in a 14-0 whitewash. Prevailing by the largest margin of victory by any CWHL team all season, it was another exciting moment in a season filled with many of them for Montreal.   The game-winning goal would be scored at the 5:05 mark of the first as Caroline Ouellette scored on Genevieve Lacasse, who both played together for Canada at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. With Noemie Marin (who earned her 200 th career point earlier this season) and Sophie Brault earning the assists, the hometown fans on-hand at Centre Etienne Desmarteau (nor the Blades for that matter) could not have foreseen the onslaught to come.   Despite ten more minutes of scoreless play in the first, the Blades were unable to mount an offensive attack, managing a meagre two shots in the entire period. First-year player Alyssa Sherrard and Ottawa-nat

As the Brampton Thunder hosted the Toronto Furies, the contest featured a pleasant tone of coincidence, enhanced by the loving presence of a devoted hockey mom. The result was one of the most heartwarming, feel-good stories of the 2015-16 women’s hockey season. Having spent several seasons between the pipes for the Brampton Thunder, Sonja van der Bliek was part of a rare trade, sent to the crosstown Toronto Furies on November 18, 2005 in exchange for a late round 2016 draft pick. With goaltender (and CWHL co-founder) Sami Jo Small on maternity leave, she brings the experience to contribute to the squad’s hopes of qualifying for the postseason. As a side note, the only other trade to take place in the 2015-16 season also involved goaltenders. The New York Riveters and Connecticut Whale exchanged back up goaltenders as Chelsea Laden joins New York, and Shenae Lundberg occupies a new role as the backup to Whale starter Jaimie Leonoff. In an early January 2016 match

As one of the longest running women’s hockey clubs in Canada, the Brampton Thunder (also known once as the Brampton Canadettes) has a proud heritage of its players competing in the Winter Olympic Games. Starting with the 1998 Nagano Winter Games, the club has enjoyed the privilege of at least one member from its roster competing on the Canadian national women’s team at the Olympic level. Considering that the upcoming 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games signify the 20 Anniversary of Nagano, which was the first women’s ice hockey tournament at the Games, there is no question that current Thunder stars such as Courtney Birchard, Erica Howe, Jocelyne Larocque and Jamie Lee Rattray will all be given consideration for spots on the 2018 roster. Adding to Brampton’s proud legacy is the fact that Lori Dupuis, a two-time Winter Games medalist (silver – 1998, gold – 2002) is doing a superlative job in her third season as the general manager of the Brampton Thunder. On January 31, Du

Ending the month of January with their “Pink at the Rink” fundraiser, Les Canadiennes de Montreal provided the fans with a true win-win situation. Not only were the pink game-worn jerseys auctioned off for breast cancer research, providing fans with a remarkable treasure, the home team prevailed by a 5-2 tally against the first-place Calgary Inferno. Continuing a proud tradition that began when the club was known as the Montreal Stars, the franchise has become remarkable hockey humanitarians in this noble cause. Taking into account that club founder Lisa-Marie Breton-Lebreux (currently part of Montreal’s coaching staff) and Caroline Ouellette have seen cherished family members survive the disease, their hearts are filled with compassion on what has evolved into the most popular event during the season.   After a scoreless first period which saw Montreal outshot the visiting team by a 9-4 margin while successfully kill a pair of penalties, Ouellette would factor in the scoring.

Continuing to stake her claim as the next superstar in women’s ice hockey, Jamie Lee Rattray finds new ways to impress. Her two-goal performance in the gold medal game of the 2016 Nations Cup proved to be the difference maker as Canada’s U22-Development team prevailed over Finland. With the gold medal proudly adorning her neck, it has now represented the third consecutive year in which Rattray has won at least one major hockey championship. This season continues a run of achievements that can be traced back to 2014, which also signified the end of a major chapter in her hockey career. In her senior year with the Clarkson Golden Knights (based in Potsdam, New York), Rattray captured the prestigious Patty Kazmaier Award, the first in program history to do so. Followign it up with a 2014 Frozen Four championship (the first national title in Clarkson University history), such a glorious ending would only set the stage for the beginning of a sensational legacy. Competing with a g

