One of Canada’s most decorated linespersons during her on-ice career, Vanessa Stratton has smoothly transitioned to her latest role as an officiating coach, one of just three dozen around the world.

The Toronto native’s career included 10 national championships, seven world championships, U SPORTS championships and multiple Clarkson Cup Final games in the now-defunct Canadian Women’s Hockey League. She is also the only woman on the IIHF Officiating Committee and works as the female high performance officiating lead with BC Hockey.

HockeyCanada.ca got the chance to sit down with Stratton and ask about her journey, her favourite moments and her advice for young officials just getting into the game.

HC: You transitioned from competitive figure skating to hockey when you were 13. Who inspired you to become an official?

VS: I was fortunate enough to grow up on skates. From the time we could walk, my sister and I were enrolled in figure skating. Both of us took to it and ended up competing at various levels. When we moved to Windsor, I went on the ice for a practice, got off the ice and said to my parents that I was ready to try something different and wanted to play hockey.

Switching to hockey led to my journey in officiating. A lot of my friends were getting part-time jobs at different places. My dad suggested I try officiating. It was a way to make some cash, but also make my own schedule. I enrolled in a certification course, got connected to the local association and referee-in-chief and off to the races we were.

The cool part is my dad had a bit of a vested interest. He played in the OHL and NCAA and then had a similar pathway where it was suggested he try officiating. He climbed the ranks quickly, officiating in the OHL and IHL, and did a quick stint in the NHL for exhibition games. It’s fun to really look back and see how our journeys were different streams, yet similar pathways and I give him a ton of credit for promoting officiating to me as it wasn’t something I had considered at the time.

HC: What is the most memorable game you officiated?

VS: Anything at the international level is always such a privilege, but nothing beats a Canada-U.S. game. I was afforded the opportunity to do a few. Kamloops hosted the 4 Nations Cup in 2014 and Women’s Worlds in 2016, and I was selected to do both events. I was skating the gold medal game in 2014, Canada vs. United States. It was a sold-out crowd – at the time, women’s hockey was starting to really gain some traction and it was such an electric atmosphere.

Why this one was so memorable is that it just recently created a full-circle moment. Prior to some games, we have a group of young officials come on the ice with us for opening laps and the anthems. That game we had four young officials on with us. Fast forward to when I was living out in British Columbia and took on the role with BC Hockey, I found out that two of those officials were on the ice that day with me. Years later, it made that game even more special.

HC: What is your favourite part about your role as an officiating coach?

VS: Here’s the really unique thing about both officiating and coaching – the team that you work with is very rarely the same. In both roles, you have to adapt how you work together, communicate with one another and leverage each other’s strengths in short-term competition. It’s more prominent in my role as an officiating coach and it’s something I appreciate the challenge of.

Secondly, seeing the officials you work with gain success and achieve their goals is something that is just so special. And lastly, the people really make the experience. I get to work with such a variety of people in officiating – whether it be provincially, nationally or internationally – and many of them have become lifelong friends. Gabrielle Ariano-Lortie and I went to almost every one of our international events together, we were roommates at almost all of them and skated a good chunk of games together. Now we get to be officiating coaches together and she has become one of my very good friends.

HC: What do you look for in a young official that can help them get to the next level?

VS: Of course, the technical skills – skating is at the forefront of those skills. Agility and mobility, along with strength and speed, are all part of the toolbox. Then, how do they react in a game – positioning and movement, how they implement and manage the rules in game. Communication is also key – how an official communicates with coaches, players and their own teammates is a predominant trait that is of growing importance for an official who is striving to do higher levels of hockey.

With the evolution of the sport as a whole, one of the aspects in officiating that our different leadership groups are really focusing on is looking for the “whole official.” We want the best officials and those that have potential to grow, and they need to have the technical skills and abilities, but they also need to be well-rounded people and bring the off-ice skills that are necessary to being good teammates and good humans in our group as well.

HC: We’ve seen how women’s hockey has grown in recent years; what has that meant for officials and providing more opportunities to showcase their skills?

VS: International women’s hockey is thriving. Professional women’s leagues in places such as Switzerland and Sweden are continuing to grow and provide opportunities for officials overseas. Specifically in North America, the PWHL has brought a focused energy that has not existed through the previous leagues and a true professional mentality towards women’s hockey in the two largest markets in the world.

However, there is still a gap when it comes to the opportunities, specifically for female officials. We don’t need to provide equal opportunities, but we should be equitable. And while there has been a phenomenal number of opportunities and attention on the players, coaches and administrators within the league, the unpopular opinion is that there have not been equitable opportunities for officials. And this is something I would love to challenge and urge the various stakeholders and decision-makers to change. Let’s close the gap across all facets of the game and truly become equitable and provide the opportunities to women in the entire game.

