The Fearless, Frozen Females of Hockey

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 inaugura...

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 2015 Clarkson Cup postseason, the Brampton Thunder suited up for one more game, bringing an official close to their season. Competing in a very special match in front of their hometown faitful, the Thunder faced off against a group of NHL Alumni as part of an ongoing tour sponsored by ScotiaBank. Travelling to various arenas in order to raise funds for charity, funds were raised for the Ontario Law Enforcement Torch run for the Special Olympics . With legendary hockey dad Walter Gretzky as the NHL Alumni’s head coach, Brampton ’s Powerade Centre served as the backdrop for this fun close to Brampton ’s season. Joining Gretzky was trainer Joe Sgro, while son Brent Gretzky, who spent two years with the Tampa Bay Lightning was among the pros on the NHL Alumni roster. Former Toronto Maple Leafs competitors were aplenty on said roster. Among them were the likes of Dan Daoust, Bill Derlago, Al Iafrate, Mike Pelyk (the oldest player participating), Rick Vaive, Mark...

Leading in to the Sochi Winter Games, just one trading card set featured women’s hockey players (the Topps US Olympic and Paralympic Set ). The set had cards of Hilary Knight and the Lamoureux Twins, marking a disappointment for women’s hockey card collectors who were expecting a wider selection. In a hobby where there are very few trading cards of female athletes of any sport available (except Topps’ Allen and Ginter Sets ), the aftermath of Sochi breathed new life into the hobby. The 2014 Crown Royale hockey card set featured five women’s hockey players in its Fans of the Game insert set. Of note, the players in the set included Tessa Bonhomme, Jennifer Botterill, Meghan Duggan, Julie Chu and Meghan Agosta. Unfortunately, each card had a limited print run of 99 per card, making it a very difficult pull for collectors. While each card was autographed, they were difficult to find in the secondary market. Taking into account that the Meghan Duggan card marked the first time that sh...

Having won the Clarkson Cup for the first time in franchise history, it has only increased the importance of the role of the Toronto Furies as outstanding hockey humanitarians. From participating in the Furious Hockey Tournament (hosted by Deirdre Norman) to the Toronto Pride Parade, the Furies have proven to be remarkable ambassadors for women’s hockey in Canada’s largest metropolis. Once news spread about the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Ice Bucket Challenge, it did not take long for videos to appear on social media featuring numerous Furies players proudly participating. Having become a pop culture phenomenon during the summer of 2014, the objective is to promote awareness of the disease while raising proceeds towards research. While the origins are unclear (Sports Illustrated acknowledged former Boston College baseball player Pete Frates as the one who helped make it popular), the on-air personalities from Golf Channel’s Morning Drive participated in a live challenge...

The ninth leg of the second season of Amazing Race Canada found Natalie Spooner and Meaghan Mikkelson returning to Canada along with the remaining competitors. After sweeping the pair of race legs in France, the hockey heroines were looking for a seventh victory. A strong start provided the impression that it was possible. The Roadblock challenge found the teams getting behind the wheel at the International Centre of Advanced Racing. Dressed in racing gear, Mikkelson would engage in a series of high-speed turns. Looking very confident behind the wheel, Spooner could not help but compare Mikkelson to female racing superstar Danica Patrick. A quarter drift and a reverse 180 comprised the turns for the Precision Driving challenge with Mikkelson finishing first. Reaching the landmark Atwater Market ahead of the remaining competitors, Spooner and Mikkelson contemplated the Fast Forward. With Mikkelson acknowledging that such a challenge involves high risk in exchange for high rew...