For all the speculation about a supposed animosity between the CWHL and the NWHL, both leagues participated in a spectacular showcase of elite women’s ice hockey. The weekend of January 23-24, 2016, shall be remembered as a time that featured two women’s hockey All-Star Games. Hosted at Toronto ’s Air Canada Centre, the second CWHL All-Star Game was played on January 23 and broadcast on Rogers Sportsnet, a prominent Canadian sports network. The following day, the NWHL staged their midseason classic at Harbor Centre, home of the Buffalo Beauts. Taking into account that Buffalo is merely a two-hour drive from Toronto , hardcore women’s hockey fans could easily catch both games live over an unforgettable weekend. Although the NWHL’s All-Star Game was its first, making it a historic event, the reality was that history was a key theme for both games. Toronto Furies blueliner Sena Suzuki, whose experience also involves competing with the Japanese national women’s team, became the

While the concept of voting for All-Star Captains and the subsequent team drafts has become a recent novelty in all sport, there is no question that the selections for the 2016 CWHL All-Star Game highly deserve such honor. Natalie Spooner, the league’s Player of the Month Award winner for December 2015, and Julie Chu are more than just ambassadors for the CWHL; they are a pair of hockey icons, adding another milestone to their exceptional careers. Chu led all skaters with a whopping 34% of the vote, resulting in 11,319 votes, subsequently becoming the first visible minority to serve as a captain in the CWHL All-Star Game. Spooner would garner an impressive 7,661 votes, culminating in 23% of all votes tallied. As the elected captains, the next task is to draft the rosters for Team Black, led by Chu, and Team White, represented by Spooner, on January 22, one day before the second All-Star Game takes place at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre. As a side note, the inaugural NWHL All-Sta

Having quickly established herself as one of the most talented Canadian-born players in the NWHL, donning the colors of the Buffalo Beauts, the opportunity to claim the gold medal at the 2016 Nations Cup has resulted in Shelby Bram gaining a unique place in hockey history. Competing with  Canada ’s national team Under-22/Development Team, Bram was one of the veteran leaders propelling the team to a gold medal triumph against  Finland . Of note, Bram made her first appearance with the Under-22/Development Team in 2012, earning a bronze medal at the Meco Cup. Having also played for Canada at the 2011 IIHF U18 Women's Worlds, Bram was part of a silver medal effort in the event. For Bram, gold at the 2016 edition of the Nations Cup represents sweet redemption.  Several 2015 NWHL Draft picks also played alongside Bram in the golden outcome. Shannon MacAulay, a fifth round pick of the Boston Pride was joined by current Clarkson Golden Knights teammate Erin Ambrose, a New Yo

After logging just three points in the month of October and four during November, Natalie Spooner regained her smooth scoring touch in December with a 12-point output that roared her into the scoring race. Currently, her 21 points trails leading scorer Marie-Philip Poulin of Les Canadiennes de Montreal by just one point in the race for the Angela James Bowl, as Spooner attempts to become the first Furies player ever to capture the prestigious honor. In addition, her 15 goals lead all skaters in CWHL play. Surprisingly, not one is a game-winning tally. Complementing her league-best 15 goals, she is also the leader in power play goals with five. Among her Furies teammates, she is seven points up on the team’s second leading scorer, alternate captain Alyssa Baldin. Heading into holiday break, Spooner assembled a masterful five-game scoring streak (Nov 29-Dec 20) which saw the Furies capture three victories. Scoring a league-best 10 goals during this stretch, her remarkable acco

In the aftermath of the Women’s Winter Classic, one that saw the CWHL’s Canadiennes de Montreal participate against the NWHL’s Boston Pride, an unprecedented first between the two leagues, it was Kim Deschenes who emerged as one of the game’s heroes. Contested at Gillette Stadium, the historic event made news throughout North America, as it signified the first-ever professional women’s hockey match staged outdoors. With the world-class talent that comprises the roster of Les Canadiennes, speculation was rampant as to which player would score the first goal. Said talent for the bleu, blanc et rouge included the likes of living legend Caroline Ouellette, American-born Julie Chu, a hockey legend on both sides of the border, All-World goaltender Charline Labonte, and a pair of players under the age of 25 that have experienced Winter Games glory, Marie-Philip Poulin and Lauriane Rougeau. During the first period (only two 15-minute periods were played), it was Deschenes that would ma