HC: In 2023, you became one of four people—and the only woman—elected to the IIHF Officiating Committee. What does it mean to be able to have an impact over the development of hockey officials around the world?

VS: Well, when you read that, it hits a bit on how impactful my role can be. The truth is, I felt a bit of imposter syndrome when I first started. First of all, I’m thankful for the opportunity and the trust – both from the IIHF and Hockey Canada, who supported the nomination. To be able to be a part of the development of hockey officials at a global level is incredible.

At the IIHF, there is currently a shift happening – how we facilitate and implement officiating across licensing and selections, developing and growing member national associations (MNAs) along with coaching and education are key facets that are evolving and changing. My role in that process and to be fortunate to put my own stamp on pieces of a change is such a unique opportunity. It’s exciting to be a part of such a large-scale change that will benefit and impact so many across the world and hopefully be in place for the foreseeable future.

HC: What advice do you have for young women who are beginning their officiating journey?

VS: I have a few pieces of advice…

- Develop a strong knowledge of the game – Never stop learning.

- Physical fitness is important – Fitness will help you perform better and boost your confidence.

- Seek out mentorship – Find experienced officials to support you and help guide your journey.

- Learn from mistakes – We all make them; it’s part of learning and growing.

- Believe in yourself – Confidence is key.

- Advocate for yourself – Speak up when necessary; it’s important to voice concerns or seek opportunities.

- Be resilient – Especially for young officials; you will encounter challenges and still see biases, so it’s essential to stay resilient and focused on your path.

- Enjoy the journey – Make sure you take the time to enjoy the ride, because it is really something special!

Once Ali Beres sets her sights on a goal, she will most likely accomplish it.

Switching from ringette to hockey to transitioning to officiating after her U SPORTS hockey career and embracing other athletic pursuits, Beres’ determination keeps her chasing new goals.

“I’m lucky to have athletics be a huge part of my life growing up,” says the 27-year-old. “I feel very fortunate to be involved in sports and at the level that I am with the opportunities I’ve had.”

Growing up in Lions Bay, B.C., about 30 minutes from Vancouver, Beres and her sister Maegan played ringette as there were no girls’ hockey programs. When she was 13 years old, she switched to hockey, intending to play at the university level.

Transitioning from ringette to hockey required Beres to learn new skills, including stickhandling and shooting the puck.

“When I switched from playing ringette to hockey, there was a skill and knowledge gap,” she says.

A coach told her that she was behind her peers at that age and probably shouldn’t bother, but her drive led her to participate in skill development camps and shooting 200 pucks in the family garage so she would be able to play.

“I remember that conversation with this coach when I was 14 years old. That moment shaped me and who I am today,” says Beres. “It taught me that if you want something badly and you put in the effort and hard work and you have the determination, you can still achieve your goals. Most importantly, to never give up on something you love.”

That love and passion led her on a successful hockey path, including playing for B.C. at the 2013 National Women’s Under-18 Championship and varsity hockey at Western University in London, Ontario, where she won a U SPORTS national title in 2015, a silver medal at nationals and two Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championships.

As Beres finished her university career, she thought about what would come next. She knew she wanted to stay involved in the game and leaned on an aspect of the game she used to participate in – officiating.

“I wasn’t ready to just hang up the skates and call it quits after my U SPORTS career. The rink has been a part of my life since I was three,” she says. “As soon as the final game ended, it was so emotional. I knew after that I was going to have to get a job and that I wasn’t going to be playing anymore. I remembered that I loved officiating growing up.”

Beres decided she wanted to put on a new jersey, play on a new team and see where officiating could take her. After graduating, she got re-certified in Ontario.

“I just kept skating lots of games with so many different people and games as possible and learn as much as I could,” she says. “I saw so many people ahead of me in the program and saw all their accomplishments and telling my mentors that those are the assignments that I’d love to take on.”

Since transitioning to officiating, Beres has had the opportunity to participate in the Hockey Canada Officials Program of Excellence (OPOE), which is a performance pathway for officials to reach their high-level goals.

Since then, she has been a linesperson at some significant events, including the 2014 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship (Division 1B) and the Professional Women’s Hockey League Battle on Bay Street game between Toronto and Montreal earlier this year.

“I’m grateful to have had so many opportunities through officiating,” says Beres. “What I love about officiating is that you’re still part of the game. It’s intense … there’s pressure on your shoulders and you’re still competing as an athlete. It is our job to make sure the game is played fair and safe.”

Beres wouldn’t be able to balance life as a solution engineer with a procurement company, officiating and competing in triathlons without the support system of her family, particularly Maegan.

