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...

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 O...

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 m...

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 scori...

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...

As the Canadian national women’s baseball team looks to capture gold medal at the 2015 Pan Am Games, a proud women’s hockey connection adds to an unforgettable group of characters. As this is the first-ever women’s baseball tournament contested in a major multi-national sporting event, the women’s hockey connection is testament to the potential of women in sport and their ability to excel in multiple arenas of competition. Having played with the national team since the inaugural Women’s World Cup of Baseball in 2004, Ashley Stephenson comprises a group of five remarkable women with roots in women’s hockey. A versatile infielder who is able to play at both shortstop and third base positions, Stephenson’s strong leadership skills can be traced back to a proud hockey career that involved five remarkable seasons with the nationally prominent Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks program. Suiting up for the Golden Hawks, her greatest legacy included the 2005 CIS National Championsh...

In an offseason filled with many memorable moments, the announcement of Angela Ruggiero’s induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame only adds to such magic. Prior to said announcement, CWHL Board Member Fran Rider became the first female builder to earn a spot in the IIHF Hall of Fame. Although Ruggiero becomes the fourth woman to gain entry into the prestigious Hall, an exciting aspect is the fact that she becomes the first inductee with playing experience in the CWHL. After the euphoria of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, the CWHL made its first foray into the United States , establishing a team in Boston , resulting in borderless hockey. As a charter member of the Boston Blades, Ruggiero was more than just one of the team’s leaders; she became an ambassador for the team and the league. During the Blades inaugural season, Ruggiero made her CWHL debut on October 30, 2010 against the Burlington Barracudas. Earning an assist in her debut, it also represented a franchise milestone as i...

Quite possibly the most underrated superstar in the game today, Rebecca Johnston had a season to remember with the Calgary Inferno. Her acquisition not only signaled a commitment on the part of the Inferno to significantly upgrade their offensive attack, it reunited her with the likes of Bailey Bram and Haley Irwin, who contributed to Canada’s gold medal win at the 2012 IIHF Women’s World Championships. A record-breaking season with the Inferno not only solidified Johnston’s status as a franchise player in the CWHL, her league-best 37 points made her the finest free-agent signing of the off-season. Not only did she set new franchise scoring records, it set the tone for the finest season in Inferno history. Of note, the club set a new record for most wins in one season, while finishing just two points out of first overall. For her efforts, Johnston was recognized with the CWHL’s Most Outstanding Player Award, beating out fellow nominees such as Toronto’s Natalie Spooner and Bo...

In a time when the women's game is working towards finding methods to establish a living wage, another factor deserving of consideration is jobs for women in hockey. As Erika Vanderveer plans the next stages of her professional career, her time at The Hockey News represented the potential for female hockey players to obtain good careers in hockey. Working as the Art Director for the last three years (and another three as a Designer), Vanderveer admirably balanced her employment with the popular periodical while standing between the pipes for numerous clubs at the CWHL level. During her playing career, she held the rare distinction of having played for three different CWHL teams in the Greater Toronto Area (of note, she stood between the pipes for the Brampton Thunder, Burlington Barracudas and Toronto Furies). In addition, she was also a member of the Boston Blades during their inaugural season. Quite possibly the greatest milestone in her career at The Hockey News was the op...