New Opportunities

When one thinks of all the great players who have learned their skills inside the borders of Saskatchewan, there would be a long list. Whether it be Gordie Howe, Hayley Wickenheiser, Bryan Trottier, Eddie Shore, or Glenn Hall, the province of Saskatchewan has produced a number of Hall-of-Fame players along with a ton of prolific scorers. One of those players who seems destined to join those ranks when she's finally finished playing is the lady to the left, Emily Clark, as the 27 year-old has already picked up an Olympic gold medal, an Olympic silver medal, two IIHF U18 gold medals, and IIHF World Championship medals of every colour. In other words, she's certainly one of the most decorated players - male or female - to call the rectangular province home, and she now has another title to call her own: logo inspiration!

News broke last week that Hockey Saskatchewan was instituting a U22 league for women in the province this season, and there would be six teams where players could play: Western Prairie, Lumsden, Outlook, Southwest, Regina, and Saskatoon. The goal of the league is to allow players who have aged out of the U18 system to continue to play at a high level in order to continue producing high-end talent at the provincial and national levels. This new league will begin play on October 1, so clearly things are ramping up in a hurry.

As with any new venture in hockey, a logo speaks volumes towards its professionalism and the quality of hockey, and I have to saw that the SJFHL will certainly emanate both of those traits with the logo seen below that was inspired by Emily Clark's play with Team Canada!

Pretty cool, right? Clark joins the likes of the NBA's Jerry West in being immortalized as the embodiment of the league in image form as her silhouette becomes the logo for the SJFHL. Of course, the NBA has never acknowledged that West was the man who their logo portrays, but the SJFHL made sure they credited Clark as the model for their silhouette.

This new league is an important development, though, and it should keep more players in the game if they want to play at a high level that doesn't involve a university team. As seen in Manitoba with the MWJHL, lots of former AAA players have continued playing the game within the MWJHL, and that has led to players being recruited by other schools and teams not associated with U SPORTS or the NCAA. Last season, former Avros sniper Taylor Wuirch-Coombs finished fifth in league scoring, former Manitoba Bisons forward Jamie Ricklefs finished eighth-overall in scoring, and former St. Mary's Academy Flames and Winnipeg Ice forward Seren Jocelyn finished tenth in scoring. Needless to say, these women likely could be playing at a U SPORTS or NCAA program, but they're wowing crowds at MWJHL games while following the paths they've chosen.

While those three women all played in different leagues - Wuirch-Coombs in the MFHL, Ricklefs for the Thunder Bay Queens, and Jocelyn at the CSSHL level - having a league like the MWJHL where they can continue to play at a high level and learn the game from various coaches is good for the game as these women may, one day, return the favour by stepping behind the bench or instructing other girls at hockey camps. Had they been forced to hang up the skates or play late-night beer league hockey, there's a better-than-good chance that they'd likely close the door on those opportunities because that door was closed on them.

This is where you, as a fan, come into the picture because these women and teams can use your support as well. While there have yet to be any announcements on who is playing where, a vast number of players will likely be known to you if you've followed the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA League at any point over the last few years. I'd imagine these teams will attract that level of player, so don't think this is going to be some glorified beer league at any point. It will be high-level, fast-paced hockey played by some of Saskatchewan's best young women!

Maybe you're a player who is wondering what the next steps are after graduating out of the Saskatchewan AAA programs. There's still time to contact one of the teams to get your name in for the initial training camps! Some teams are already into the process, but others have yet to get to a "see you at the rink" stage yet. If you want to play and you're under the age of 22, this league might be the next best option when it comes to hockey!

What shouldn't be lost is that opportunities to stay in the game lead to new opportunities that may not existed if those doors had closed. One woman who played in the MFJHL was Christine Bumstead, and she's now an assistant coach with the Saskatchewan Huskies women's team. Christine's experiences playing led her to coaching at a number of levels in Manitoba, and she's now behind the bench of the team who will host the 2024 U SPORTS National Women's Hockey Championship. Obviously, everyone's path is different, but staying in the game is crucial for those opportunities.

Some may say this SJFHL was long overdue in a province where great women have played at incredibly high levels - the Olympics, internationally, and professionally - so kudos to Hockey Saskatchewan for finally putting this together and bringing it to reality. If that inspires a number of women to try and reach the same levels as Emily Clark has, hockey in Saskatchewan and Canada is better off for it.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!