Canada West women's hockey will, once again, be highly competitive this season. Teams and players have made decisions on whether or not full eligibility options can be exercised, and we've seen some players move on as they pursue careers, explore life outside the rink, and continue to further their education opportunities.
Because of these changes, there are some larger recruiting classes once again this summer. Other changes within programs have also contributed to a few of the classes being larger than what one may expect, and I certainly have a few questions about one team in particular when it comes to how that squad is being managed. In any case, nine teams will add new players next season, so let's get you up to speed on who is going where!
As you read through these, the "Current" is the last team or current team they played with while "Prv." is the province or state where that team is found. You'll also notice a few bolded names in yellow or red. The bolded names are players who transferred in from other institutions with yellow representing a player who has used part of their five years of eligibility while players in red are also transfers, but still have all five years of eligibility available.
With that information, here are all the players joining the nine Canada West teams in 2022-23.
Canada West Recruits
| Name | Current | Prv. | Pos | G/GAA | A/SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbey Bourdeaud'hui | Pembina Valley | MB | F | 36 | 25 |
| Maia Ehmann | Winnipeg Ice | MB | F | 55 | 51 |
| Taylor Catcher | N. Alberta | AB | D | 2 | 8 |
| Misty Rey | Edmonton | AB | G | 1.40 | .932 |
| Sarah Kazeil | Northern Alberta | AB | D | 7 | 12 |
| Riley Smith | St. Albert | AB | D | 1 | 1 |
| Cassidy Maplethorpe | Brock U. | ON | F | 11 | 5 |
| Taylor Kezama | U of Alberta | AB | D | DNP | DNP |
Howie Draper keeps adding high-quality people and talent to his program. Abbey Bourdeaud'hui has the ability to take over a game with her skill, speed, and size. Maia Ehmann is deceptively quick with fantastic hands, and it's likely she'll be paired with former Ice teammate Reagan Yewdall once more. Sage Taylor has shown a nose for the net and won't shy away from the hard work Draper demands from his squad. Sarah Kazeil is a solid puck-moving defender who will power the Pandas from their own zone while Riley Smith, a former Robert Morris University recruit, is a solid player at both ends of the ice. Misty Rey continues the long-standing Pandas tradition of having exceptional goaltenders stop pucks.
| Name | Current | Prv. | Pos | G/GAA | A/SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sophia Zuck | Prince Albert | SK | F | 15 | 20 |
| Miri Licis | Edmonton | AB | D | 2 | 11 |
| Jada Leung | Shawnigan Lake | BC | F | 10 | 18 |
| Jolie Nafziger | Red Deer | AB | F | 10 | 16 |
| Amelia Awad | Station Six | NS | G | 2.33 | n/a |
| Keagan Goulet | Northern Capitals | BC | D | 12 | 11 |
| Jada Burke | Lindenwood | MO | F | 6 | 4 |
The first recruiting class done by Carla MacLeod is ready to go, and it is a diverse group of individuals that have all sorts of talents. Sophia Zuck, Jada Leung, and Jolie Nafziger bring scoring talent, speed, and a little toughness to the forwards. Defender Miri Licis is 5'10" and will be an imposing figure on the blue line who posseses good offensive instincts while the speedy and shifty Keagan Goulet has the ability to make all sorts of things happen. Jada Burke will play her fifth year in Canada as the Nepean, Ontario forward transfers in from Lindenwood University with experience as Calgary builds towards the future, and Amelia Awad might be a bit of a question mark here as few out west have seen her play, but she's a phenomenal stopper as per the reports written about her.
