In this 18th edition, we learn more about the increase in participation in women’s Canadian blind hockey and Amanda Provan, a hockey player who is paving the way for the growth of the sport for girls and women in Canada. We also learn more about the pre-tournament hockey game between Team Canada and Team Finland, as well as the highlights of the game and wishes for future Hockey Canada women’s games. Lastly, we learn more about the high school basketball showcase event, the 2024 All Canadian Games, and the women’s high school players who were honoured this year. 

The stories of the week show young girls and women in sport and physical activity that:

1. While increased participation in women’s blind hockey is fantastic, there is still an opportunity and a hope to introduce the sport to more blind or partially-sighted girls and women in Canada.  
2. The tournament game in Kingston, Ontario, displayed the importance of bringing women’s hockey and its powerful representation to towns across Canada. The city proved to be a great host for women’s hockey, as displayed by its adequate-sized venue, which women’s hockey fans filled, the community of fans all interested in watching the game, Kingston’s sports history, and the proper promotion and in-game experience provided for the women’s game.  
3. The All Canadian Games are a powerful platform to showcase high school basketball talent. They provide a stepping stone for young high school players who aspire to continue their basketball careers post-secondary. Additionally, they offer scouts and coaches a valuable opportunity to discover these players, and they stand as a testament to the immense talent that is thriving across Canada.

Canadian women’s blind hockey participation rate doubles

It has been announced that 20% of Canadian Blind Hockey‘s overall participants are in the women’s division. This participation number has doubled since 2019, when 10% of participants were women. 

One player, Amanda Provan, will join the co-ed Canadian national Blind Hockey Team, participating in the International Blind Hockey Series in St. Louis, Missouri, from April 12-14, 2024. Provan is the only woman on the team.

Provan has already made quite the mark in the hockey world. In 2022, she became the first woman to play on the Canadian national Blind Hockey Team. She is also the first woman to score a goal during an International Blind Hockey competition and the first woman to win a championship. She hopes that there will be a women’s-specific world championship in the future.

Canada comes out strong in pre-tournament game ahead of IIHF Women’s World Championship

This past weekend, a pre-IIHF Women’s World Championship tournament game was held with the Canadian national women’s hockey team taking on Team Finland’s women’s hockey team at Slush Puppie Place in Kingston, Ontario. The 6,700-capacity venue is home to the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) men’s junior ice hockey team, the Kingston Frontenacs.

Team Canada and Team Finland will face off again during the Women’s World Championship run, with it being Canada’s first game in the Championship, on Thursday, April 4, at 6:30 PM EST. To view the complete game schedule and broadcast information, click here.

Some highlights of the pre-tournament game included:

• Team Canada came out dominant with a win and final score of 8-2 (!!) against Team Finland.
• It was cool to see PWHL players and coaches from normally opposing teams come together as one team for this pre-tournament game and the upcoming IIHF Women’s World Championship.
• There was a mix of fans wearing Hockey Canada and PWHL gear for the Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal teams.
  • One fan brought a sewn blanket with the PWHL logo and the team colours of all six teams in the league.
• The arena had a small-town community feel when walking around the concourse. Some of the activations and booths included a country radio station local to Kingston, an opportunity to play cornhole, and a local girls hockey team selling pucks.
• It was good to see, especially on the Saturday of Easter weekend, that the arena was well staffed, logistics were properly planned, no long line-ups, good in-game entertainment, the Kingston OHL mascot was walking around, etc.
• There was a Hockey Canada merchandise stand that looked well-stocked and properly organized.
• There was a mix of PWHL fans, local girls’ hockey teams, OHL fans, and Hockey Canada fans in attendance for the game.
• While the official attendance number wasn’t announced, the arena seemed full and close to a sellout game.
• A banner in the rafters honoured Jayna Hefford with her retired childhood hockey jersey number 15. Kingston, Ontario, is Hefford’s hometown.
• The arena had a couple of areas where people who contributed to Kingston’s sports history were honoured. One was a Kingston & District Sports Hall of Fame wall with framed names, pictures, and short biographies. However, this wall had a limited representation of past women athletes.

Wishes for future Hockey Canada games:

• More player-specific merchandise, such as jerseys or T-shirts with the players’ names. The Tim Hortons Hockey Barbie could have also been a popular item to sell at this game.
• More PWHL promotion at the game. Potential new fans could have been introduced to the league and its team through a game like this.

All Canadian Games showcase the best Canadian high school basketball talent

This past week, the All Canadian Games were hosted in Mono, Ontario. The showcase games, founded in 2015, highlight the 24 best up-and-coming women’s and men’s high school basketball talent across Canada.

Some notable Canadian women’s basketball players who have participated in the event in the past include Aaliyah Edwards, Laeticia Amihere, Shayeann Day-Wilson, and Latasha Lattimore.

From March 26- March 30, daily events were hosted, including the following:

• Nike Futures Girls Games (showcasing 9th & 10th grade basketball players)
• Nike Next Ones Up Girls Game (showcasing 11th-grade basketball players)
• Nike Skills Challenge
• All Canadian Girls Game

Canadian high school player Toby Fournier was honoured as the 2024 Women’s Player of the Year.

Fournier and Canadian high school player Jasmine Bascoe were honoured as the 2024 All Canadian MVPs.

To learn more about the All Canadian Games, click here.

Kaitlyn’s Sport Stories Recap are written by Kaitlyn Lehbert, a passionate and driven sport advocate for girls and women. Kaitlyn holds her Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management from Brock University. Learn more about Kaitlyn by clicking here!

Have a sport story you want to share? Contact info@fastandfemale.com and it may get featured in Kaitlyn’s next feature.