The Fearless, Frozen Females of Hockey

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...

Debuting on June 5, 2014,  the women’s hockey documentary Les Stars is more than just a chronicling of the Montreal Stars on-ice accomplishments. It serves as an intimate portrait of a remarkable group of pioneering women, looking to change the cultural norm. As one of the signature franchises of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, the Stars were not only the first to claim back-to-back Clarkson Cups, but the first to capture three overall titles, respectively. Directed by Jess Desjardins (who pulls double duty as the sound recordist), she is an individual with many diverse interests. Having directed and produced several short films this year alone, Desjardins, an avid musician, has also been a sports fan since her youth. The love of sport has helped to serve as a backdrop for another of her great passions; photography. Highly talented and accomplished behind the lens as a photographer, Desjardins has used her keen visual talents to snap the action at the 2013 and 20...

The March 8 contest between the Montreal Stars and the Boston Blades at the Arena Etienne-Desmarteau encompassed many unique elements. From the outset, the Stars enjoyed a sold-out crowd of 14,000 fans as they held their annual Breast Cancer fundraiser. Of note, several players from the IWFL’s Montreal Blitz, the Tier II champions of 2013, were on-hand to show their support. Adding to the spectacle was the fact that several CWHL stars, including the likes of Julie Chu, Hilary Knight, Genevieve Lacasse and Caroline Ouellette were returning to league play after remarkable performances at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. With CWHL commissioner Brenda Andress participating in the ceremonial face off, the aforementioned (along with Lauriane Rougeau and Catherine Ward who were inactive for the game) joined her at centre ice. As Stars players were standing proudly on the blue line adorned in pink jerseys (which were auctioned off afterwards for Breast Cancer research), captains Cathy Cha...

Heading into her second season with the Montreal Stars, there was no question that Ann-Sophie Bettez would be an impact player for their decimated roster. With scoring sensations such as Meghan Agosta-Marciano and Caroline Ouellette answering the call to compete for the Canadian contingent in Sochi, the 25 year-old native of Montreal has managed to lead a high-powered offensive attack that is setting the standard for the rest of the CWHL. In every game this season, Bettez has recorded at least one point. Teammate Cathy Chartrand (a teammate of Bettez at McGill University), who inherited the team captaincy from Lisa-Marie Breton-Lebreux opened her season with a point in 12 straight games. Her streak would be snapped on January 19 in a road victory over the Boston Blades. Complemented by talented scorers such as Vanessa (Vinny) Davidson, her former teammate at McGill University, multiple Winter Games gold medalist Sarah Vaillancourt, Marieve Provost, the all-time leading scorer ...

Concordia University in Montreal held its own super Sunday for women’s ice hockey. Ed Meagher Arena would serve as the backdrop for a doubleheader featuring some of the finest talent in Canadian Interuniversity Sport and the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. Generations intersected at the arena as Concordia holds a unique place in the hearts and minds of the many remarkable women that graced its frozen surface. Three-time Clarkson Cup champions, the Montreal Stars hosted the Brampton Thunder in CWHL play while the defending CIS national champions, the Montreal Carabins were the visiting team against the Concordia Stingers. Of note, many Stars players have polished their game at the renowned university. Stars founder Lisa-Marie Breton-Lebreux led the Concordia Stingers to the CIS championship as a player. She would follow it up by becoming the first captain in CWHL play to win three Clarkson Cups. The night before, she would even log the 100th point of her distinguished CWHL care...

After a convincing 5-2 victory over the Boston Blades launched 2014 on a positive note for the Montreal Stars, another memorable event would soon follow. January 5 would provide four Stars competitors with an opportunity to grace National Hockey League ice. As one of the signature franchises in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, the Stars were privileged to have Ann-Sophie Bettez, Cathy Chartrand, Fannie Desforges and Dangerous Dominique Thibault as special guests during the Montreal Canadiens fan practice, sponsored by Provigo. It would prove to be a memorable Sunday morning for this fantastic foursome of women’s hockey heroes. Bettez is not only a former member of the Canadian national women’s hockey team; she is the all-time scoring leader in McGill Martlets history and the 2013 CWHL Rookie of the Year. Another former national team member, Chartrand holds the rare honor of having served as team captain for the Martlets and the Montreal Stars. Heading into the 2013-14 s...

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...

