7 COACHING PRINCIPLES: Skating | Puck Control | Vision & Scanning | Deception (Thursday) | Creative & Dynamic (Friday) | Angling (Saturday) | Goaltending (Sunday)

Hockey’s fast pace requires players to process visual information quickly to give them a competitive edge. The faster a player can gather, analyze and act on information, the better their chances of executing the next play. This ability to make rapid decisions under pressure can significantly impact overall performance.

A Crucial Skill for All Positions

Scanning, often referred to as shoulder-checking, benefits every position on the ice. It is essential in all areas, allowing players to assess their surroundings. However, simply looking isn’t enough; players must actively “see” and understand the information they’re taking in.

Key Information to Identify

When scanning or looking around on the ice, players should focus on two main sources of information: where their teammates are and where the opposition’s pressure is coming from. Being able to quickly identify these factors will assist in making better decisions with the puck under pressure.

Incorporating Vision Into Training

Vision and scanning habits can be easily practiced and should be a regular part of daily training. When this skill becomes second nature, players will consistently find themselves making successful plays in games, greatly benefiting both their individual performance and the team’s success.

Teaching Puck Control 

Teaching vision and scanning skills at all ages levels is essential for developing well-rounded hockey players. For younger players, learning to consistently scan the ice and identify key information builds a foundation for advance gameplay, improving their overall hockey IQ. As players mature and the speed of the game increases, the ability to process information quickly becomes even more critical. By reinforcing these skills across all age groups, players will become more confident and capable of making smart, spilt-second decisions.

Here are three drills that can be used at all ages to teach puck control:

Drill #1 – Forwards / Puck Protection / Vision Sequence

Progression A

• Players find a dot and partner.
• Players position themselves two stick lengths away from each other.
• One player on the dot turns and protects the puck from their partner.
• The non-protecting player shows a number on their hand and moves in a circular motion around puck protector.
• Protecting players must keep their back to partner and should check for changing numbers on the hand.
• The protecting player calls out the number as their partner moves around.

Progression B

• Add new player to the group; three players will now execute.
• Use the same puck protection sequence above on and off the coach’s whistle.
• The new player adds stress to the situation and hinders the protector’s use of vision and ease of protecting the puck.

Progression C

• Still in a group of three, remove the number calling and make the player a passing outlet.

Drill #2 – Figure 8 Scanning

Defence:

• Defence starts up at the blue line in between two pylons.
• The player will skate in a figure 8 with the puck always facing the net.
• Coach should face the player, holding a hand up in the air to show numbers.
• Defence will visually identify the number and call it out.
• After 20-25 seconds, the player will go in for a shot.

Forwards:

• Forwards start on the dot in the corner.
• Coaches will surround the player, holding one hand in the air.
• The forward will spot puck along the boards and retrieve it.
• The forward will skate in a figure 8 puck protection pattern along the wall, while at the same time identifying the number the coach is showing on their hand.
• After 20-25 seconds, the player will go in for a shot.

Drill #3 – Reading Pressure / Corner Situations

• One player starts in the corner, one player has a puck on the dot.
• The player on the dot passes to the player in corner with pressure to the left or right side.

Progressions

• Nose-to-nose pressure
• Shoulder check turn pressure
• Absorb and spin from pressure
• Build to 1v1 out of the corner

The Hockey Canada Network gives coaches and players the tools to succeed with drills, skills, videos, practice plans and articles on their tablet or phone. There are over 1,500 drills and more than 100 lesson plans available.

Looking for more skills and drills? Hockey Canada frequently posts skill videos on its social channels that can be incorporated into practice plans. Search the #HCSkillsCoach and #HCGoalieCoach on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to find more drill videos to utilize on the ice.

7 COACHING PRINCIPLES: Skating | Puck Control | Vision & Scanning (Wednesday) | Deception (Thursday) | Creative & Dynamic (Friday) | Angling (Saturday) | Goaltending (Sunday)

Puck control is a fundamental skill that can significantly enhance a player's effectiveness on the ice. At its core, puck control involves the ability to maintain possession, create opportunities and contribute to your team's success. Mastering puck control allows players to maneuver confidently under pressure, execute precise plays and ultimately influence the outcome of the game.

Enhancing Time & Space

By skillfully handling the puck, players force defenders to react, often opening gaps in the defence. This extra time and space allows players to make better decisions, whether it’s passing, shooting or setting up the next play, giving them an advantage over opponents.

Building Skills Through Progression

Players should start with stationary puck-handling before moving onto handling the puck while moving, then adding teammates and game scenarios. This structured approach ensures they build confidence and can handle the puck in competitive situations.

Incorporating Vision & Scanning

Effective puck control isn’t just about technical skills; it also requires good vision and awareness. Developing strong scanning habits is essential—constantly reading the play, assessing the positions of defenders and identifying open areas of the ice. Combining puck control with situational awareness, players can make smarter decisions, avoid pressure and improve overall performance.

