The Fearless, Frozen Females of Hockey

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...

While the challenge to become the first nation to grab four consecutive gold medals in women’s hockey at the Winter Games brought with it a significant amount of pressure, the support of two of the most successful Canadian women to compete in bobsled supplied an inspiring and comforting source of motivation. A thoughtful hand-written letter to the women’s team not only brought with it a touch of class, but it captured the hearts and minds of Canadians from coast-to-coast. Its legend only grew when famed Canadian hockey commentator Ron McLean showed the letter on CBC Television, prior to the broadcast of the gold medal finale. As the Canadian national team held their Centralization Camp in Calgary, Alberta, the same city where many of the training facilities for Winter Sports athletes (such as Moyse and Humphries) exist, a friendship with the accomplished bobsledders developed prior to Sochi. With it, a mutual respect for the hard work and sacrifice needed to be considered the wo...

One of the most talented goaltenders under 25 years of age in women’s hockey, Genevieve Lacasse can certainly be classified as an international superstar in waiting. Her involvement as a member for Team Canada in a gold medal effort at the Sochi Winter Games served as the final piece towards membership into the Triple Gold Club. The last three years have netted Lacasse all the components necessary to become only the second goaltender admitted into the exclusive Club, the first being fellow Canadian, Kim St. Pierre. Beginning in 2012 as a member of the Canadian contingent that claimed the gold at the IIHF Women’s Worlds in Burlington, Vermont, Lacasse would follow it up one year later with a memorable performance in Markham, Ontario. Standing between the pipes for the Boston Blades, Lacasse would backstop the black and gold to their first-ever Clarkson Cup championship. The experience was enhanced by the fact that she was the first rookie goaltender to win the Clarkson, along w...

Rivals at the collegiate level in the WCHA and at the international level in the IIHF, Hilary Knight and Noora Raty are looking to extend their careers in a most unique way. Following in the footsteps of ground breaking women such as Manon Rheaume, Erin Whitten, Danielle Dube and Hayley Wickenheiser, they are looking for the chance to compete in competitive men’s leagues. With possible opportunities in Finland and Sweden, the involvement of Raty and Knight may not only help increase the awareness of the sport, it could help create other opportunities in North America. Considering some members of the CWHL’s Montreal Stars have participated in intergender games, there is no question that Stars competitors such as Caroline Ouellette and Charline Labonte are worthy of consideration for AHL or ECHL play. The greatest female goaltender in the history of Finland, Raty shocked hockey fans throughout the world when she announced that Sochi would represent her last foray in female hocke...

Heading into the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, one of the key components for the Canadian national women’s team was definitely change. From new faces at every position to a new coaching staff, many members of Canada’s contingent were truly Winter Games rookies. In a semi-final game against Switzerland, a pair of rookies, Natalie Spooner and Melodie Daoust, would score their first-ever goals in Winter Games competition. Having broken the Toronto Furies franchise mark for most goals scored in one season, Spooner was certainly eager to get on the scoreboard for Canada. At the 7:29 of the opening frame, Spooner would manage to score on Swiss goaltender Florence Schelling (who faced 69 shots against Canada in the preliminary round), with the assist credited to Hayley Wickenheiser. It represented a significant milestone for Spooner, as she logged her first-ever goal in the Winter Games. Canadian captain Caroline Ouellette beat Schelling with a slapshot but the goal was disallowed due...

From the outset, the fact that the United States outshot Sweden by an astounding 70-9 margin does not bode well for the cynics who believe women’s hockey should be removed from the Winter Games. While IIHF president Rene Fasel advised USA Today that he is optimistic about the sports’ future at the Games, the fact that Sweden qualified for the medal round is truly admirable. Considering that the Swedes were in the relegation round at the 2013 IIHF Women’s Worlds in Ottawa, Canada, they were not favored to be competing for medals in Sochi. A pair of visceral upsets, Switzerland defeating Russia, and Sweden upending their eternal rival Finland, certainly indicated that competition is improving in the women’s game. Although Canada will play the United States in the gold medal match for the fourth time in the history of the event at the Winter Games, Sweden’s goaltending definitely should encourage their fans to believe that a bronze medal is highly possible. Valentina Wallner and ...

For a generation of Canadian hockey fans, the idea of fan favorites such as the legendary Kim St. Pierre and the charismatic Tessa Bonhomme not donning the Canadian jersey on the world’s biggest hockey stage is nothing short of shocking. After providing such strong and emotional performances on home ice in Vancouver four years ago, no one could have foreseen how time would provide change four years later. Having both inspired many young girls to lace on the skates and play the game, their legacies in the game are assured. Despite their absence from the ice, neither is too far from the game. Both have taken on new roles as broadcasters, and providing a superlative performance. Working with Radio-Canada, Kim St. Pierre brings her expertise to the French-Canadian airwaves. As the analyst for Team Canada ’s broadcasts, she works with color commentator Martin Leclerc, who brings 20 years of experience in covering the game. One of the winningest goalies in the history of IIHF ...