The Rundown - Hometown Heroes

Today's article on The Rundown is less about hockey and more about being home with the ones you love - friends, family, random delivery people who bring food - during this holiday season. Forget the stats and let's not worry about the schedule and the pauses being implemented. Instead, let's enjoy this holiday season as best we can because it's a time for joy and celebration and cheer. I respect that a number of the talented women who play Canada West hockey come from communities not near the schools where they play, so today is all about hometowns as players return to them for the holiday season on The Rundown!

In putting together this map, I was pretty astonished that Canada West women's hockey represents some 115 communities across Canada and the world by the players who suit up to play hockey every weekend. Five provinces and one territory are represented by the women while six countries are represented as well. For the five European women who play in western Canada, that trip back home takes slightly longer than some of the other women who play alongside them.

When you think about that number above - 115 communities - it shows you that players are being developed in every corner of this country still whether it be a small town or a large city. When you see players like Kyla McDonald who grew up in Inuvik, Northwest Territory or Kennesha Miswaggon who grew up in Cross Lake, Manitoba or Sara Kendall in Ponteix, Saskatchewan and you think "where is that?", these are the players who may have had to move away at a younger age to help them get better than what their smaller towns offered in terms of hockey. All three of these players are on Canada West rosters, and it goes to show you that not everyone has to be from "the big city" to find their way to a Canada West school.

Feel free to explore the map below. There are a handful of players from Ontario if you go looking, and the five players from Europe should be easy to spot. It would appear that the city of Calgary has produced the most players currently on Canada West rosters, so you can take a peek at that list of players who call the city home, but have a look around through western Canada and see if anyone hails from your town or city!

The holiday season has always been a time for family for me, and I know that some of the women stayed in their cities where they play for a variety of reasons. Here's hoping they found time to Zoom, Facetime, or whatever social app they use to communicate with their loved ones during this time. Being together this year, especially with all the insanity happening in the right now, seems more important more than ever.

With it being Boxing Day in Canada which is technically a holiday, I'm not going to make this long-winded as I'm going to relax today. Here's hoping you got everything for which you had wished, the food at your holiday meal was plentiful and filling, and you're enjoying another great day among friends, family, and relatives if you're still in their midst.

Happy holidays, folks, and be merry!