Teaching Puck Control at All Age Levels

Puck control is a skill that should be taught and reinforced at all age levels. For younger players, learning these skills early lays a solid foundation for their development, enabling them to build confidence and enjoy the game more. As players advance, refining puck control becomes even more critical as the speed and complexity of the game increase. Regardless of a player's age or skill level, strong puck control is an essential component of hockey that can lead to long-term success and enjoyment of the game.

Here are three drills that can be used at all ages to teach puck control:

Drill #1 – Puck Control Combinations

• Form two lines in one end. Players will perform skills down the middle of the ice and back along the boards.
• Maximize reps and use progressions for players to create deception; use quick hands and puck control skills.
• Forwards and defence perform the same skills.
• Goalie coach works with goalies at far end.

Forward puck control skills:

1. Heel skate
2. Heel skate / stride combination
3. Wide narrow stick handles
4. Heel to heel
5. Stride / one-crossover combination
6. Cutbacks
7. Continuous crossovers
8. 1v1 triangle moves

Drill #2 – Defence Escape Triangle

• Place three pylons in a triangle, set up on each side of the ice.
• Transition at top pylon (heels first/toes first) and turn away from each of the bottom pylons.
• Teach skating first, then add a puck.

Skill progressions at the bottom of the triangle:

1. Ride inside edge—toes up ice (No puck / add puck)
2. Escape turns
3. Half-escape turns
4. Random escapes, add touch passes with coach

Drill #3 – Scoring / Corner Drive D / Double Delay

• Players start in the corner with pucks.
• Player leaves corner, drives hard around circle, performs a tight turn and delays back towards corner.
• Perform another tight turn and skate in the original direction towards the net.
• Finish with a shot on net.
• Add a defender for a progression.

The Hockey Canada Network gives coaches and players the tools to succeed with drills, skills, videos, practice plans and articles on their tablet or phone. There are over 1,500 drills and more than 100 lesson plans available.

Looking for more skills and drills? Hockey Canada frequently posts skill videos on its social channels that can be incorporated into practice plans. Search the #HCSkillsCoach and #HCGoalieCoach on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to find more drill videos to utilize on the ice.

7 COACHING PRINCIPLES: Skating | Puck Control | Vision & Scanning (Wednesday) | Deception (Thursday) | Creative & Dynamic (Friday) | Angling (Saturday) | Goaltending (Sunday)

Skating is a fundamental skill required for every position in hockey. Speed, acceleration, agility and power are essential for forwards, defence and goaltenders alike. Without strong skating abilities, players are unable to perform to their full potential on the ice.

Importance of Skating 

Skating is not about moving up and down the ice; it plays a crucial role in maximizing puck control, passing accuracy and shooting opportunities. Strong skating allows players to separate from opponents and keep pace with the play, enabling them to create better scoring chances and make smarter decisions with the puck.

Focus on Small-Space Skating

A significant portion of the game is now being played below the goal line or along the boards, making small-space skating critical. When working on skating, players should focus on agility, balance, edge work and turning in these confined areas. These transferable skills are key to maintaining control and out-maneuvering opponents in tight situations.

Incorporating Vision & Scanning

As the pace of hockey continues to increase, developing strong vision and scanning habits are essential. Players must learn to read the ice instinctually, adapting quickly to make effective plays. Good vision paired with solid skating skills will help players stay ahead of the game and make successful decisions on the fly.

Teaching Skating at All Age Levels

Skating is the foundation upon which all other skills are built. Teaching proper skating techniques early on will help young players develop balance, agility and confidence.

Here are three drills that can be used at all ages to teach skating:

Drill #1 – Skating Agility Combinations

• Form two lines at hash marks; players perform skills down the middle of the ice and back along the boards.
• Repetitions and progressions to create deception, quick hands and puck control skills.
• Forwards and defence perform same skills.
• Goalie coach works with goalies at far end.

Forward puck control skills to be done: No puck

1. Inside edge/Inside edge hops
2. Outside edges
3. Heel-to-heel left/right
4. Heel-to-heel double pump
5. Undercut (left/right leg)
6. Backwards
7. Backwards inside edge holds
8. Backwards one crossover
9. Backwards shuffle
10. Lateral crossovers

Drill #2 – Four-Pylon Agility Forwards

• Place four pylons on the circle (use both end zones to maximize player activity).
• Players start by going around the pylons in a random fashion.
• Multiple players at the same time: one is a puck carrier and one is chasing trying to steal puck.
• Progress to having no pylons, playing keep away.
• Set up in each end to give forwards more reps.
• Finish with a shot on net.

Drill #3 – Five-Puck Agility Defence

• Place five pucks in neutral zone as shown.
• Player must skate around each of the outside pucks.
• Always come back to the middle before skating around outside pucks again, toe pointing forward during transitions.
• Progress to using pucks, adding a chaser and to removing the obstacles to make it game applicable.

The Hockey Canada Network gives coaches and players the tools to succeed with drills, skills, videos, practice plans and articles on their tablet or phone. There are over 1,500 drills and more than 100 lesson plans available.