“We are best friends and we’ve always been competitive,” she said. “We’ve always tried to push each other. Our parents instilled solid values in us. While we were competitive, we also supported each other, and knowing that each other’s successes doesn’t mean the other isn’t successful.”

Like Ali, Maegan had hockey aspirations that she was determined to achieve. She played NCAA hockey for Boston College and with the Toronto Six of the Premier Hockey Federation, and won a silver medal with Canada at the 2017 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.

“We’ve always been super close, and she turned into such a big role model for me and being the younger sister, you kind of idolize your big sister,” says Maegan. “When I had a lot of success in my hockey career, she was one of the closest people to me and I always leaned on her for advice and support.”

Being athletically fit is important to stay at high-level hockey pace, but it also helps Ali stay mentally fresh and healthy and able to balance her professional career as well. Outside of officiating, Ali competes in triathlons, a sport she quickly fell in love with.

“The players are giving 100 per cent, so we need to be able to match that and give it our all too. I was a little bored of the gym, so I wanted to push my athletic comfort zone, so I signed up for an Ironman 70.3 (also known as a half-Ironman) and I got really addicted,” Ali says.

As Ali continues to set goals for herself – including officiating at the Olympics, her sister knows her drive is what will get her there.

“Once she has a glimpse of that goal, I just know she will do everything in her power to get there and accomplish it,” says Maegan. “I am very proud of her and what she’s accomplished and seeing her transition from her playing career in hockey into officiating. I’m excited to see where this journey takes her.”

I'm someone who says yes to things. I go back to this quote I came across in high school: you get in life what you have the courage to ask for. Whether it was lacing up my first pair of skates, moving to the Maritimes or putting on a headset for the first time, I found the courage to say yes to opportunities that scare me.

I grew up in a household of hockey fans. Every morning before school, I would eat my bowl of Froot Loops and watch SportsCentre on TSN, amazed that people could talk sports for a living. My father and my older brother both played hockey, so it was natural for me to follow in their footsteps. I initially played boys’ hockey, switching to girls’ hockey in U11. That accelerated my passion for the game because I walked into a dressing room and immediately met 23 girls that loved the same sport I did. To this day, I’m still close with some of my minor hockey teammates.

In Grade 12, I was playing for the Ottawa Junior Senators. My teammates were committing to colleges, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was at a crossroad. I wanted more balance between hockey, school and life. My student teacher at the time, Andrea Leacock, recommended I check out her alma mater, Mount Allison University. From the moment I met the coach, toured the town and met a few of the players, it felt right. I had never been to the Maritimes before that trip, but I chose to call Sackville, New Brunswick home for the next five years, playing hockey, studying business and discovering television along the way.

I knew I wanted to turn my hobby into a career in my fifth year of university when I saw first-hand the excitement an interview could bring to a young athlete. I had a chance to volunteer at a local cable channel, Eastlink Community TV. It was my first time filming a story, we were covering a girls’ junior high school basketball championship. I went up to the MVP and asked her the good old question, “How does it feel to have won?” The look of sheer terror, happiness and anticipation all mixed into one emotion, surrounded by her giggling teammates, was priceless. It was in that moment I realized I was seeing myself, and what it would have been like if someone came up to me and my teammates wanting to interview us after a win, recognizing our accomplishment. I knew from that moment on, I wanted to provide women athletes an opportunity to have their accomplishments honoured and voices heard.

When I joined Eastlink Community TV full-time, it was my manager, Brett Smith, who encouraged me to try play-by-play. For the first few weeks, I got my feet wet—I didn’t know much about live broadcasting. I learned quickly that in television, you learn by doing; it’s all about the reps. I knew I would either sink or swim, and I swam. Within two months, I was hosting the Halifax Mooseheads broadcasts, and within three months, I was calling hockey. Five months later, I was calling soccer, basketball, volleyball, even ringette. I began hosting a weekly community show, filling in as a camera operator and producing stories. I tried it all and loved it. I gained an appreciation for grassroots sports and began to feel a responsibility every time I called a game. A responsibility to pronounce names correctly, introduce viewers to the person behind the athlete and, most importantly, give an athlete their moment.

The night before I called my first QMJHL game on television, I was nervous. It was going to be the first time a woman provided play-by-play commentary for the league on television. People often ask me what that was like. Well, I felt as though if I did great, I did the job, but if I failed, I’d hinder future opportunities for women. The night before the game between the Halifax Mooseheads and Charlottetown Islanders, I got a phone call. It was Leah Hextall, someone who knows first-hand, on a much larger scale, the feeling of carrying the weight of your gender on your shoulders. She gave me some great advice—trust yourself, because you’ve earned this, and be present. Two tips I still remind myself.

