It was the late 1970s in Vancouver and a young Laura Bennion wanted to play minor hockey.

Her mom Glenda took her to the local arena to sign up, waiting in line for their turn to fill out the paperwork. When it was their turn, the Bennions were told seven-year-old Laura wouldn’t be allowed to play the game she loved.

“I was quite a little tomboy so I didn’t really look out of place there,” recalls Laura. “I got to the front of the line and my mom started to give my name and everything. The person at the desk looked at me and then looked at my mom and said, ‘No girls allowed. There’s no girls allowed in this league.’ And then she said, ‘Girls don’t play hockey.’”

That experience may have driven little Laura away from the game. But the story didn’t end there. As Laura and her mom stepped aside to figure out what to do next, a local minor hockey coach, Keith Morrison, tapped Glenda on the shoulder and offered young Laura a spot on his team.

Morrison was a longtime supporter of minor hockey in the community and a player himself, helping grow a group of UBC friends into the Vancouver Flames Oldtimers. Morrison, who passed away in January, was inducted into the Canadian Adult Recreational Hockey Association Hall of Fame in 1998. Bennion has been thinking about Morrison a lot these days, as the first person to give her a chance in hockey, something that led her to a lifetime love of the game.

“(Morrison) said, ‘We’ll figure something out; we’ll put Larry on her helmet and she can play on my team,’” says Bennion. “His kid was the same age as me and we had gone to hockey school together so he had seen me play, not that that really matters when you’re seven. He did that and I played hockey as Larry for the whole first year and it sort of started to leak out at the end that I wasn’t actually Larry. That’s how I got my start.”

As a young child, Bennion was seemingly one of those kids just destined to be in and around hockey for her whole life. Her mother Glenda, who continues to live in the Vancouver area, says young Laura would spend hours on their concrete deck in the backyard screaming ‘She shoots, she scores.’

“She had a love of hockey from the time she was a toddler. It did not come from me,” laughs Glenda. “Her father died when she was five months old of a brain tumour but he a was a rabid hockey fan. His team was the Toronto Maple Leafs. He never got a chance to teach her that, but I’ve always presumed it’s genetic, honestly. When they say nature versus nurture, I think it was just in her genes. She loved hockey.”

Today, Bennion is 50 and is a well-known and reputable doctor in Calgary, splitting her time between her family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, and sports medicine. Her husband, Ian Auld, is the team doctor for the Calgary Flames and the couple have two children – 15-year-old Evan, who plays hockey at Edge School for Athletes, and 11-year-old Carys, who is an avid volleyball and softball player.

Bennion has never lost her love for hockey and it continues to be a major part of her life. After that first year of playing minor hockey as Larry, she joined a girls’ league in the Lower Mainland, where she spent the rest of her minor hockey career. As a teenager, Bennion developed a keen interest in basketball (seeing more opportunities in that sport than hockey) and played varsity basketball in high school. She went on to play two years for the women’s basketball team at the University of British Columbia, thinking then her hockey career may be over.

Soon, though…

“I started to run into problems with my shoulder dislocating and it became clear that basketball – where obviously your arms are over your head a lot – was vulnerable for me and not a great sport for me and hockey was actually better,” says Bennion. “I heard there were some varsity teams in the eastern U.S., so I reached out to the coach of the Northeastern team in Boston and I went there for my third, fourth and fifth years of my undergrad (journalism). I quite fortunately found myself in a really good hockey program.”

Bennion would return to British Columbia after those three years to study medicine at UBC. She was instrumental in starting the women’s hockey team at the university in 1994, gathering players from across the campus and eventually helping it grow to a post-secondary power. Bennion coached the UBC team initially and then, due to the fact she still had university eligibility to play, spent three seasons (1996-99) with the team on the ice.

Bennion, who played forward and defence during her college/university career, also tried out for Canada’s National Women’s Team on two occasions, including in the mid-90s in the lead-up to the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

Her work in starting the UBC women’s team was so critical that Bennion was inducted into the UBC Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.

She continues to be active. She and Ian are avid cyclists, spending much of the spring and summer months on their road and mountain bikes. Hockey is still at the forefront of Bennion’s life, as well; she is a doctor for Canada’s National Women’s Team and worked with the Calgary Inferno during its Canadian Women’s Hockey League lifespan, dating back to its start as Team Alberta.

She shares a family practice with a partner in Calgary, practices sports medicine with Group 23, and continues to deliver babies. Bennion loves the diversity in the work she does.