Looking for more skills and drills? Hockey Canada frequently posts skill videos on its social channels that can be incorporated into practice plans. Search the #HCSkillsCoach and #HCGoalieCoach on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to find more drill videos to utilize on the ice.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has invited 48 of the nation’s best players to Canada’s National Women’s Team September Camp, presented by BFL CANADA, Sept. 9-15 at Canada Games Park in Thorold, Ontario.

Six goaltenders, 16 defence and 26 forwards were selected by general manager Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, QC/Toronto, PWHL), senior manager of player development and scouting Cherie Piper (Scarborough, ON) and head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, NS/Toronto, PWHL). Assistant coaches Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, NS/Montréal, PWHL), Caroline Ouellette (Montréal, QC/Concordia University, RSEQ) and Britni Smith (Port Perry, ON/Syracuse University, CHA), and goaltending consultant Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, AB/Toronto, PWHL) also provided input on player selections.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to evaluate the depth of talent in our player pool and set the tone for the upcoming season,” said Kingsbury. “We will also continue to grow and build on our identity as a team as we prepare for the Rivalry Series and ultimately the IIHF Women’s World Championship next April in Czechia.”

The roster includes 21 players who helped Canada capture its 13th gold medal at the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship (Ambrose, Bell, Bourbonnais, Campbell, Clark, Desbiens, Fast, Fillier, J. Gosling, N. Gosling, Jenner, Larocque, Maltais, Nurse, O’Neill, Poulin, Rattray, Serdachny, Shelton, Stacey, Turnbull).

It also includes seven players attending their first camp with Canada’s National Women’s Team (Amos, Cooper, Kraemer, Pais, Primerano, Watts, Woods).

The players will be split into Red and White teams for practices, fitness testing and a pair of intrasquad games. Brock University will be hosting the Red-White intrasquad games on Sept. 12 and 14 at Canada Games Park. Click here to purchase tickets. Media wishing to attend camp must apply for accreditation HERE.

Hockey Canada also announced the support staff that will work with Canada’s National Women’s Team for the 2024-25 season:

• Video coach Andrew Boucher (Timmins, ON)
• Strength and conditioning coach Vicki Bendus (Wasaga Beach, ON/Montréal, PWHL)
• Equipment managers Alana Goulden (Aurora, ON/Toronto, PWHL) and Blair Smook (Airdrie, AB)
• Team physician Laura Bennion (Vancouver, BC)
• Therapists Christine Atkins (Fort Macleod, AB) and Danielle McNally (Wolfville, NS)
• Massage therapist Meagan Cowell (London, ON)
• Mental performance consultant Sommer Christie (Montréal, QC)
• Senior hockey operations manager Dylan Rockwell (Calgary, AB)
• Hockey operations manager Savannah Newton (Halifax, NS)
• Hockey operations coordinator Cassidy Wait (North Vancouver, BC)
• Media relations manager Esther Madziya (Lethbridge, AB)

For a complete list of camp support staff, please click here.

Following September camp, players will prepare for the season with their PWHL and college teams before a roster is named for the first international competition of the season, the 2024-25 Rivalry Series starting Nov. 6 in San Jose, California.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X and Instagram.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada, in partnership with USA Hockey, has announced the return of the Rivalry Series between Canada’s National Women’s Team and the United States for the 2024-25 season, featuring two stops in Atlantic Canada.

The 2024-25 Rivalry Series will feature five games, with Canada set to play host in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island in February. The first Canadian stop will see the cross-border rivals face off at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, home of the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. AT. The teams will then travel to Summerside, P.E.I., to play at Credit Union Place, home of the Summerside Western Capitals of the Maritime Hockey League (MHL), on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. AT.

“We are excited to renew our partnership with USA Hockey to deliver the Rivalry Series, and to provide the best Canadian and American players an opportunity to showcase women’s hockey with games in Halifax and Summerside,” said Hockey Canada president and chief executive officer Katherine Henderson (Thunder Bay, ON). “The series has been a must-see event for hockey fans across Canada since 2018, and it has been instrumental in helping to grow the girls’ and women’s game across North America. We look forward to once again treating fans to five great hockey games and leaving a lasting impact and legacy in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island this season.”

“Halifax and Summerside have proven to be successful international hockey hosts, and we know both communities will embrace the opportunity to welcome and cheer on the best players from Canada and the United States as they compete in the Rivalry Series in February 2025,” said D’Arcy Hutcheson (Barrie, ON), director of events with Hockey Canada. “The Rivalry Series has become a fan-favourite event on the international hockey calendar, and the teams will enjoy facing off in front of passionate hockey fans in two great Canadian communities.”

Tickets for the games in Halifax and Summerside will be available for purchase at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets at a later date.

Hockey Canada and its Members will announce grassroots initiatives that will take place leading up to the Rivalry Series games in both Canadian stops in the coming months, ensuring the next generation of the game can engage with Canada’s National Women’s Team.