It wasn’t too long after that, I got another phone call came from TSN for the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Calgary. This was the first time Group B games were going to be televised, so they were looking for a second commentary team. I had a few weeks to prepare, get comfortable with international women’s hockey and European names, and go into the Calgary bubble to work with the network that inspired this Froot Loops-loving, sport-obsessed nine-year-old.

Since then, I have had the opportunity to be a part of some incredible sporting events. Reporting on women’s hockey at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games was very special. The event was so unique, I’ll never forget that experience in Beijing and how it shaped me as the reporter I am today in Montreal. The most recent World Juniors in Halifax was very memorable because I returned to the rink where my television career started, in the same role, as a rink-side reporter, on the same ice. The IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in Wisconsin stands out for me because for the first time, the U18 women were receiving televised coverage and I was a part of it in the booth. Exposure of the women’s game is vital for growth, and I am proud to work with fellow team members that want to even the playing field.

😂🙏🏼 what a week https://t.co/qVlAMdy84g

— Kenzie Lalonde (@KenzieTSN) September 7, 2022

And that’s why I love television—it’s a team sport. The crew and staff behind the scenes of a broadcast is where the magic is made. We all have to rely on each other; a skill I developed in hockey. I learned how to trust my teammates, who are now a colour commentator, a camera operator or the producer, who is like a coach. I know what it’s like to be a rookie, to value other people’s sacrifices and, most importantly, how to fight when the odds are against you.

Jenn Berezowski always wanted the opportunity to officiate at a top-level IIHF tournament.

With 15 years of experience as an on-ice official, working in numerous leagues and tournaments around Canada, Berezowski finally got the chance when she was chosen as a referee for the 2023 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in Sweden.

There was just one small dilemma. Berezowski had recently given birth to her second daughter, Hannah.

“When I got the phone call in October 2022 to do the U18 Women’s Worlds in January, I was about a month postpartum with my second daughter,” Berezowski recalls. “It was going to be tight with the timing, but I couldn’t say no.”

So, a month after Hannah was born, Berezowski resumed officiating games.

“I was back on the ice again and with my daughter attached to my hip,” she says.

When it came time to leave for Sweden, Berezowski, along with her mother and baby Hannah, made the trip from their home in Trenton, Ont., across the Atlantic. Meanwhile, her husband and their eldest daughter, three-year-old Scarlett, remained at home and watched as Berezowski refereed three games, including the gold medal game that saw Canada beat Sweden 10-0 to defend its world title.

Whether it was at home or on the road, Berezowski credits friends, family and colleagues for supporting her and Hannah.

“Everyone has taken turns coming to the arena with me so that I can be away from home and continue to ref but also have her with me there so I can feed her and keep her healthy,” Berezowski says. “My colleagues have been extremely supportive, no one has blinked an eye about me feeding my baby in between periods or having a babysitter hanging around. In doing that, they are helping normalize this path locally, nationally and internationally.”

Since the U18 worlds in Sweden, Berezowski has returned to officiating various leagues across Ontario with her daughter by her side. This week, she is part of the crew working the U SPORTS Women’s Hockey Championship in Montreal.

With the added logistics of travelling with her baby, on top of being a mother of two and a referee, Berezowski is also a chartered professional accountant. She admits that the spring season is one of her busiest times of the year, with provincial championships and playoffs happening at the same time as the Canadian tax season.

“It’s all about the support I receive from everyone, including my bosses who have been very generous with allowing me to have flexible hours,” Berezowski says. “During the spring, tax season and championships come to a peak, so it’s all about giving some and taking some and being one of the hardest workers out there.”

Normalizing newborns at the rink

Since donning the stripes when she was 16 years old, Berezowski says she has only once seen a mom with her newborn at the rink. However, she is optimistic that over time, it will be commonplace.

“We used to have to choose one of the two. I would’ve had to choose between continuing to do this or is it time to have a family,” Berezowski adds. “Now, people have opened their minds to the possibilities and you can do both. I’ve been lucky to be able to pursue everything.”

Berezowski is also in contact with the growing community of women officials. Whether it’s sharing experiences or bouncing thoughts and ideas off each other, the community continues to be very supportive. By sharing her story, Berezowski hopes to serve as a role model for other women, particularly new moms.

“I have a lot of colleagues that are young, and they haven’t started families yet, and through that online group, we’re transparent and showing that we’re in 2023, we can do this stuff if we want to, and I love that I can show that within my province and on the ice,” she says.

At the end of the day, Berezowski is encouraged by the support from the hockey community.

