The Fearless, Frozen Females of Hockey

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...

The feeling of optimism that opens the Calgary Inferno’s fourth season is defined by an energetic and exciting offense that evaded the club for several seasons. Off-season trades for Haley Irwin and Bailey Bram were complemented by the free agent signing of Rebecca Johnston. Considering that Irwin and Johnston each won their second Winter Games gold medals at Sochi 2014, it supplies Calgary with two of its most accomplished players on offense. Complemented by Bram, the first woman from Manitoba to compete on Canada’s U18, U22 and Senior Teams (she won gold at the 2012 IIHF Women’s Worlds), it composes a titanic trio that transform the franchise into Clarkson Cup contenders. Coincidentally, all three of them were selected in the landmark 2012 CWHL Draft, which would lay the foundation for a new generation of CWHL superstars. Irwin and Bram were selected by the Brampton Thunder, although Irwin would end up playing for the Montreal Stars, while Johnston was drafted by the Toronto...