Manitoba Women's News

The woman to the left is from Manitoba, and her news today will kick off some Manitoba women's hockey news as we focus the spotlight on the Keystone Province. Halli Krzyzaniak has been keeping a pretty low profile since we found out that she had been a late cut on Canada's entry at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games, but it was nice seeing her out and instructing at the Sami Jo Small Hockey Camp in Winnipeg last week. That's where we'll kick this article off after Sami Jo Small spoke about Halli in last week's interview on The Hockey Show where she revealed that Halli Krzyzaniak was most likely headed west.

Today, the Calgary Inferno tweeted out this announcement.

BREAKING: The Calgary Inferno announce the draft pre-signing of defenceman Halli Krzyzaniak!

READ➡️ https://t.co/XUaeIpFRzK pic.twitter.com/DpsUxBYCph

— Calgary Inferno (@InfernoCWHL) July 31, 2018

With that information, Halli Krzyzaniak is back in the game, and she joins what appears to be a powerhouse squad out in southern Alberta. As Sami revealed on The Hockey Show, the Toronto Furies were in the running to land Halli right until the very end, but Halli opted to pursue her medical career out in Calgary as opposed to Toronto.

I can't speak to the mental anguish that Halli was feeling after being cut by Team Canada, but she virtually disappeared from the landscape for a while. Whatever time she needed to heal those wounds, she's clearly ready to look forward to 2022 and the Beijing edition of the Winter Olympics as she jumps back into elite hockey.

I have no doubt that Halli Krzyzaniak will do extremely well as a member of the Inferno, and I'm already excited to see her play again.

Hockey Canada's summer just got a lot busier today as they unveiled their selections for Canada's National Women's Development Team and Canada's National Women's Under-18 Team camps. Of the 84 women invited to Calgary for these camps, there are a number of Manitobans who will be travelling west to see if they can impress the brass from Hockey Canada enough to earn the red-white-and-black of the Hockey Canada logo.

The National Women's Development Team camp sees goaltenders Kristen Campbell of Chater (Wisconsin) and Corinne Schroeder of Elm Creek (Boston University), defenders Jalyn Elmes of Brandon (UMD) and Kati Tabin of Winnipeg (Quinnipiac), and forwards Ashton Bell of Deloraine (UMD) and Ryleigh Houston of Winnipeg (UMD) all getting a shot at being a potential addition to the Canadian National Team in the future.

Campbell, Houston, and Bell seem to be the odds-on favorites to compete for positions on the National Women's Development Team, but I'd be missing the big picture if I counted Elmes or Tabin out of the game. Any of these women have the potential to make this team, but competition will be stiff with the likes of the Potomak sisters, Sophie Shirley, Daryl Watts, and Micah Zandee-Hart already have been given long looks by Hockey Canada. Competition is healthy for everyone, though, so expect the battles for positions to be intense!

The National Women's Under-18 Team camp sees goaltenders Raygan Kirk of Ste. Anne and Julianna Thomson of Winnipeg, defender Kennesha Miswaggon of Cross Lake (and who was a guest earlier this year on The Hockey Show), and forward Olivia Cvar of Winnipeg all getting a shot at hitting the radar for future Team Canada teams with a solid performance at the U18 camp.

Except for Kirk, the remaining three of these young women were present at the Female World Sport School Challenge this past year, and all three medalled at the prestigious tournament. While Kirk's Eastman team may not have participated, she's just as capable as any of the other netminders of making this team. It seems that there will be one, if not two, Manitobans playing on the U18 team if my prognostications are correct. And if they're not, all money for these predictions will be refunded!

Despite the logo being from the mid-1980s, the Manitoba Bisons announced today that three players have signed on for the 2019-20 season despite the 2018-19 season having yet to get underway! I've always thought that these commitments to players years in advance seems a little like gambling when one considers a whole host of variables that can't be controlled, but these universities are looking for elite players to keep them at the top so getting good players signed early seems to be key! Without further adieu, let's find out who will be wearing the Bisons' brown-and-gold come September 2019!

Defender Camille Enns of the Eastman Selects is the first of the three new recruits. Enns was named as the most sportsmanlike player in the MFMHL last season, and was named to the second team all-star squad. In 29 games with the Selects, Enns tallied six goals and ten assists, tying her 17th-overall in scoring and sixth-overall in defender scoring. Enns should be a good fit with the Bisons with her physical edge and her puck-moving abilities.

The second player of the three announced for the 2019-20 season is Halle Edwards of the Central Plains Capitals. Edwards tied for the lead in scoring on the Capitals this season. In 29 games, she scored 13 goals and added another 13 assists to tie for eighth-overall in scoring in the MFMHL, and she has outstanding stickhandling abilities. She has worked hard on her game to become a more consistent two-way player, and that bodes well for the Bisons who always seem to find skilled, responsible centers.

The third player of the three announced today who will join the Bisons in 2019-20 is forward Kate Gregoire of the St. Mary's Academy Flames. Gregoire recorded nine goals and 14 assists in 21 CSSHL games last season, good for 14th-overall in league scoring. She was an integral part of the Flames' scoring last season, helping them win the Female World Sport School Challenge. Her tenacity and speed should make her a dangerous threat for the Bisons when she arrives.

And just for good measure, folks, here's another former Bison and current Manitoban who is celebrating her birthday today! Desiree Scott of the Canadian National Women's Soccer Team will be blowing out 31 candles and unwrapping gifts today as she celebrates her big day! She's an incredible ambassador for the game, a proud Manitoban and Canadian whenever she's called upon to represent the country, one heckuva soccer player, and an even better person! Happy birthday, Desiree, and best of luck this season with the Utah Royals FC! We're always cheering for a Bisons alumna in any situation!

It was a busy July 31 for Manitoba-born women and announcements about them. If nothing else, this article is evidence that the hockey community in Manitoba is producing outstanding female hockey players (and soccer players)! Well done, ladies!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!