“It’s super rewarding to have a career, be an official on the ice and a mom, too,” she says. “Seeing people like Natalie Spooner and all she’s doing, we’re showing moms what is possible, and that we can do anything that we want to once we set our minds to it.”

Seven years old, Knox watched the likes of Danielle Goyette, Cassie Campbell and Kim St. Pierre power Canada to a dominant 8-1 victory over China at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium during the 2000 IIHF World Women’s Championship.

“That was enough for me to latch onto that dream of one day wanting to be on the Olympic team,” Knox says.

Since that game 23 years ago, the Stouffville, Ont., native has had a successful career as a goaltender, winning everywhere she played. In university, she helped lead the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks to four straight Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championships . She won gold at the 2011 Winter Universiade as a member of Team Canada and in 2018 captured the Clarkson Cup with the Markham Thunder in the now-defunct Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL).

She also had a couple of chances to wear the Maple Leaf with Hockey Canada, including a silver medal with Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team at the 2009 MLP Cup and three appearances with Canada’s National Women’s Team.

As her playing career progressed, Knox found herself surrounded by influential women who inspired her to find her voice and become a leader.

During her time in the CWHL, Knox also served as the co-chair of the CWHLPA and later became a founding board member of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA). In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement called for a time of reflection, Knox made the decision to step down from the board, inviting Sarah Nurse to join and be an influential voice.

“I wanted to make sure [Sarah Nurse] had a voice at the table,” says Knox. “We’re really lucky to have her as an advocate for our sport and she’s also doing so much outside of hockey, it would have been such a missed opportunity if I hadn’t invited her."

Today, Knox does commentary during PWHPA Dream Gap Tour games, while serving as an advisor to the PWHPA. Away from the rink, she is a firefighter with the Town of Oakville, and if that wasn’t enough on her plate, she along with long-time friend [and fellow Team Canada alumna] Karell Emard, launched a podcast called The Knoxy & Kax Show on SDPN last year.

“Before the last Olympic Games, [SDPN CEO] Adam Wylde came up to me and said, ‘We want to do a women’s hockey podcast and I want you to be the host,’ and it’s been so fun,” Knox says.

The podcast, which began as a partnership between SDPN and the PWHPA, features some of the biggest names in women’s hockey sharing their stories and experiences in and around the game. Past guests include familiar names like Marie-Philip Poulin, Jocelyne Larocque, Sarah Nurse, Emily Clark and Natalie Spooner.

“There’s a huge learning curve but what a cool opportunity to hear from these players, hear about their journey and help people understand why what we are is so important,” says Knox.

“After two seasons, we’re doing it on the fly and feeding off each other,” Emard says. “When Liz and I were playing, we never had a chance to see and get to know our idols, so I think it’s super important for our listeners to listen to not just national players, but professional players too, so they can hear different stories and that there is more to achieve."

"For too long, we’ve judged our career on whether or not we made the national team, but a very successful career is also playing professional and being successful within those leagues.”

In addition to hosting a podcast and her work with the PWHPA, Liz Knox is also a firefighter with the Town of Oakville. (Photo supplied)

Inspiring the next generation

Through events like the recently completed Rivalry Series and 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship next month in Brampton, Ont., Knox hopes the added exposure to women’s hockey brings new fans and athletes to the sport.

“It’s representation and the fact you can see yourself in that person out there,” says Knox. “Now, you get to see people like Sarah Nurse, like Cassie Campbell, all these incredible people and you see them crushing these goals on the ice or on national broadcasts, in a space that hasn’t traditionally welcomed them. It’s going to invite and inspire more dreams, more people and young athletes to chase those dreams.

“The more inclusive we make this space, the more we will learn about ourselves and each other and make for some fun hockey to consume.”

As women’s hockey continues to expand and grow, Emard has no doubt that Knox will continue to play a big role in leading the way.

“She’s always been the voice of the players,” Emard says. “The players are very trusting of her and I hope she keeps doing it because we all feel like we are in good hands when she is around.”

In the hockey community, the women’s game has never been stronger.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, Hockey Canada has collaborated with some of the most successful women in the game to answer one question:

Why is it important to see women in influential positions in the game?

Alex Clarke (Drake, Sask.)

Clarke began officiating when she was 11 years old. and became the first woman to officiate in the Western Hockey League (WHL) in September 2021. She is also one of the first women to officiate in the American Hockey League (AHL), and was chosen to represent Canada on the ice as an official at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

Angela James (Toronto, Ont.)

A Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, four-time world champion and a member of the Order of Canada, James recorded 33 goals and 54 points in 50 games played with Canada’s National Women’s Team from 1990-1999. Today, James is the co-owner and general manager of the Toronto Six in the Premier Hockey Federation.