“I think I’m a pretty even-keeled type of person. I don’t get flustered by much. That helps,” she says when asked how she succeeds. “Probably being involved in all of those realms has helped with that. I’m interested in a bunch of different things. I’m not an all-eggs-in-one-basket kind of person. I really thrive on the diversity.

“I never used to see many parallels between sports medicine and pregnancy but, actually, there are tons. Sports medicine people are trying to use their bodies in a way that challenges them and sometimes it doesn’t always go right and pregnancy, obviously, is one of the biggest challenges, physically, that a woman will go through in her life. I feel like those two things there are some natural comparisons.”

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. UNITED STATES (NOV. 10)

The U.S. leg of the Rivalry Series comes to a close Sunday in Boise as Canada’s National Women's Team looks to take a lead in the series back to Canada ahead of the February finale.

Last Meeting & Last Game

Canada evened up the series with a wild 5-4 shootout win on Friday night in West Valley City, Utah. Laura Stacey scored twice in regulation, but the Canadians gave back a three-goal lead in the third period and needed heroics from 17-year-old Chloe Primerano, who scored as nice as shootout goal as you’re going to see to clinch the victory in the fifth round.

What to Watch

It’s becoming increasingly more obvious – Stacey loves the spotlight. The Kleinburg, Ontario, product potted a pair of goals in Game 2, continuing her trend of showing up for big games. Beginning with the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Stacey has recorded 27 points (14-13—27) in 44 games at the Olympics, Women’s Worlds or Rivalry Series; that’s almost two-thirds of her career scoring total in almost half of her career games (she has 44 points in 98 games). The veteran line with Stacey alongside Blayre Turnbull and Emily Clark has been a steadying force for the Canadians, chipping in three of the six regulation-time goals through the first two games.

It will be a homecoming Sunday night for Hilary Knight; the American captain will play in her home state for the first time – Boise is three hours west of her hometown of Sun Valley. Knight continues to produce at 35 years old – she scored twice in the final six minutes on Friday to help the U.S. erase a late three-goal deficit and force overtime, and has eight points (4-4—8) in eight Rivalry Series games across the last two seasons. The future Hall of Famer is closing in on 300 points in her Team USA career (she’s currently at 276) and owns a handful of Women’s Worlds records, including most medals (14), goals (65) and points (111).

Milestone Watch

After scoring a shorthanded goal on Friday night, Marie-Philip Poulin needs just one point to pass Hockey Hall of Fame forward Danielle Goyette for fourth place in all-time National Women’s Team scoring (219 points).

Brianne Jenner is just two goals away from 50 for her Team Canada career, which would make her the 14th player to reach that mark, while Stacey and Sarah Nurse will both play the 99th game of their international careers as they inch closer to the 100-game plateau.

A Look Back

Idaho becomes the 19th different state to host the Canada-United States rivalry, with the Canadians holding a 35-29-1 edge in games played south of the border.

If history tells us anything, overtime is a distinct possibility; of the 65 games to be played on U.S. ice since 1994, 16 have required extra time, including seven of the last 15. The first to go past 60 minutes was the gold medal game at the 1995 Pacific Rim Championship, a 2-1 Canadian shootout win, and Caroline Ouellette was the first to score an overtime winner for Canada, in the gold medal game at the 2012 Women’s Worlds.

All-time record: Canada leads 106-80-1 (25-20 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 521
United States goals: 461

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. UNITED STATES (NOV. 8)

It’s right back to work in the Rivalry Series for Canada’s National Women's Team, which looks to bounce back from an opening-game loss when it takes on the United States in the Salt Lake City suburb of West Valley City on Friday night.

Last Meeting & Last Game

Canada opened the series with a 7-2 loss to the U.S. on Wednesday night in San Jose, California. Blayre Turnbull and Sarah Nurse scored 92 seconds apart late in the second period to provide the Canadian offence, but a five-goal first period for the Americans proved to be the difference. Ann-Renée Desbiens was solid in relief of starter Kristen Campbell, turning aside 12 of 14 shots over the final 40 minutes.

What to Watch

Daryl Watts took a rather unique route to her Team Canada debut in San Jose. After winning a pair of silver medals at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in 2016 and 2017, the Toronto native embarked on a historic college career, becoming the first freshman to win the Patty Kazmaier Award as NCAA player of the year with Boston College in 2018 and winning a national title with the University of Wisconsin in 2021. She signed a record-breaking contract with the Toronto Six in January 2023 and won the PHF championship a few months later before she heard her name called by Ottawa in the inaugural PWHL Draft, leading the team in goals before signing with the Toronto Sceptres. Now she can call herself a National Women’s Team alumna.

