The Fearless, Frozen Females of Hockey

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...

As the first CWHL game of 2014 marked a crucial matchup in determining if the Stars could maintain their stranglehold on first place, two players contributed with key performances. Marieve Provost, the all-time scoring leader in CIS history, has found her scoring touch in a sensational sophomore season. Recording the first hat trick of her career, it would prove to be the difference in a convincing 5-2 victory. In addition, McGill Martlets legend Stacie Tardif and 2013 CIS National Champion Casandra Dupuis logged the first goals of their CWHL careers. The milestone was enhanced by the fact it was scored on the power play (Blake Bolden was called for bodychecking). Her marker opened the scoring at the 9:02 mark as Emmanuelle Blais earned the assist. While Blades rookie Jillian Dempsey buried the puck past second-generation star Catherine Herron with less than two minutes remaining in the opening frame, the game would not stay tied for long. Merely 94 seconds into the second sta...