Latest news with #womenshockey
CTV News
17 hours ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Jessica Campbell continues to make strides in women's hockey, inspiring next generation of women and girls
WATCH: Sierra D'Souza Butts brings us the story of Jessica Campbell, a Sask. woman who continues to make strides in women's hockey. It's been a long, unique journey for Rocanville's Jessica Campbell as she enters her second NHL season coaching for the Seattle Kraken. 'I grew up playing boys hockey. There wasn't, at that time, opportunities for all girls teams, really. It's a testament to how far the game has come and grown,' Campbell told CTV News. Since retiring from the women's national team in 2017, Campbell has set the pace for women behind the bench by becoming the first female coach for a men's world championships in 2022. In her current role as assistant coach, Campbell said she feels fortunate to achieve her goal of working at the highest level of hockey. 'When I found my coaching path taking me down the men's game, I found myself finding a unique fit,' she expressed. 'Now I've been chasing this goal and following my dream, and very fortunate and privileged to get to do what I love every day at the National Hockey League (NHL).' As she continues to break barriers, Campbell leaves a lasting legacy for young girls in hockey – serving as a new role model for youth across the province. 'If you can see it, you can achieve it,' said Amanda Hungle, executive director for Hockey Regina. 'It definitely has a positive impact in that way, female youth seeing [Jessica] in that position just lets them know that's a place they can land one day too.' Even before Campbell's impact, hockey has been steadily growing among females in Canada. Hockey Canada Hockey Canada aims to have over 170,000 women and girls playing hockey across the country by 2030. (Source: Hockey Canada) In 2010, more than 85,000 women and girls were registered in Hockey Canada programs – which saw an increase of 23,000 in the 2023-24 season. However, the organization is aiming to have over 170,000 women and girls playing hockey across the country. Excited to see the opportunities ahead, Campbell said she hopes her story can be the guide for everyone chasing their goals. 'I think hockey is for everyone and my career is a testament to that. I look to many other people who found their way in the game and it transcends all gender,' shared Campbell. 'I think there's a place for all of us in the sport in whatever role that looks like. For me, it's behind the bench and there's visibility now so that dream can inspire for another kid, not just boys, but girls as well to see themselves in the game.' 'That's my biggest thing is if you see yourself and you love this game, just chase the dream and see where it takes you.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Czechia Putting Olympic Pieces In Place At National Team Camp
Czechia's national team gathered this week in Prague to begin the selection process for their 2026 women's hockey Olympic roster. 46 players participated as the nation looks to win their first ever medal in women's ice hockey at the Olympics after winning their first two bronze medals at the World Championship during this Olympic cycle.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Recruiting Class: Boston College Bringing Firepower
Boston College is adding talent to their roster this offseason including a duo of forwards that could take the school's offensive attack to new levels. This offseason, Boston College leader Abby Newhook was selected in the PWHL Draft by the Boston Fleet. The school also lost Molly Jordan via the transfer portal to the University of Minnesota. The Boston College Eagles however, remain a program on an upward trajectory, and adding their recruiting class to their current top line talents including Sammy Taber and Julia Pellerin will only accelerate that process. Here's a look at Boston College's 2025-26 women's hockey recruiting class. Maxim Tremblay, F, Stanstead College A prolific scorer for Stanstead College, Tremblay is 5-foot-10 and has a rifle for a shot. She scored 64 goals and 114 points in 70 games last season. She's the type of talent who could shift Boston College's future. Uses her size well, but it's her shoot first mentality that makes her the biggest threat. Ava Thomas, F, Philadelphia Jr. Flyers Won gold at the U-18 World Championships with USA scoring nine points in six games. As a member of Philadelphia's 19-U 'AAA' team she's been one of the top scorers in the nation the past three seasons. Last year she had 38 goals and 60 points in only 21 games. Alonside Tremblay, this is a tandem that could grow into one of the NCAA's top offensive duos. Alaina Dunn, D, Massachusetts Spitfires A mobile defender who represented USA at the 2025 U-18 World Championships, Dunn will be a good replacement for Molly Jordan on Boston College's blueline this season. Other incoming recruits: Madelyn Murphy, Emily Mara, Maude Niemann
CBC
6 days ago
- Sport
- CBC
How Laura Stacey is using road hockey to give back to the 2 cities that have shaped her career
