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.