Jason La Rose
The on-ice portion of the 2020-21 season will finally get underway for the top women’s players in the country when they gather for the BFL National Women’s Team Training Camp, presented by Sobeys.
Here’s how it breaks down: 35 players will attend as the women’s program takes a significant step towards the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Halifax and Truro, N.S., next spring.
Let’s take a closer look at the attendees…
1: Alumna of the Esso Cup, Canada’s National Women’s U18 Club Championship; Brigette Lacquette won the national title with the Westman Wildcats in 2009.
2: Broderick Trophy winners; Ann-Sophie Bettez was recognized as the best player in U SPORTS women’s hockey in 2011-12, posting 13 goals and 37 points with McGill University, while Mélodie Daoust was Canada’s best with McGill the following season, pacing the country with 54 points.
3: Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winners; Loren Gabel was named the best player in NCAA women’s hockey in 2019, registering an NCAA-best 40 goals and 69 points in 38 games with Clarkson University. Ann-Renée Desbiens (2017) and Jamie Lee Rattray (2014) also took home the honour.
4: Players who have not played an international game with Canada’s National Women’s Team – Kristen Campbell, Julia Gosling, Kassidy Sauvé and Shea Tiley.
8: Players who helped Canada win its most recent gold medal at the IIHF Women’s World Championship; Laura Fortino, Brianne Jenner, Geneviève Lacasse, Jocelyne Larocque, Meaghan Mikkelson, Marie-Philip Poulin, Lauriane Rougeau and Natalie Spooner were part of the team that topped the podium at the 2012 women’s worlds in Burlington, Vt.
11: Players who have worn the ‘C’ with Team Canada at the Olympic Winter Games, IIHF Women’s World Championship, Nations Cup or IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, or in a U.S. series – Erin Ambrose, Jaime Bourbonnais, Emily Clark, Mélodie Daoust, Sarah Fillier, Brianne Jenner, Rebecca Leslie, Marie-Philip Poulin, Lauriane Rougeau, Jill Saulnier and Micah Zandee-Hart.
16: Olympic silver medallists in PyeongChang – Emily Clark, Mélodie Daoust, Ann-Renée Desbiens, Renata Fast, Laura Fortino, Brianne Jenner, Geneviève Lacasse, Brigette Lacquette, Jocelyne Larocque, Meaghan Mikkelson, Marie-Philip Poulin, Lauriane Rougeau, Jill Saulnier, Natalie Spooner, Laura Stacey and Blayre Turnbull.
20: Ontario natives, more than any other province; it is followed by Quebec (5), Manitoba (3), British Columbia (2), Nova Scotia (2), Alberta (2) and Saskatchewan (1).
22: Players who were named to Canada’s roster for the cancelled 2020 IIHF Women’s World Championship – Erin Ambrose, Victoria Bach, Jaime Bourbonnais, Emily Clark, Mélodie Daoust, Ann-Renée Desbiens, Renata Fast, Sarah Fillier, Loren Gabel, Brianne Jenner, Geneviève Lacasse, Jocelyne Larocque, Emerance Maschmeyer, Marie-Philip Poulin, Jamie Lee Rattray, Lauriane Rougeau, Jill Saulnier, Natalie Spooner, Laura Stacey, Claire Thompson, Blayre Turnbull and Micah Zandee-Hart.
30: Alumna of the National Women’s Under-18 Championship; the list includes 13 players who won a gold medal (Erin Ambrose, Victoria Bach, Jaime Bourbonnais, Sarah Fillier, Laura Fortino, Brianne Jenner, Rebecca Leslie, Kristin O’Neill, Kassidy Sauvé, Ella Shelton, Natalie Spooner, Laura Stacey, Claire Thompson,) and nine award winners – Bourbonnais (Top Defenceman), Fillier (MVP), Brigette Lacquette (Top Defenceman), Jocelyne Larocque (Top Defenceman), Leslie (MVP), Sarah Potomak (Top Forward), Marie-Philip Poulin (MVP, Top Forward), Rattray (Top Forward) and Jill Saulnier (Most Sportsmanlike Player).
72: Combined gold medals won at the Olympic Winter Games (10), IIHF Women’s World Championship (nine), Nations Cup (35) and IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship (18); Jocelyne Larocque and Meaghan Mikkelson are the individual leaders with six top-of-the-podium finishes each.
78: Population of Mallard, Man., hometown of Brigette Lacquette, the smallest of any community represented on the roster.
1,264: Combined points (523 goals, 741 assists) for the 29 skaters in their international careers with Canada’s National Women’s Team, Canada’s National Women’s Development Team and Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team. Marie-Philip Poulin (90-94—184) leads the way across all three programs.