“The Rivalry Series is a great event for players and fans alike, and I know the impact an event like this can have on young players in communities across the country. I am excited that hockey fans in the Maritimes will have the opportunity to take in two games and cheer on Team Canada next season,” said Team Canada forward Blayre Turnbull (Stellarton, NS/Toronto, PWHL). “Fans on the East Coast always embrace the opportunity to watch Canada compete and we know the atmosphere will be incredible, and it will be even more special for me to have a chance to play in my home province and two incredible communities that are close to my hometown.”

The series will kick off with a trio of games in the United States in November, with the teams opening the series at the Tech CU Arena in San Jose, California, on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. PT. The American portion of the Rivalry Series will also include stops at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah, on Friday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. PT and Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho, on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 5 p.m. MT.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast all five Rivalry Series games; please check local listings for details.

Last year, the Rivalry Series ended in thrilling fashion for a second-straight year, with Canada’s National Women’s Team winning four-straight games to win the best-of-seven series in seven games. The Canadian games welcomed an average attendance of more than 6,200 fans per game in Kitchener, Sarnia, Saskatoon and Regina, including sell-outs in Kitchener, Sarnia and Regina. Ottawa, Kingston, Kelowna and Trois-Rivières also hosted Rivalry Series games over the past two seasons that featured sold-out crowds.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook , X and Instagram .

“It was seeing my son on the ice and just having that want and desire to be out there with him and experience what he was experiencing, helping him learn,” she says.

That was almost six years ago.

Today, Keeley is the national BFL CANADA Women in Coaching Award recipient in the Community category, and the creator of a thriving coach development program with the Knights Hockey Club in Calgary.

“I think it’s important for women to realize that they have so much to offer and that what they have to offer is recognized and is appreciated,” Keeley says of the BFL CANADA honour. “This award gives that; it brings light to [the fact] that we can do this. We’re here now, and let’s keep blazing trails and breaking ceilings and all of those amazing things.”

A ringette player growing up who dabbled in hockey when the boys’ team in her northern Saskatchewan community needed bodies to fill out the lineup, Keeley had never given much thought to coaching until her son got into the game at the Timbits U7 level in the fall of 2018.

When she wasn’t selected to coach the following season in U9, her attention turned back to her first athletic love and she joined the Bow View Ringette Association, working as an assistant coach and head coach at U10 and U12.

“[It was about] learning and gaining the confidence that I needed to step back into hockey and make a difference,” she says of her three years with Bow View.

The word that continually comes up is process – Keeley spent those seasons observing other coaches, ensuring she was surrounded by the right people, building her coaching support system, filling her toolbox and learning how to be a coach in the competitive space.

One of her biggest takeaways? No one does it alone.

“What I believe makes the most successful coach is to surround themselves with people for the skills that they don’t currently have,” Keeley says. “And so for me, I always make sure that I have a very, very rounded team of people that can offset the skills that I don’t have, that I can learn from.”

When the 2022-23 hockey season rolled around, Keeley was ready to get back behind the bench with her son at the U11 level.

But she didn’t come back to hockey empty-handed. In addition to the skills she had learned with Bow View, Keeley came armed with a proposal for a coach development program targeted at women.

“The program was not so much about giving women all the tools they needed to be a coach,” she says. “It starts with having the confidence to put up their hand and say, ‘Yeah, I have something to offer.’ It was really about just helping the ladies to make that decision to put up their hand and to help them have that confidence to step on the ice.

“One of the objectives was to make sure that we had strong female leadership to keep girls in sport, because that’s important. What if we have strong leadership from the same gender on the ice? Would that make a difference? Would girls want to stay [involved in hockey] if they saw strong female coaches on the ice?”

The association was quick to jump at the proposal, and Keeley was off and running.

“Where we started was I held one on-ice session to begin with, and we had 12 ladies that put up their hand and came out,” she says. “And really what it was about more than anything was just to see what this program was all about.

“I had an hour-and-a-half ice time, and I think we spent 20 minutes on the ice. What we spent more time doing was talking about if this was the right fit for them, if they had the confidence to put their skates on and what this was going to look like if they actually got selected to be on the ice with their kid. It was amazing to hear females talk about challenges and obstacles and barriers, and me as a part of launching this program, being able to provide that space to have those open and honest conversations that they wouldn’t have anywhere else.”

What was originally meant to be a local program for women in the Knights program rapidly turned into something much bigger, much to Keeley’s delight.

Next was a training course, with the help of Hockey Alberta – the province’s first women-only Coach 2 clinic.

“At first, I was just opening it to the [local] group that had shown interest. Then we decided to open up to all of Alberta. And so on a very snowy November day, we had 24 females sitting in a room from across Alberta. We did the four-hour classroom, and then the next day we met for another seven [hours].

“That’s where the network started. A lot of us still keep in contact, and we send out emails to each other, and when there is an event happening for all female coaches, we make sure that we share and attend.”

In that first season, nine women were behind the bench with the Knights Hockey Club. During the 2023-24 season, that number grew to 14 – two as head coaches and 12 as assistants.

Keeley hosted a start-of-season meeting in September to teach coaches how to prepare a season plan and build practice plans, and had regular check-ins with every coach involved in the program, working through any challenges they were facing and ensuring they were getting what they needed from the experience.