A road game against the Brampton Thunder at Century Gardens provided a pair of Montreal Stars rookies with a lifetime of memories. Forward Emilie Bocchia and goaltender Meghan Corley-Byrne both experienced milestones in a game that will truly be part of Stars lore. Selected in the sixth round of the 2013 CWHL Draft (24th overall), Bocchia was followed by Corley-Byrne in the seventh round (29th overall). With a season that would be turned on its head due to the defection of talent for the Sochi Winter Games, Bocchia and Corley-Byrne were part of a handful of Stars rookies that would have an opportunity to contribute. With longtime Stars veteran goaltenders Kim St. Pierre and Jenny Lavigne both pregnant, Corley-Byrne has found herself guarding the Stars crease along with Catherine Herron. Making her CWHL debut on November 30, Corley-Byrne played with all the poise of a veteran. The first frame found the Stars take a commanding 2-0 lead on the strength of goals by Dominique...

A November 23 tilt with the Brampton Thunder was more than just another chapter in The Battle of Toronto. It would mark the first pair of goals that free agent pickup Carolyne Prevost would log with the Toronto Furies. Having found her scoring touch in the 4-2 win over the Thunder, it should foreshadow many more sterling scoring performances this season. After Tara French scored on the power play in the first period, the Furies faced a 1-0 deficit after one period of play. Less than 38 seconds into the second period, Prevost would change the momentum of the game with her first goal as a Furies competitor. A power play marker tied the score, with assists going to Furies captain Kori Cheverie and second-overall 2013 CWHL Draft pick Katie Wilson. Of note, it was Wilson’s first career CWHL point.  The 8:11 mark of the second would find Prevost providing the blue and white with their first lead of the game. Michelle Bonello (who is making her CWHL comeback) earned the assist...

With the upcoming CWHL season facing a shortage of stars due to the impact of the Sochi Winter Games, a new player will have to assume the mantle of being the face of the CWHL for the 2013-14 CWHL season. If any player is able to rise to the occasion and make her mark on the game, it is the amazing Ann-Sophie Bettez. Selected tenth overall in the historic 2012 CWHL Draft, she was part of a Stars draft class that included All-World goalie Charlie Labonte, Frozen Four champion Carolyne Prevost and CIS all-time leading scorer Marieve Provost. Last season, Bettez led all CWHL rookies in scoring with 33 points, while ranking second overall among all players (13 points behind scoring leader Meghan Agosta). In addition, her 17 goals tied Hilary Knight as the league leader among CWHL skaters. Selected as the 2013 CWHL Rookie of the Year, she would help the Montreal Stars qualify for the championship game of the Clarkson Cup. During the previous season, Tessa Bonhomme had emerged as ...

In the aftermath of the fourth annual CWHL Draft, the legend of the event continues to grow. While said draft lacked the significant star power of the 2012 edition, a historic first-round shaped its legacy. While the Alberta Hockey Club became the first franchise in draft history to have the first pick overall in successive years, their selection would help create history not just one, but twice. Image by WCHA.com Hailing from Baddeck , Nova Scotia , Jessica Wong spent the last four seasons as an integral component of the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. From helping Canada’s Under-22/Development Team grab the gold medal at the Meco Cup to scoring one of the most famous goals in women’s hockey (a triple overtime winner against Cornell in the 2010 NCAA Frozen Four title game), her presence helps make Alberta a postseason contender. Alberta ’s selection of Wong makes her the first visible minority chosen with the first-pick overall in draft history. Having played on both offe...

A generation ago, the builders of women’s hockey, icons and figures like Fran Rider, Nancy Drolet, Samantha Holmes, Andria Hunter, and France St. Louis, toiled in obscurity while setting the table for future generations of women. Eventually, figures such as Cammi Granato, Angela James, and Justine Blainey would become household names, but their stories were ignored for too long. In modern women’s hockey, the aforementioned were the first silent heroes of the game. In the early years of the 21st Century, players like Hayley Wickenheiser and Angela Ruggiero are in the same realm as Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky. Despite the quantum leap that women’s ice hockey has taken in the last 20 years, every generation still has its players that left a unique, indelible mark on the game. Said mark may not have been made on the ice, but their actions had a remarkable effect on many others. The silent heroes may walk down the street and go unnoticed. Their actions may have a tremendous role in...