Brianne Jenner (Oakville, Ont.)

A two-time Olympic gold medallist, three-time world champion and long-time alternate captain, Jenner is a leader on and off the ice with Canada’s National Women’s Team. She is closing in on 150 games wearing the Maple Leaf, recording 106 points (41-65—106) to rank 13th in all-time Team Canada scoring.

Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, N.S.)

Since joining the Team Canada program in 2018, Cheverie has become a familiar face behind the bench, helping guide Canada to gold medals at the 2021 and 2022 Women’s Worlds, and the 2022 Olympics. She made history last spring, becoming the first woman to serve as a coach with a men’s national team at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship.

Manon Rhéaume (Lac Beauport, Que.)

Rhéaume became the first—and still only—woman to play in an NHL game with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992. As a member of Canada’s National Women’s Team, the netminder is a two-time world champion and a silver medallist at the 1998 Olympics—the first year women’s hockey was included in the Games.

Marian Jacko (Wiikwemkoong First Nation, Ont.)

Elected to Hockey Canada’s Board of Directors in December 2022, Jacko is the Assistant Deputy Attorney General for the Indigenous Justice Division of the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General. Currently, she is the President of the Little Native Hockey League ("Little NHL"), the President of Anishnawbe Health of Toronto, and the head coach of the U18A team in North York.

Stephanie White (Toronto, Ont.)

A former coach of women’s hockey who won gold with Canada’s National Women’s Team in 2007 and silver in 2009 with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, White is currently BC Hockey's chair of the board. She is currently the director of athletes at the University of Windsor and previously served as the director of sport at Western University.

Young, fierce and determined, Alanna Mah’s path to Canada’s national women’s para hockey team was a direct one.

At just six months old, she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. Doctors found a tumour around her spinal cord. While she fought the cancer and won, her battle left her with an incomplete spinal injury that impairs the full use of her legs.

That had little effect on Mah’s athletic career, though; she played multiple sports growing up through the Paralympic Sports Association in her hometown of Edmonton. Having grown up watching hockey with her family, Mah seized the opportunity to try para hockey as soon as she could.

“I knew that para hockey existed,” Mah says. “But I didn't really know much about it. So, I just went out to one of their practices and they let me give it a go and [I] fell in love with it.”

From there, Mah trained and practiced with the co-ed Edmonton Impact of the Edmonton Sled Hockey Club. When she reached eligibility at age 14, she attended an open tryout for the national team and made it.

“When I joined para hockey at nine [years old], I was the only girl on my team. I didn't really know of any girls playing in the province or in Canada. So, when I made the women's national team at 14, that was my first exposure to even knowing that there was a women's team.”

Eight years later, Mah and her national team teammates want to change that narrative. Through grants from the Hockey Canada Foundation, the women’s team runs a grassroots development program, hosting ’try-it‘ events for young girls across Canada in conjunction with its national training camps.

“I think it's super important to have girls see that there's an opportunity to play in an all-female environment, playing this game,” explains Mah. “Immersing them in that environment with us national players as mentors and coaches showing them, ‘This is where you can go. We're here, we exist.’ It gives them someone to look up to.”

While the 22-year-old forward’s passion is in growing the women’s game, Mah relishes the opportunity to compete on the co-ed side, playing for Team Alberta—the four-time national para hockey champions—alongside a few members of Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, Cody Dolan and Adam Kingsmill.

“I love the physical side of it,” Mah says of playing full-contact para hockey at the highest level. “It's one of my favorite parts of playing the game. I am on the smaller side, so sometimes it can be a little scary, but they don't treat me any differently out there. Everyone’s on the same playing field and they don't really even see that I'm a girl, they just see me as a player.”

With the Impact (with whom she both coaches and plays) and Team Alberta, Mah trains daily and is on the ice twice a week, balancing para hockey with full-time kinesiology studies at the University of Edmonton.

Her drive does not go unnoticed, with Derek Whitson, an assistant with the women’s national team and former Paralympian, noting, “I've been a teammate of hers through Team Alberta, and I've also been her coach for eight years and it is amazing [to see] the discipline and the work that she's been able to put in over two years to really step her game up.

Through a rebuilding year, she is definitely one of the leaders of her team now and she really is stepping up to the task. She's got this fun personality that isn't your typical leadership, but it really brings out the best in her and the team, because she keeps it light and keeps it fun for everybody.”

Whitson and head coach Tara Chisholm are preparing for an invitational national selection camp in Yellowknife, N.W.T., on April 24-May 1 before regional camps through June and July and finally a national team camp in Calgary, July 27-31, 2022.

The team is prepping for the 2022 Women's World Challenge, tentatively slated for the fall.