She also continues to work closely with Hockey Calgary, participating in ongoing opportunities for women in coaching, including on- and off-ice development sessions.

But her No. 1 role is still being a mom, and there are few things that give her more joy than sharing hockey with her son. This season, Keeley led the U13 Tier 4 team.

“I always ask if he wants me to coach,” she says of her son. “And that even existed when I went and coached ringette because, of course, I wasn’t with him. I was always a non-parent coach in ringette, and I would ask him every season, ‘Are you okay if I do this?’

“When I coached the U12 AA team [in the spring of 2022], I was away quite a bit. We were on the ice five times a week. That was the first time he ever said to me, ‘Mom, I miss you. Can you come coach me?’

“We’re just in the midst of filling out our application for this upcoming season, which is his second year of U13. And he said, ‘Mom, are you going to coach again?’ I said, ‘Do you want me to?’ He said, ‘As long as you want to.’ So yes, I’m going to apply to be a coach again.”

That’s a lucky son, and a lucky association that gets to benefit from what Keeley has to offer.

But ask her, and she’ll tell you just the opposite – that she’s the lucky one, benefitting from what the players can offer her.

“I have had some really amazing experiences both on and off the ice, just learning from these players. The amount, if you sit back and you listen, that you can learn is just unbelievable, and they always make you smile.”

It was a full circle moment for Shakita Jensen when she stepped on the bench as head coach of Team Northwest Territories at the 2024 Arctic Winter Games.

In 2014, she played in the tournament in Alaska. A decade later, she returned to Alaska to coach.

“I felt a lot of emotions,” says Jensen, the national BFL CANADA Women in Coaching Award winner in the Competitive category.

Jensen, from the Tahltan First Nation, started as an on-ice volunteer with the Yellowknife Minor Hockey Association in 2014. Since then, her passion for giving back has driven her to continue her coaching journey.

“The hockey community has given me so much that I felt an obligation to want to give back to the hockey community in any way I could,” Jensen says. “When I got back from school, I was like, ‘I should probably try coaching, see if I like it.’ And of course I liked it right away.”

In addition to giving back, a few impactful women who coached Jensen growing up opened her eyes to her own potential journey.

“Having my first female head coach was super cool, and that made me want to get into coaching,” she says. “Growing up, being sometimes the only girl on my hockey teams, not really many women coaching, and then having my first few female coaches thinking, ‘Wow they’re so cool, I want to be like them one day.’”

The position of being a role model and a leader for youth in her community was also a driving factor in wanting to become a coach.

“I’ve had so many influential coaches in my own playing career. [There are] everlasting impacts they can have on their players, not only on the ice, but off the ice as people as well, what you can teach your players as a coach. I felt that I had lots to offer [as a head coach] and I wanted to be there for kids.”

 Jensen was in the right place at the right time to get her first head coaching position. There was a shortage of coaches in her association, so they asked Jensen—who initially applied to be an on-ice helper—if she wanted to be a head coach.

“It was a lot of quick learning and kind of being thrown into it, but I felt confident in myself the whole time,” the 26-year-old explains. “I just tried to network with past coaches as much as I could to have a successful season, which I think I did.”

Early in her career, Jensen decided to apply to be a part of the 2023 Canada Winter Games coaching staff for Team NWT, but she wasn’t selected. However, one of the coaches recommended she apply for the Aboriginal Apprentice Coach program with the Aboriginal Sports Circle.

“They chose one woman and one man from the territory, and it could be from any sport, so I knew that it was a bit of a long shot, but when I heard I got in for hockey, I was super excited.”

Through the apprenticeship program, Jensen was able to attend last year’s Canada Winter Games on Prince Edward Island and work with Team NWT leading up to the event. Afterwards, she became an assistant coach for Team NWT for the 2023 Arctic Winter Games before being promoted to head coach for the 2024 tournament.

“I think that definitely opened a lot of doors,” she says. “It was cool to see the progression and to allow me to gain all the tools and resources that I needed to prepare my team.”

As head coach of Team NWT, the location of each player’s hometowns can often be difficult to navigate—sometimes resulting in very few full team practices before an event.

“It was definitely a challenge wanting to build your team culture and work on your strategies and trying to prepare for a high-performance, short-term competition when your team is scattered all over the territories, in some places that are fly in/fly out or just a lot of money barriers,” she explains. “I think one thing that was super helpful was our ability to connect online leading up to the Games.”

Another huge opportunity for Jensen’s team this year was February’s One For All event in Yellowknife. With more than 300 participants over four days, the event celebrated women’s and girls’ hockey with Try Hockey events, on-ice skills, coaching clinics and more.

Team Northwest Territories and Team Nunavut gathered to practice and face off in an exhibition game.

“It was an overwhelming successful weekend—players putting on their hockey gear for the first time and then other players who were about to be graduating minor hockey,” says Jensen, who volunteered with the event. “It felt super to contribute to that program, give back and hopefully keep that program on a yearly basis here.”

When Jensen found out she was the BFL CANADA Women in Coaching Award winner for Hockey North in the Competitive category, she was shocked.

