The Fearless, Frozen Females of Hockey

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

Two days after the Women’s Winter Classic, one that saw the CWHL’s Canadiennes de Montreal skate to a 1-1 draw with the NWHL’s Boston Pride, the Canadian league enjoyed exposure with a rarely televised match, hopefully signifying greater momentum to come. In a game that was also meant to raise awareness about You Can Play, a cause meant to eradicate homophobia from sport, the Brampton Thunder and the Toronto Furies renewed rivalries in another chapter of the Battle of Toronto. Contested at Toronto’s Master Card Centre, the game experienced a nationwide television audience. Broadcast on Rogers Sportsnet, who has also broadcast the inaugural CWHL All-Star Game and the 2015 Clarkson Cup playoffs, it is a significant commitment on their part to raising awareness about the women’s game. With Cassie Campbell providing color commentary and Jennifer Botterill reporting on the sidelines, roles they employed in previous CWHL broadcasts, they are establishing themselves as key fixtures for tel