Leetia Igisiak still remembers the first time she stepped into a hockey rink when she was 10 years old.
“I wasn't very good at it, and all the older girls were super scary, but I quickly became friends with them all…and over the years I've grown to love them more and more.” [hockey] Increasingly,” Igiesiak said.
Eight years later, she was part of the winning team at the 40th Kanata Women's Hockey Association House League in Ottawa.
This is the first time the Iqaluit Blizzards U-18 girls team has defeated 22 other teams to win the league tournament title.
This could be the last tournament for captain and forward Leetia Igisiak, who is preparing to attend college on Prince Edward Island. (Samuel Watt/CBC)
There was a big smile on Iva-Lynn Noah's face when she heard the buzzer during last month's final game against Gatineau Nitro.
“It was really crazy. Just knowing I was coming back with a gold medal was just crazy,” the 14-year-old said.
“Especially coming from here, we don't have a lot of opportunities to play as a team. It's just practice, whereas other girls down south are playing in games and tournaments every weekend,” she said. added.
The teams will now be reminded of that milestone on Friday, as both coaches raised a banner inside their home rink at the Arctic Winter Games Arena in Iqaluit to declare victory.
Maxwell-Joy said two of the players on the team asked him if he would join the team as a coach two years ago. He said he said yes without hesitation. (Vashist Trivedi/CBC)
Grow as a team and as individuals
Coach Maxwell Joy watched the finals nervously from the sideline.
“When you’re a coach, obviously you’re so passionate about the kids that you know you want it as much as the kids,” Joy said.
He said he still remembers when he first started the team two years ago, it was a struggle to get even four players on the ice for practice.
His fellow coach Lauren Perrin said that seeing this outright winning team makes her extremely proud of them as it has been difficult for the team to grow in her four years at the helm.
“They made me fall in love with hockey again through a new lens. I'm so grateful to them and they kept me in the game,” Perrin said. .
Winning the league tournament was more than just a hockey win, she said.
“They've grown over the years not only as hockey players, but as people and as strong women. That alone is a victory.”
Iqaluit Blizzards coach Lauren Perrin said Friday she was proud to hang the team's victory banner in its home arena. (Samuel Watt/CBC)
Inspiration from PWHL
Perrin also attributes the increased interest in hockey among girls and young women to the launch of the Women's Professional Hockey League (PWHL).
While in Ottawa, the Iqaluit Blizzards met with PWHL Ottawa players ahead of their game against PWHL Toronto.
It was there that Iva-Lynn Knorr met her favorite Ottawa forward, Gabby Hughes.
“She said she used to use my number, number 7, but now she uses number 17, so I might change it too.”
“It's great that we have the PWHL. It's not just boys who can go to the NHL. Now we have the PWHL and we have a place to go,” Noah said.
Now that they have established themselves as winners, Noah and Ijsiak have high ambitions for next hockey season.
“The group of girls that we play with, it's just everyone's great, everyone's best friends and we're a family,” Noah said. (Samuel Watt/CBC)
Egiesiak, who is leaving the territory to study on Prince Edward Island, hopes to build on the skills he gained as captain of the Iqaluit Blizzards.
“With my leadership, you can develop the skills and maybe someday become a coach,” she said.
Noah wants to take the Iqaluit Blizzards even higher.
“I hope to be able to play in higher level tournaments next season and maybe win a medal there too.”
