Thanks to our friends at Esso, scholarships are presented at each regional championship as well as at the Esso Cup, Canada’s Women's U18 National Club Championship. The Esso Cup Scholarship recognizes individuals that demonstrate outstanding academic and athletic performance, as well as involvement in the community.

The 2023 Esso Cup Scholarship recipient is Prince Albert Bears forward Jasmine Kohl. The 18-year-old is actively involved in her hometown of Moose Jaw, volunteering with Meals on Wheels with her mom, buying Christmas presents for seniors in town and assisting with the Moose Jaw Minor Hockey Association.

HC: What plans do you have for your education and hockey future?

JK: I am committed to Lake Forest College, just outside of Chicago. I'm going there to do psychology. And then when I come back to Canada, I will major in psychiatry. I’ve loved helping people my whole life, so it's the job for me. I'm super excited about it. When I'm [at Lake Forest], I'm playing softball and hockey, so that's really cool that I get to do both sports.

HC: What does it mean to receive this Esso Cup Scholarship?

JK: I talked to my team manager about it, and I went into it thinking, “You know what? I'll give it a shot.” I'm super passionate about this sport. […] When I got the call from Hockey Canada [and was told] that I won, my first words to a tee were, “Oh my god, really?” I was absolutely stunned. I was blown away because it's kind of like a pat on the back. You worked so hard for so many years, and you finally like get something. It's a big deal. I was super pumped about it.

HC: Why do you love hockey?

JK : I have a lot of reasons. One of my main reasons is I love people. I love meeting new people; I love experiencing different life things with new people. Through playing hockey and moving away from home to play hockey, I've met so many new people and new friends along the way. That’s built up my confidence in many things. For the actual sport, I love playing the game because it's always testing my brain capacity. […] You're broadening your mind on all these drills, all these new plays. You can have a good hockey IQ on the ice, and that's something that I feel like I've improved on. I just enjoy every moment of it.