| Name | Current | Prv. | Pos | G/GAA | A/SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kali MacDonald | Edmonton | AB | D | 6 | 13 |
| Shaelyn Hopkins | Edmonton | AB | D | 5 | 8 |
| Allee Isley | Northern Alberta | AB | F | 10 | 12 |
| Kori Paterson | Northern Alberta | AB | F | 9 | 16 |
| Breanne Powell | Delta | BC | F | 7 | 9 |
| Lindsey Johnson | Edmonton | AB | G | 0.50 | .974 |
Lindsay McAlpine's team battled until the very end last season, and I expect another solid season from the Griffins in Year Two with the additons above. Lindsey Johnson immediately solidifies the goaltending if she can play as well as she did last season where she pitched ten shutouts for the Pandas AAA club. In front of her will be two familiar defenders as Kali MacDonald and Shaelyn Hopkins could be a solid pairing for years to come for MacEwan. I like the additions to the forward unit of Aimee Isley, Kori Paterson, and Breanne Powell as all three showed consistent scoring in helping their teams. Once again, the Griffins are going to make life difficult for all eight other Canada West teams.
| Name | Current | Prv. | Pos | G/GAA | A/SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norah Collins | Winnipeg Avros | MB | F | 48 | 31 |
| Dana Goertzen | Balmoral Hall | MB | F | 24 | 14 |
| Louise Fergusson | Yellowhead | MB | D | 5 | 22 |
Jon Rempel's recruiting class sees the Manitoba Female Hockey League's top scorer and MVP in Norah Collins join the Bisons. He also added the MFHL's top defender in Louise Fergusson to the mix. And he capped it off with offensive dynamo Dana Goertzen from Balmoral Hall. Rempel's team will also see a number of key players return from injury such as Miressa Mäkelä and Aimee Patrick, so the Bisons could have a whole new look to them next season. One area to keep an eye on is the crease as veteran goalie Erin Fargey reportedly decided to move on, leaving second-year netminders Kimmy Davidson and Meagan Relf along with the redshirting Emily Shippam to battle for minutes. If the Bisons can get their injured reserves back and work in these new scoring threats, though, they'll be back in the mix at the top of the standings.
| Name | Current | Prv. | Pos | G/GAA | A/SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scout Anderson | Okanagan Academy | BC | G | 2.64 | .915 |
| Allee Gerrard | Regina Rebels | SK | F | 12 | 30 |
| Kiana McNinch | Swift Current | SK | F | 11 | 17 |
| Jordyn Hutt | Edge School | AB | F | 7 | 10 |
| Ava Metzger | Swift Current | SK | F | 9 | 9 |
Scott Rivett's squad lost a few key pieces with players graduating out, but he's put together a nice recruiting class. The playmaking Allee Gerrard should give him some options when it comes to building lines as Gerrard has excellent hands and vision. Both Kiana McNinch and Ava Metzger will provide some scoring punch up front once again with their well-rounded skills. Jordyn Hutt looks like a Cougars-type player with her hustle and doggedness in getting to pucks. Scout Anderson should settle in nicely among the netminders with her steady play and good fundamentals. Expect Mount Royal to be competitive with these new additions next year and in future years!
| Name | Current | Prv. | Pos | G/GAA | A/SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaitlyn Gilroy | Notre Dame | SK | F | 15 | 14 |
| Julianna Giacobbo | Morrisville State | NY | D | 0 | 2 |
| Shelley Rublee | Swift Current | SK | D | 2 | 4 |
| Samantha Thompson | Swift Current | SK | F | 6 | 17 |
| Lexi Peace | Weyburn | MB | G | 4.18 | .906 |
| Kelsey Page | Westman | MB | D | 8 | 12 |
Sarah Hodges went to work in finding players who could help Regina take the next step. Kaitlyn Gilroy is a solid scoring threat as the Gilroy sisters are reunited. Samantha Thompson should be a solid contributor up front as well. The blue line will be reinforced by the leadership and vision of Kelsey Page, the solid defensive play of Shelley Rublee, and the slick skating of Julianna Giacobbo. Lexi Peace was under siege most days in the Weyburn net last season, but she's a very sound goalie who may shake things up in the crease. That being said, Regina rostered four goalies last season - Natalie Williamson, Arden Kliewer, Alex Rajsigl, and Katie Crowther - so it would appear that at least one of those names has moved on from the Cougars. Whatever the case may be, the Cougars look ready for this season!