“I was so surprised, kind of caught off guard. I felt so much pride and gratitude.”

Jensen was unsure if she would be able to compete with the great provincial and territorial candidates across the country. But when she saw Cassie Campbell-Pascall on a video call congratulating her for winning the national award, she was in disbelief all over again.

“There are really no words,” she says of winning the national award. “There are so many influential coaches who go unrecognized sometimes for all the work they do. [I’m] really feeling proud of myself, but also feeling proud of everyone else across Canada who’s doing so much for the women’s game.”

Even as a player, Kelly Paton had always taken an interest in what happens behind the scenes in hockey. She took opportunities to learn more about the game from her coaching staff, including how staff helped to support student-athletes while she attended the University of New Hampshire.

That, along with her strong hockey IQ, led Paton’s head coach, Brian McCloskey, to give her a piece of advice: “Patty, you’re a coach.”

“He just kept telling me I was a coach,” says Paton, the national BFL CANADA Women in Coaching Award winner in the High Performance category. “Certainly, I was interested; I didn’t have my mind made up. I wanted to find ways to stay connected to the game and at that point, with some limitations of hockey beyond college, that was probably my best pathway for it.”

A Woodstock, Ontario, native who has spent the last six seasons as head coach of the women’s hockey team at Wilfrid Laurier University, Paton grew up in an athletic family. When her older brother started playing hockey, Paton wanted to start playing as well.

“Many days were spent in our cul-de-sac; I got stuck in the goalie position and his friends would shoot many pucks and balls my way,” Paton says. “That’s probably where my interest started.”

Paton initially played boys hockey in her hometown until switching to girls’ hockey with the London Devilettes. After her final year of minor hockey, she spent four years at New Hampshire, serving as captain and finishing as a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award as a senior in the 2009-10 season.

“[It] helped shape my confidence in my ability to play the game, but then big picture, how there are ways where I could give back and help the development of others,” Paton says of her time as a Wildcat. “I think that’s where I had some affirmation that my IQ for the game was pretty good and that aligned really well with coaching.”

After completing her undergraduate degree, Paton wasn’t sure how she wanted to incorporate coaching into her life, whether as a volunteer or as a career. But after finishing a graduate degree at Mercyhurst University and then living on Vancouver Island for a while, she decided to return home to Southwestern Ontario and get back involved with the game she loved.

She reconnected with her minor hockey roots by taking on a coaching role with the Devilettes’ junior program. There, Paton credits Dwayne Blais for being one of her mentors as she began her coaching journey.

“I was the head coach, but he certainly was the one I leaned on the most with being mentored and learning how to manage conflict, how to manage expectation, but more importantly just building practice plans that supported development.”

After reconnecting with one of her junior coaches, Paton was presented with an opportunity to join Western University as an assistant coach.

“I walked into a space where [the Mustangs] were coming off a national championship, which came with a lot of expectations,” Paton says. “I was happy we were still able to carry out some of that momentum and be a top performer in the OUA.”

Paton served as an assistant coach for two years before being promoted to head coach at Western. Ahead of the 2018-19 season, she made the move to Laurier.

“We’re coming off a great season this past year and our leadership group has done an excellent job of really stepping into a space where they’re allowing me to coach, which is awesome,” she says. “We’re certainly a team that carries high expectations, knowing that we still have responsibility to carry the legacy of Laurier hockey. […] The goal is to keep moving forward. I certainly think we’re in the right pathway to do that, and a lot of that is a testament to the players that we have in our program now.”

Reflecting on her time coaching in U SPORTS, one of the bigger transitions for Paton was navigating how to match her communication to each individual player on her team.

“In the university sector, it can get really challenging to satisfy 25 athletes with all different learning styles and still walk away and feel like we got through what we needed to get through today,” she explains. “Now with experience, I’ve learned that’s part of the process. But when I was younger, that day-to-day management of seeing where everybody’s at—generally the only way to figure that out is to ask, and that’s where the communication piece is.”

Building relationships has been key to Paton’s coaching journey, and she is grateful to have found a support system in her corner as she continues to develop as a coach.

“It’s been a pretty critical piece to finding confidence in myself,” Paton says of her mentors. “There’s been a couple that have been instrumental with shaping my coaching style, my communication style, my knowledge of the game. Dwayne was a big piece of that, Rachel Flanagan, and even my college coach, Brian. I still speak with him [14 years after graduating].”

For those looking to begin their coaching journeys or advance their coaching career into the high-performance area, Paton’s advice would be to stay honest and accountable.

“When mistakes happen, don’t shy away from taking ownership of that. If there are areas that are challenging or you need advice on, that’s where that mentorship really comes in handy; having somebody that’s a neutral soundboard that’s going to help you make decisions without carried bias or carried experiences.

“I’m really grateful that I’ve had those opportunities to have good people around me and have the confidence that went up when mistakes are made, and that helps trickle into the player group as well.”

A few of our friends described it as a “hard launch.”

Geneviève and I decided not to officially “come out,” but instead we decided to just post the photos from our wedding last July. At that point, our friends, our families, our circle – the people who meant the most – all knew about our relationship.