Laila Edwards was the MVP of the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship on home ice in Utica, scoring a tournament-leading six goals in seven games. She also took home the Bob Allen Women’s Player of the Year Award from USA Hockey. But a new season means a new challenge, and Edwards has made the move from forward to defence – she lined up alongside veteran Megan Keller on the Americans’ top pairing in the series opener on Wednesday night. She didn’t look out of place (she had played on the blue line in minor hockey and high school), recording a pair of assists in the win.

Milestone Watch

Marie-Philip Poulin needs just one point to tie Hockey Hall of Fame forward Danielle Goyette for fourth place in all-time National Women’s Team scoring (218 points).

Brianne Jenner is just two goals away from 50 for her Team Canada career, which would make her the 14th player to reach that mark, while Sarah Nurse and Laura Stacey will both play the 98th game of their international careers as they inch closer to the 100-game plateau.

A Look Back

There’s plenty of history attached to this one. The Maverik Center was formerly known as the E Center, and was the site of the hockey tournaments at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

Canadian hockey fans know how the women’s tournament ended – on Feb. 21, 2002, Jayna Hefford scored the winner in the dying seconds of the second period and Canada edged the U.S. 3-2 to win their first-ever Olympic gold medal.

All-time record: Canada leads 105-80-1 (24-20 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 516
United States goals: 457

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. UNITED STATES (NOV. 6)

Canada’s National Women's Team gets a new season underway Wednesday night against a very familiar foe as the 2024-25 edition of the Rivalry Series begins in northern California.

Last Meeting & Last Game

The cross-border rivals last met April 14 in Utica, New York, in the gold medal game at the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship. Needing overtime after a wild third period that saw the Canadians and Americans combine for four goals in six minutes, Danielle Serdachny was the heroine, knocking in an Erin Ambrose rebound 5:19 into the extra period to give Canada a 6-5 win and a 13th world title. Ambrose finished with a goal and an assist, while Marie-Philip Poulin lived up to her Captain Clutch moniker once again with a pair of goals.

The Rivalry Series finale went Feb. 11 in St. Paul, Minnesota, with Canada – for the second year in a row – completing a reverse sweep. Natalie Spooner and Emma Maltais scored a pair of goals each (and both added an assist), Sarah Nurse added three helpers and the Canadians romped to a 6-1 victory in Game 7, clinching a fourth-straight win and a series triumph.

What to Watch

All eyes on Chloe Primerano. The 17-year-old defender – who passed Ambrose to became the highest-scoring blue-liner in National Women’s Under-18 Team history in the summer series against the U.S. and appears set to lead Canada into the 2025 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in January – will become the second-youngest defender to play for Canada’s National Women’s Team, just two weeks older than Cheryl Pounder was at the 1994 Women’s Worlds. The North Vancouver, B.C., native has been terrific as a freshman at the University of Minnesota, posting six points (1-5—6) in 10 games for the third-ranked Golden Gophers.

The Americans are bringing a decidedly younger roster to San Jose than Canada, with 10 of the 27 players plying their trade in college hockey this season. Leading that group is University of Wisconsin fifth-year senior Casey O’Brien, who is atop the NCAA with 26 points (7-19—26) in 12 games for the undefeated and No. 1-ranked Badgers. O’Brien, who made her national team debut during last year’s Rivalry Series, wasn’t among the first group of players named to the U.S. roster in early October, but played her way onto the team with her red-hot start.

Milestone Watch

Poulin needs just one point to tie Hockey Hall of Fame forward Danielle Goyette for fourth place in all-time National Women’s Team scoring (218 points).

Brianne Jenner is just two goals away from 50 for her Team Canada career, which would make her the 14th player to reach that mark, while Nurse will play the 97th game of her international career as she inches closer to the 100-game plateau.

A Look Back

It’s the 186th meeting between Canada and the United States, dating back to 1990.

The head-to-head history favours the Canadians, but the Americans have a narrow advantage in San Jose, winning three of five. Canada got the ‘W’ the last time the teams met at the Shark Tank, scoring a 3-1 victory as part of a pre-Olympic series in December 2017 thanks to goals from Nurse, Poulin and Haley Irwin.