“It's exciting for our women, because this is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, world events that they've actually been able to pursue.” says Whitson. “This is a big opportunity to showcase what our women have been training for all these years and [representing] Canada, we have expectations with a gold standard to be on top at the end.”

While para hockey is a co-ed sport, just three women have ever competed at the Paralympic level, including China’s Yu Jing, who competed earlier this month at the 2022 Games. The goal for Mah and Women’s Para Hockey of Canada – the group that oversees the development of the women’s game across the country – is to see the inclusion of women’s para hockey in the Paralympics, but a lack of equitable international competition is a major barrier in that push.

While Whitson and Chisholm have dedicated their efforts to international development, awareness and participation domestically is still a priority for Mah and her national teammates.

It’s a labour of love for Mah, whose life has been shaped by the game.

“The environment and the people, you can't beat it. It’s just like a family.

“I think in any kind of sport, most people would feel that way, but especially being a female with a disability in sport, I think finding that group of people where you can really just relate to, and everyone understands you and gets you is just something that is unmatched.”

A Thunder Bay, Ont., native, Julia Tocheri has made a splash in the sports media industry in recent years. A well-known figure at BarDown and co-host of TSN’s Leafs Lunch, Julia’s path began by playing minor hockey with Hockey Northwestern Ontario (HNO) and the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA).

With her heart set on converting her love for the game into a career, Julia enrolled in the sports media program at Ryerson University, becoming an on-air personality with the university’s Rams Live. From there, she hosted Mississauga Steelheads games in the Ontario Hockey League before joining TSN.

Her headstrong pathway has led her to where she is today and hopes to be a leading example for young women going forward.

As part of the celebration of International Women’s Day, HNO chatted with Julia and touched on a few topics regarding women in sport.

Which city deserves its own OHL team? @juliatocheri, @jpolly2 and @corwinmc discuss on CHL on TSN! pic.twitter.com/xp3FVvOB5A

— BarDown (@BarDown) February 26, 2022

How have you enjoyed your endeavors with TSN and Leafs Lunch?

I have enjoyed them immensely. It's been a crazy kind of ride, being able to start with the social media team at TSN when I was in university and then become a part of the BarDown team. Being able to work in sports is the biggest blessing in the world. I grew up loving hockey and loving sports, and watching sports is one of my main pastimes. So being able to call it a job is a huge honour.

When did you realize you had a love for the game of hockey?

This goes all the way back to my Timbits days at Delaney Arena. My dad was the president of [a local minor hockey association] for a while, all of his friends had sons who were all getting registered in hockey. He just tossed the skates on me when I was three or four, signed me up for Timbits when I was six and I fell in love with it right away.

So many of my childhood memories revolve around hockey practice, revolve around going to the rink, revolve around tournament weekends, even through middle school and high school. So many of my favourite memories growing up are about hockey and playing hockey and just being a part of a team.

What has growing up playing hockey in Northwestern Ontario meant to you?

Northwestern Ontario is a big part of my identity. It's a big part of my brand as well, and I think there's something really special about this corner of the world. All you have to look at is how many NHL players this place outputs. It's crazy for the amount of people that live here.

I think my lack of an ego, my willingness to work hard and my willingness to start at the bottom, which is pretty Northwestern Ontario – a ‘get your lunchbox’ kind of gritty attitude – has helped me a lot in my career. I didn't realize how helpful it would be as I was growing up, but I'm so grateful for my roots, and growing up there and playing hockey there and just how it was ingrained in day-to-day life and every-day conversations at school. Hockey was a part of everything that we did. Combined with that hard-work attitude has set me up for success in a big way.

Do you see your success as an inspiration for young women to browse all the potential avenues the world of hockey has to offer?

I get messages from a lot of girls saying things like, "I love seeing you on BarDown, I love seeing you on TSN. You're such an inspiration," which is weird to me because two years ago I would look at women like Chris Simpson, like Kate Beirness, like Tessa Bonhomme, Andi Petrillo. I host Leafs Lunch now when Leafs Lunch was one of my favorite shows to watch with Andi Petrillo as the host. Those were the women that made me realize there was a place for me in hockey and to think that I could do that for girls who are watching now is really... It's really special. I can't overstate that, and I just hope it continues on.

There's so much more room for not just women in front of the camera, but women working for NHL teams, women working for junior teams, behind the scenes in sports. The women you see on the camera is a very small percentage of the women that exist in sports broadcasting. Representation is the key. If you see something, you could be it.

Do you have any women role models or influencers that inspired your path?