We wondered if we needed to have a big coming out story. But we thought posting the photos of the day was a fun way of saying, “This is us. We got married,” like anyone else would post about getting married. It was time for us to just put ourselves out there and not be scared. There was so much love and support, and it was just so inspiring to see the effect we were able to have, just posting about our relationship.

We have a platform and influence, and we have people who follow our journeys. At the end of the day, those who support us will support us, and we want them in our lives, and we want to connect with them, but those who don’t, that’s all right.

We knew the impact we could have sharing our relationship and sharing our story; we knew there would be a positive impact, and we could help so many other individuals with their journey. And so maybe with age, there was some courage in telling our story, but we have all the support we need. So, for us, it was – how do we help others and support others now?

Going public was a huge weight lifted off our shoulders that neither of us recognized was there. And now I feel like we’re very open to having conversations, talking about our relationship and being our true selves. It’s been a rewarding journey. It was only a year ago, and it’s been so fun to just be out there and be us as a couple.

Geneviève and I started dating in 2015. I told my sister pretty early on about our relationship. Geneviève was the first woman that I ever dated. So, I also wanted to make sure that it was something, a longstanding relationship, before I told my entire family, which I would’ve done in any relationship that I was in.

I was in school at Harvard at the time, and so my teammates and friends at school knew early as well. And I knew I wanted to tell my family, but I wanted to do it in person. I didn’t want to make it a big deal, but I also know the norm in society is still, you’re heterosexual until you say otherwise. You have to come out and tell your story. I wanted to make it as normal as possible, but I also wanted to have in-person conversations with my family.

About a year after we started dating, I started telling my family. I told my parents one at a time. I went through my family. And I have a big family, so it was a lot of conversations. Being young, I was 20 years old, I was quite nervous about the conversations, but ultimately my family was so supportive– every conversation left me with ‘my family supports me and loves me no matter who I love.’ I know that’s not the case for everyone, but I am very fortunate to have a family that has my back no matter what. They were just happy I was in a loving relationship.

There were hesitations in coming out publicly, but it didn’t really have anything to do with our sexuality. It had everything to do with the fact that both of us were still active with the National Women’s Team, and we didn’t want our news to be about our relationship or our sexuality. We wanted it to be about hockey and our performance.

It’s certainly not easy when you and your partner share a profession. At the beginning, we had to say to each other that in many ways our relationship comes first, but we also have to put our own hockey first. And not in a selfish way, it’s more like… “If you do everything you can to make a team and to put yourself in a position to play, and I do everything I can to make a team and put myself in a position to play, then it’s not up to us. It’s up to the coach, it’s up to the scouts, it’s up to external factors.”

We were on the journey together, we were working hard and doing everything we could do individually, but when it came down to those decisions, we weren’t angry at each other. We could feel empathy if one played over the other, but at the end of the day, if one of us is in net, then it became, “Okay, I support you or you support me.”

We did have some bumps in the road along the way. I was released from the 2018 Olympics and she made the team. And then vice versa, in 2022, I made the Olympic team and she was released. This presented us with a big learning opportunity in our relationship. The first time around when I was released, we weren’t equipped with the skills to handle it. It was a big dream of mine to make that team and to play in the Olympics. And what do you say to your partner on either end, the one who makes it or the one who doesn’t? Navigating the situation and our dynamic was complex. We were supportive of one another, and to protect our relationship we felt that not talking about hockey was the best course.

The second time around, going into Beijing, we learned how to talk through it. We gained an understanding of how to have difficult conversations, to talk about how we feel. We wish that neither of those situations happened, but they actually made our relationship a lot stronger. We have acquired the skills to support each other and communicate through difficult situations, and recognize the importance of continuously practicing and refining those skills.

We found out we were pregnant in late 2023, a few months after we got married. We’re fortunate that we have friends that have gone through the fertility treatment process that we could use as a resource, and so we asked a lot of questions. We did a lot of research. We were living in Quebec, and luckily there’s funding to make the financial burden easier. Our journey to conception wasn’t long, and for that we are grateful.

It’s been quite a journey. We’re so excited to start our family and welcome our little boy to the world. It’s something that we had been wanting to do for so long, but having us both playing, it wasn’t really a possibility, especially without the salaries and security of a professional league. But now we’re finally in a position where I’m playing in the PWHL and Geneviève has security in her job as manager of corporate sponsorships and sales with the league. It’s the most security and stability we’ve had in a long time, and we’re excited to start our family.

We are looking forward to having our son grow up around strong women. And we know that he’ll grow up to respect women and look at women’s athletes as just athletes.

And I can’t forget the gender reveal! I was sitting on the bus with Emily Clark on a road trip this year, and we were chatting about doing a gender reveal, and just brainstorming some ideas. And then somehow it came up that it would be so fun to have an obstacle course and have the team involved. It evolved into Clark vs. Jenner, boy vs. girl, and went from there.

