Sarah Bruise-jold?

Having been able to watch her play before she became a professional hockey player, there was never any doubt that former StFX X-Woman sniper Sarah Bujold had the talent to continue playing. Her 2016-17 season where she scored 24 goals and 43 points in 24 games is still one of the best seasons in recent U SPORTS history, and the only award she seemed to be missing from her trophy cabinet was a U SPORTS National Championship. What also stands out from that five-year period is that she only spent 105 minutes in the sin bin despite being sent over the boards a lot for the X-Women.

Since her days in the AUS, Bujold's gone on to play in the PHF, the PWHL, and the SDHL including this season where she's lighting the lamp for Luleå HF. Through 31 games, she has nine goals and 20 points in pushing Luleå to second-place in the SDHL, sitting two points back of first-place Frölunda HC. There are players who have outscored her, but she does lead the entire SDHL by a wide margin in one statistic, and it likely isn't the one anyone expects her to lead!

In four seasons with Djurgårdens IF, HV71, and Luleå HF before this season, Bujold had 80 penalty minutes combined. In fact, she had recorded just four minor penalties last season for eight minutes, so it's not like she was some sort of goon patrolling the ice for Luleå HF. This season, however, Bujold has brought a mean streak that we simply haven't seen from her as she has sat for 78 penalty minutes already! If she's whistled for one more minor penalty this season, she'll have doubled her career SDHL PIMs in one season!

In no professional season had Bujold had more than 30 penalty minutes and, including her university career, she never got above 35 minutes. Her 78 minutes in the sin bin not only lead the SDHL, but she's 25 minutes ahead of HV71's Alva Solberg who is in second-place with 53 minutes! She's also 37 minutes ahead of her closest teammate in Nadia Mattivi, so it's not like Luleå has been gooning it up all season like they're the Swedish version of the Broad Street Bullies.

I have no idea where this side of Sarah Bujold came from this year, but it doesn't seem to be slowing her down in any way. Her team is winning, she's contributing, and she has scored three game-winners. It's just that she has visited the penalty box this season as much as she had in four previous SDHL seasons which is startling considering how she played with StFX. If this is the new Sarah Bujold at age 29, it seems Luleå is reaping the benefits despite having to kill a few more penalties than normal while Sarah watches from the penalty box!

It seems like players in the SDHL need to have their head on a swivel when Luleå's #62 comes over the boards because she's just as likely to setup or score a goal as she is to lay the body. In fact, she might be more willing to do the latter if it keeps Luleå in the win column!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!