I just mentioned a few in Kate Beirness [and] Andi Petrillo. Chris Simpson was another person I watched growing up that I thought was really good, still one of the best in the game. And women in hockey, too, [like] Hayley Wickenheiser. So many women. My mom, even. So many moms would've been like, ‘Sports? Really? You want to talk about sports for your job?’ But my mom's always really believed that I could fit in anywhere and do anything that I'd like to do. Having the support of women around you is really vital in having a career like I do.

What are your words of wisdom to young women around the world?

The first thing, just in terms of on-camera success and success in any industry – being yourself is a big thing. When I really started to own who I was as a person and lean into it, as I developed a brand and a personality and kind of a broadcasting style, the more I leaned into myself, the more I leaned into Thunder Bay, the more I leaned into things I like, the more success I had. Authenticity is the biggest thing in the world when you're making connections, when you're on camera, no matter what you do. When I stopped trying to be somebody else is when I found my greatest success.

Another thing is to use other women as your allies. For example, my producer at Leafs Lunch is a woman, and it's been the coolest thing because I so rarely get to work with women in this industry. I'm used to working with guys. But when women work together, it's awesome. Stop seeing other women as competition and start seeing them as allies. It'll make your life and your career a lot more peaceful. When you have other women to lean on who get it and who have your back, it makes everything so much easier, whether it's sports or any male-dominated industry. To be on one another's side is the biggest piece of advice I can hand out.

The landscape of high-performance hockey officials has historically been dominated by men, but a number of elite women in Northern Ontario are breaking the mould and proving they can find success in high-performance leagues all over Ontario.

In the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL), there has been an increase of women in stripes in the last few years, and that trend looks to be continuing. The NOHA had the chance to speak with two of its phenomenal officials, Brandy Dewar-Beecroft of Sault Ste. Marie and Joelle Ouellette of Sudbury, to discuss what officiating means for them as they break through the barriers of working junior hockey.

Brandy grew up playing minor hockey in Sault Ste. Marie, and began officiating as a way to earn some extra money. She soon grew to love being on the lines, and continued working her way up the ladder as she attended Brock University. Brandy found the key to making the transition from player to referee was learning what situations like icings looked like from different perspectives on the ice—and learning the rulebook inside and out.

Joelle’s first hockey coach was her father, and she also transitioned to officiating out of playing minor hockey in Sudbury. The Sudbury officiating community immediately took Joelle under its wing, and she felt like she gained a new family who were always there to help with questions or guide her in the right direction. Joelle soon found herself on the lines for AAA games, and was invited to the NOHA Development Weekend in 2017.

Both officials credit hard work and dedication to their success. Brandy carries an impressive résumé with multiple IIHF Women’s World Championship games under her belt, with her standout game being the CWHL Clarkson Cup final in 2014. She highlights this game as the one that showed her that she was on the right track, and gave her the confidence and motivation to keep working hard toward her officiating goals. Recently, she was selected to referee the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship (Division 1 Group A) in Angers, France, which was cancelled due to COVID-19, and the 2022 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in Linköping and Mjölby, Sweden, which she respectfully declined as she welcomed a new baby. This year, Brandy is back for her first season with the NOJHL.

Joelle is still working her way through the ranks, but she’s already making a name for herself, and in 2018 was invited to the NHL Exposure Combine. She admits size can be a challenge sometimes for women at the high-performance levels of men’s hockey, but following procedures and being well-trained ensures everyone’s safety. She’s working toward her Level 4 certification, and has her eyes on the Olympic Games in the future.

Both Brandy and Joelle had a lot to say about their hockey families—the fellow officials, supervisors, schedulers and mentors who have helped them along the way, and the hard work and sacrifices often needed to work up to the higher levels. In some leagues, there still isn’t mileage available, so to skate in those levels, officials are often losing some of their game fee just to be there. It’s also difficult to watch men moving up the ranks faster, but both Brandy and Joelle are confident that there are opportunities for women in the officiating world, and there are supporters out there watching and ready to help bring more women onto the lines, including NOJHL commissioner Robert Mazzuca.

Last season, the NOJHL welcomed Hillary Brennan to the league as its first woman to officiate a game. Hillary is currently officiating in her hometown of London, Ont.

“The continued success earned by Brandy, Joelle and Hillary is a testament to their dedication to the game,” Mazzuca says. “Their efforts and skill-set rightfully earned them the opportunity to officiate in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.”

The successes of officials like Brandy, Joelle and Hillary have shown that hard work and dedication are paramount, and that the opportunities and support within the officiating community are growing. There is still work to be done to make sure the path is clear for women, and that the systems of high-performance hockey are doing as much as possible to encourage young women to grow into the next wave of high-performance officials, but it's clear that the trailblazers are already here, and they’re paving the way for the next generation.