Geneviève and I gave them the link to the gender, because we wanted to be surprised as well. We set up one day after practice, and Clarky and Jenner, they came up with how the race would go. It turned out so good!

This year has been such a whirlwind. The wedding, the announcement of the PWHL, signing with Ottawa, finding out we were pregnant, launching the league, winning another world championship … hard to believe that’s only the last 11 months.

It’s been so incredible, the momentum that we have in the PWHL, the fandom, the support, the investment and the visibility. And just the growth that we’ve had within just our first season. Being a professional hockey player still feels surreal to me, but the pride I felt every time I stepped onto the ice with my teammates in Ottawa this season … it’s indescribable to be part of something so special.

Obviously, there’s still a long way to go for equity and parity, but we’ve made some huge steps in the past few years. Even in the grassroots now, there’s that ripple effect from the PWHL of getting women in sport and staying in sport.

At our games, I see young fans, not just young girls, but young boys too who just see us as hockey players. They don’t see us as women’s hockey players. They’re looking up to us like, “You’re my favourite player, you’re my favourite goalie.” They’re not saying, “You’re my favourite female goalie.” It’s been fantastic to see the shift in the mindset, and there are so many more stepping stones to come.

Because it is Pride Month, which means so much to me, I did want to end with a few thoughts.

Individually, everyone can look inward and see where they can do the work. I think often, people lead with assumptions when meeting someone. But we can all do a better job at letting them tell their story versus labelling them with, ‘You are this or you are that.’ It can be intimidating to be your true self because of preconceived assumptions.

Unfortunately, there’s going to be hate online. That’s unavoidable in the social media age we live in. But I think as much as we can, we need to hold on to the love and the support, and ensure the kind, loving, supportive voices drown out the negative ones.

As someone who’s in a same-sex relationship, I know that at times I can still be a little timid or discouraged to be my true self, but for those in our community, I encourage you to be as courageous as you can. Be your true self. If you come into a conversation and lead with your authentic self, it will start changing minds slowly. One person at a time.

We are moving in the right direction, and together is how we’re going to keep moving.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Hockey Canada has formed a committee of stakeholders, chaired by current board member and National Women’s Team alumna Gillian Apps, to oversee a discussion paper that will lead to formal recommendations to guide the organization’s next women’s and girls’ hockey strategic plan.

The committee was formally launched at a press conference in Winnipeg today, where Hockey Canada’s Spring Congress is taking place alongside a women’s and girls’ hockey symposium with provincial and territorial representation from all of Hockey Canada’s 13 Members, facilitated by Canadian Women & Sport.

“Internationally, Canada has always been a leader in women’s hockey. Now is the time to ensure we are on the leading edge of identifying and addressing gaps in the current system to provide women and girls with even more opportunities to thrive in the future,” said Apps. “This committee’s efforts will be critical to furthering the game at all levels, and we are grateful this group has agreed to volunteer and be part of this important work.”

The committee features 15 stakeholders, including six National Women’s Team (NWT) alumnae:

• Gillian Apps, Hockey Canada Board of Directors and NWT alumna
• Pierre Arsenault, chief executive officer of U SPORTS
• Thérèse Brisson, president and chief executive officer of Alpine Canada, and NWT alumna
• Cassie Campbell-Pascall, broadcaster, special advisor to the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and NWT alumna
• Debra Gassewitz, president and chief executive officer of the Sport Information Resource Centre
• Jayna Hefford, senior vice-president of hockey operations for the PWHL and NWT alumna
• Katherine Henderson, president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada
• Marian Jacko, Hockey Canada Board of Directors
• Angela James, Hockey Canada Foundation Board of Directors and NWT alumna
• Rob Knesaurek, senior vice-president of youth development and industry growth with the National Hockey League
• Anne Merklinger, chief executive officer of Own the Podium
• Mary-Kay Messier, vice-president of marketing for Bauer Hockey
• Brad Morris, Hockey Canada Foundation Board of Directors
• Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, chief executive officer of Canadian Women & Sport
• Kim St-Pierre, regional manager at Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and NWT alumna

“Supporting the growth of women’s and girls’ hockey in Canada is a priority for our board, and forming this committee is a tremendous next step to further understand and address the challenges that exist in the game,” said Jonathan Goldbloom, chair of the Hockey Canada Board of Directors. “We thank Gillian for taking on a leadership role with this project and are confident the committee’s efforts will benefit our organization, Members, stakeholders and Canadians for generations to come.”

After consulting with Hockey Canada’s Members, the committee’s women’s and girls’ hockey discussion paper is expected to be published in early summer 2024. Additional interviews will take place at that time with stakeholders inside and outside of the game, including opportunities for the Canadian public to be part of the research.

“Our women’s and girls’ hockey department, led by Marin Hickox, has made significant strides in the past few years to grow the game at all levels, including by mobilizing the leads from each of our Members,” said Henderson. “We are thrilled this new committee will work collectively with Marin and her leads to review existing research and establish a roadmap for where we all envision women’s and girls’ hockey in the future, as there remains a tremendous amount of potential to remove existing barriers to the sport.”

To learn more about Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X and Instagram.