In the summer of 2018, Laura Stacey had an Olympic silver medal to her name, and little sense of what might be next for her. Two years after she'd graduated from Dartmouth College, Stacey had just won the Clarkson Cup, the top prize of the now-defunct Canadian Women's Hockey League, with the Markham Thunder. But pro women's hockey didn't pay the bills back then, and Stacey's spot on the national team was far from guaranteed. "I remember my parents asking me early on when I graduated [in 2016], how long are you going to do this for?" the Montreal Victoire forward recalled. It was at her parents' house one day, after a neighbourhood road hockey game on Stacey's 24th birthday, when her now-brother-in-law asked her: why don't you do this? By "this," he meant organize a road hockey tournament. Stacey, who's from Kleinburg, Ont., north of Toronto, put together a tournament that August with the help of her pro teammates. Since then, it's grown into an annual event, called Sticks In For Charity, and a registered charitable organization, the LS7 Foundation, that has raised nearly $200,000. The money has gone toward helping children access sports and arts programming, among other causes. Laura Stacey on why she loves Montreal and wants to give back 2 minutes ago "The reason we started this was just to simply get kids and people and neighbours in that community out on the street, off their phones, off their computers," Stacey said in an interview with CBC Sports. "That worked in that day. But how could we continue on that path of allowing kids, people, individuals the chance to play? And so that's kind of where it all came from." As the PWHL and women's hockey have grown in popularity, so have the number of kids and adults who want the chance to play a road hockey game alongside some of the league's biggest stars. This year's tournament in Toronto included Montreal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin, New York's Sarah Fillier, Toronto's Renata Fast and Ottawa's Emily Clark, among others. It raised $65,000, blasting past the original target of $50,000. Her work with the foundation also earned Stacey this year's PWHL's Hockey For All Award, A Scotiabank-sponsored prize that recognizes a player's community work. The bank donates $10,000 to a charity of the winner's choice "that supports youth or grassroots hockey, with a focus on accessibility, diversity, and inclusion." And this August, for the first time, Stacey will hold a Sticks In For Charity road hockey tournament in Montreal, the city that has become her home. It's her way of giving back to a city that has embraced her, and grown her career to heights she may not have been able to imagine back in 2018, when the feeling of defeat at the Olympics was fresh in her mind. "They've lifted me up and I think if I can do anything to lift them up, and the community that I'm playing in, then I think that's exactly what I want to do," Stacey said. Evolving on and off the ice Growing up in the Toronto area, Stacey cheered for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The name of her great-grandfather, King Clancy, hangs in the rafters of Scotiabank Arena. She wears the same number 7 on her jersey as he did. But it's been in Montreal where Stacey's career has grown the most over the last five seasons. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when most players were off the ice, now-Victoire GM Danièle Sauvageau got permission for national team players to continue training safely at Centre 21.02, the high-performance centre inside Verdun Auditorium that was built for the best female hockey players. Before the PWHL existed, it was a rare opportunity for players like Stacey to find everything they needed in one place. "The way it's helped me is just the professionalism," she said about training in Montreal. "I'm constantly surrounded by some of the best players in the world. I'm constantly surrounded by the best staff, skills coaches. Everything is just right there at your fingertips. At that point, it's on you to just want to get better." Since moving to Montreal, Stacey has earned an Olympic gold medal and three world championships with Team Canada, and has become one of the best power forwards in the game. Her speed and skill have made her a top-line player and a star with the Victoire, finishing in the PWHL's top 10 in goals and points last season. Stacey also led the league in shots. When she won Olympic gold in 2022, her name was often at the bottom of Canada's lineup. But Stacey's ability to do it all, from the power play to the penalty kill, will earn her a much bigger role in Italy this February. "I see what she does behind the scenes, the amount of work she's put into this foundation," Montreal captain Poulin, who is also married to Stacey, said at the league's awards gala in June. "She's so proud of it, and it's unbelievable. I'm very happy for her to get rewarded. To see what she's done off the ice but also on the ice, I think she's proven herself to be a great player in this league. I'm very fortunate to be able to see her evolve, day in and day out." Foundation to benefit 4 charities this year In Montreal, Victoire fans have embraced Stacey, even though she's not from Quebec. She's even trying to become a Montreal Canadiens fan. "This city treats me as if I'm one of their own," she said. "They've completely welcomed me with open arms. They've supported me. They've cheered me on more than I ever thought they would have." The same neighbourhood where Stacey trains, Verdun, will play host to the Sticks In For Charity tournament on Aug. 23. The proceeds raised by the LS7 Foundation this year will benefit four charities: KidSport Ontario, Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, Fitspirit-Fillactive and Canadian Tire Jumpstart, which is funding youth hockey initiatives led by Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender, Kim St-Pierre. In Montreal, it's a chance for Stacey to connect more with the community where she trains, and to see that impact up close. "If we can help some kids in the Verdun, Montreal community get active, get involved in sport, have that same opportunity me and my sister did, then I think that's a way of giving back and being appreciative of everything they've done for me," Stacey said.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Frost Assistant Mira Jalosuo Leading St. Cloud's First All-Woman Coaching Staff
There will be no men behind the bench at St. Cloud State University when the puck drops on the 2025-26 NCAA women's hockey season for the first time. That comes after former head coach Brian Idalski departed for the new head coaching position with PWHL Vancouver, and he was replaced by Minnesota Frost assistant coach Mira Jalosuo.
