Looking For Skaters

If there's one league that seems to be overlooked when it comes to high-quality, talented players, it's likely your local high school hockey league. While we've seen leagues south of the border explode in popularity in places like Minnesota and Michigan, high school hockey in Manitoba seems to be a bit of an afterthought when it comes to seeking out the talent that plays there. Getting more players into the high school game would help, and that means that more teams are needed to give more players a chance to lace up the skates. In what is fantastic news to this writer, the Winnipeg Women's High School Hockey League has opened its doors to a new team this year, and they're on the hunt for a few good players to help bolster the roster in the team's inaugural season!

Transcona Collegiate has submitted the paperwork, filled out the forms, worked out the details, and shook the right hands of those at the Manitoba High School Athletics Association for the MHSAA to permit the TCI Female Titans to begin play this fall, and the tryouts start tonight! They are seeking students for the team as they work to establish a roster for the upcoming season, and they're asking for help from anyone who may know a player or players who are interested in playing women's high school hockey this fall!

The tryout schedule is as follows:

If you know of someone who wants to play on a team this season, put them in contact with Transcona Collegiate's female hockey team on their Facebook page or via email! This is an exciting opportunity to write the first chapter in a team's history, so if you're thinking about playing or have considered playing but thought against it, now's the time to act!

You might be saying, "Teebz, no one ever plays university hockey after playing high school hockey in Manitoba," and you'd likely hear me scoff at that.

You may recall that Alexandra Anderson, former Bisons defender and current professional player for SDE HF in Sweden, was recruited out of West Kildonan Collegiate by Jon Rempel of the Manitoba Bisons. Brielle Dacquay-Neveux of the Bisons went to College Jeanne Sauvé. You may know that Annaliese Meier of the Calgary Dinos was a standout forward with the Sturgeon Heights Huskies before jumping to a prep school where her talents were noticed by Danielle Goyette in Calgary. Sophie Vandale of the PEI Panthers and Emilie Massé of the Bisons were teammates at Shaftesbury Collegiate before getting shots at the U SPORTS level. Devan Johnson, formerly of the Bisons, and Kaitlyn Nault, currently of the Bisons, played net for the boy's teams for the Stonewall Rams and the Garden City Gophers, respectively. Former Bisons standout Rachel Dyck was a star with the Shaftesbury Collegiate Titans as well.

Needless to say, high school hockey in Winnipeg has churned out a number of solid U SPORTS players for a number of teams, and it is a good place to be noticed if you know of a girl who dreams of taking that next step in playing university hockey.

Look, no one is expecting the TCI Titans to go out and win a WWHSHL championship this year. Those expectations would be highly unrealistic based on the names I listed above who came out of various high schools across the city. What I am saying is that there is talent at the high school hockey level in Winnipeg, and the Titans will provide another place for the talented, hockey-playing girls of Winnipeg to ply their trade and get better in an effort to possibly play at the U SPORTS level one day.

But you can't get to the U SPORTS level if you don't play. Transcona Collegiate is looking for players. They're looking for you, ladies. Go write some history with the school. And one day, you may be making history at the U SPORTS level as well!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!