| Name | Current | Prv. | Pos | G/GAA | A/SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jessica Patterson | North York Storm | ON | F | n/a | n/a |
| Emma Backman | Battleford Sharks | SK | G | 2.50 | .923 |
| Jade Cadieux | Lakeland College | AB | F | 12 | 20 |
| Kalli Hiebert | UNB | NB | D | 0 | 0 |
| Taylor Wilkinson | Lakeland College | AB | F | 15 | 24 |
| Shelby Williamson | Okanagan | BC | D | 3 | 11 |
Steve Kook had very few holes to fill, but there's still a roster spot open with the unexpected departure of Abby Shirley. That being said, Patterson will be a solid hustle player with the ability to score, and Backman had a great season with Battleford as she comes into to relieve the "what if" situation if a Huskies netminder suffers an injury. Overall, though, Saskatchewan still has all the tools necessary to make the Canada West Final again if things work out as well as they did this past season.
| Name | Current | Prv. | Pos | G/GAA | A/SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michela Naccarato | St. Albert | AB | F | 5 | 13 |
| Ella Boon | Northern Capitals | BC | D | 9 | 9 |
| Kara Yackel | Balmoral Hall | MB | F | 14 | 8 |
| Brooklyn Hutchings | Northern Capitals | BC | F | 23 | 22 |
| Karsyn Niven | Northern Capitals | BC | G | 1.79 | n/a |
| Amy Potomak | Minnesota | MN | F | 17 | 18 |
| Kate Klassen | Connecticut | CT | F | 1 | 2 |
| Katherine Chadwick | UNB Reds | NB | F | 1 | 2 |
Trinity Western, for the second-straight year, has recruited more players than they had open spots on their roster, so I'm very curious as to why so many players are leaving the Spartans program after a handful of Canada West games. Whatever is happening in Langley, though, it seems that head coach Jean Laforest is loading up for Year Two with some solid scoring talent in Brooklyn Hutchings and University of Minnesota transfer Amy Potomak. Kara Yackel can score and check, so she'll give the Spartans lots of options while Michela Naccarato's playmaking can always be used. Katherine Chadwick brings some AUS experience with her to TWU while former UConn defender Kate Klassen brings NCAA experience, and Ella Boon will get a chance to show her skills off as she learns the game. Karsyn Niven is a solid netminder, and she should help both Kate Fawcett and Mabel Maltais when called upon for her time in the blue paint. These recruits won't solve all of TWU's issues from last season, but they're trending in the right direction!
| Name | Current | Prv. | Pos | G/GAA | A/SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacquelyn Fleming | Edmonton | AB | F | 11 | 22 |
| Cassidy Rhodes | Edmonton | AB | F | 14 | 21 |
| Kate Stuart | Boston University | MA | G | 1.63 | .942 |
| Madisyn Wiebe | Ohio State | OH | F | 2 | 0 |
The defending Canada West champions didn't have a lot of holes to fill, but head coach Graham Thomas has made them just as dangerous as last year. Jacquelyn Fleming's speed and skill will make her dangerous while Cassidy Rhodes isn't afraid of scoring, going into traffic, or setting up a play. Adding netminder Kate Stuart who comes home from Boston University won't hurt either as she'll be a solid tandem partner with Elise Hugens. It looks like UBC is loaded up to defend their Canada West title!
Of course, being that this is the offseason and people's priorities can change, nothing here is written in stone. I've read through the U SPORTS Letter of Intent list, the various websites with recruitment information, and the teams' social media accounts more than I'd like to admit, but this should be the complete list of Canada West recruits for all nine teams up to and including July 1. If I missed someone, please get in touch with me ASAP so I can make those adjustments to the lists, but I think this is a fairly complete document at this point. If I did miss someone, I apologize profusely in advance!
We'll see how everything shakes out as we barrel towards late September and the start of the Canada West season, but one thing is certain on this day in the middle of summer: all nine teams have some talented women joining their teams!
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
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