All-time record: Canada leads 105-79-1 (24-20 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 514
United States goals: 450

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the 25 players who will wear the Maple Leaf with Canada’s National Women’s Team for the first three games of the 2024-25 Rivalry Series, starting Nov. 6 in San Jose, California.

Three goaltenders, eight defence and 14 forwards were selected by general manager Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, QC/Toronto, PWHL), head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, NS/Toronto, PWHL) and Cherie Piper (Scarborough, ON), senior manager of player development and scouting. 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), along with goaltending consultant Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, AB/Toronto, PWHL), also provided input.

“The 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship is only six months away, and getting a look at our team and roster depth begins with these first three games,” said Kingsbury. “These teams know each other very well, but we still have an opportunity to build on what we worked on at September camp as we evaluate ourselves now and throughout the season.”

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

Chloe Primerano (North Vancouver, BC/University of Minnesota, WCHA) and Daryl Watts (Toronto, ON/Toronto, PWHL) will also make their National Women’s Team debuts in the cross-border competition.

Atlantic Canada will be the backdrop for the final two games of the series next February. The first stop will take place 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.

Hockey Canada, in partnership with its 13 Members, will announce grassroots initiatives for both Canadian stops, ensuring Canada’s National Women’s Team engages with the community and leaves a lasting legacy with the next generation.  

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

Canada has won the Rivalry Series in back-to-back seasons, winning the final four games in 2023 and 2024 to secure victory in seven games. Since the start of the Rivalry Series during the 2018-19 season, Canada holds a 15-13 advantage over the Americans.

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, Instagram and TikTok.

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 .

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.

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. UNITED STATES (APRIL 14)

Here we go. Canada’s National Women's Team is one win away from a record-extending 13th gold medal at the IIHF Women’s World Championship, taking on the host Americans in the gold medal game Sunday night.

Last Game

Canada took care of business in the semifinals, shutting out Czechia 4-0 to advance to the gold medal game. Laura Stacey set up first-period goals for Blayre Turnbull and Jocelyne Larocque. Emily Clark and Sarah Fillier rounded out the scoring for the Canadians. Ann-Renée Desbiens made nine saves while Canada put 47 shots on Czechia’s Klara Peslarova.

The United States come into the gold medal game undefeated, earning a 5-0 shutout of Finland in the semifinals. University of Wisconsin forward Laila Edwards recorded a hat trick, with Hannah Bilka and Savannah Harmon finding the back of the net as well. Finland’s Sanni Ahola made 50 saves, while Aerin Frankel stopped 15 shots for the semifinal win.

Last Meeting 

The North American rivals played arguably the best game of the preliminary round last Monday, with the Canadians dropping a narrow 1-0 decision in overtime. Ann-Renée Desbiens was absolutely sensational, finishing with 29 saves, but Canada couldn’t solve Frankel. It marked just the third time in 184 all-time meetings that Canada and the U.S. went 60 minutes goalless – the other two were both in Women’s Worlds gold medal games, in 2005 and 2016.

What to Watch 

While names like Poulin, Nurse, Spooner and Fast get the headlines, Jocelyne Larocque continues to just go about her business quietly and effectively. Set to play in her 10th Women’s Worlds gold medal game, the Ste. Anne, Manitoba, product – who cracked list of top-10 oldest players to represent Canada at the tournament (she was 35 years, 10 months, 17 days for the prelim opener) – leads the Canadian contingent in time on ice (22:21 per game) and tops the tournament with a plus/minus of +15. She’s also chipped in with a goal and four assists in six games.

In order for Canada to have success today, they will need to find a way past Frankel. She has had a record-breaking tournament for the United States, allowing only three goals in five games, with a 0.59 goals-against average and a 0.962 saves percentage. With her semifinal shutout, the 24-year-old set the record for the most shutouts at a single Women’s Worlds with four.

A Look Back 

This will be the 22nd time Canada and the U.S. have met for gold at Women’s Worlds, with Canada holding a 12-9 edge in the first 21. Nor surprisingly, these two teams always seem to play a close game with a world title on the line.

Prior to last year’s 6-3 win for the Americans – which was a tie game with less than four minutes to go – seven of the previous eight gold medal games were one-goal contests, and the only outlier, in 2015, was a two-goal game. Those eight games included five that needed overtime – in 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017 and 2021.

All-time record: Canada leads 104-79-1 (23-20 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 508 
United States goals: 445