Back to where it began
Eight years after playing in the first Esso Cup, Ferran Brown returns to the Canada’s National Female Midget Championship, this time behind the bench
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April 24, 2017
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Much was already known about the 2009 Esso Cup when Calgary was announced as the host city in December 2008. Seventy-four teams would take part in playdowns across the country. Four regional champions would be crowned. And the five-team field would be rounded out by the host squad.
But who, exactly, was the host team?
Hockey Calgary had three teams – the Bruins, Chaos and Flyers – in the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League. The Esso Cup host would be whoever went furthest in the AMMFHL playoffs.
The Bruins took out the Chaos in the preliminary round, setting up a best-of-five series against the league-best Flyers. Three games later the inaugural National Female Midget Championship had its host.
“Even [in the AMMFHL quarter-final] we felt like we won because we got to go to nationals now,” says Ferran Brown, then a forward with the Flyers. “To be the first to host it was nice because you almost felt like you made something.”
Brown opened the scoring in an opening-day win for the Flyers, and would record at least one point in every game (four goals, three assists) for the eventual bronze medallists.
“That was the highlight of my Midget career, and every time I look at [the medal] it just brings back good memories. I think of all the girls and always have that memory of them.”
Eight years later, Brown has the chance to both re-live that Midget year and create new memories, as an assistant coach with the Mid-Isle Wildcats, the Atlantic Region champions, at the 2017 Esso Cup.
The journey from Calgary to Summerside, P.E.I., to Morden, Man., may seem like an unlikely path, but the route has been surprisingly straight.
That first win for the Flyers came against the Scarborough Sharks. Ontario’s reputation as a women’s hockey powerhouse preceded it, but shutting out the Sharks showed Brown that she had game, too.
“After that I thought that I could go further in hockey. I realized I was half decent,” she says, laughing.
She played five seasons with the University of Prince Edward Island – her final two as captain – was named an Academic All-Canadian and received a leadership award after her senior year. She even played in another national championship, with the Panthers in 2012. And every spring she helped coach when UPEI hosted the provincial U16 and U18 teams.
But after earning her bachelor of education – and meeting a lobster fisherman – on the East Coast, she took a job teaching in northern Alberta last year. “But this year I decided to move back here with the lobster fisherman,” she says, laughing.
In addition to working as a substitute teacher, Brown was coaching an Atom A team in O’Leary, P.E.I., when a surprise offer came last fall. “One of my old coaches from UPEI got a call from the Mid-Isle Wildcats saying they’d really like a female coach. She gave my name, and I thought it was a great opportunity to coach older girls.”
Kevin Andrews, head coach of the Wildcats, admits he didn’t know much about Brown when her former university coach first recommended her. But after doing some digging, Andrews knew she’d be the perfect fit.
“I found out she had been in the inaugural Esso Cup in 2009, and I told the girls this is a great experience to draw on because Ferran has been there before,” he says. “She’d been to the nationals at the university level as well, another great experience to draw on.”
With Brown being only a few years older than the players, a natural trust quickly formed.
“I find that they can relate to me, that I can just talk to them and know the actual issues or what they’re thinking,” says Brown, who still plays in the Island Women’s Hockey League.
She also recently accepted a position on the Team P.E.I. coaching staff for the 2019 Canada Winter Games, her first time – as player or coach – at the high-performance level. It’s another opportunity to mentor and pay it forward.
“A lot of our players would like to play university hockey,” says Andrews, “and I think they look at Ferran as a great example of how to do it and, through her examples, of the benefits of playing university hockey.”
Shortly after joining the team, Brown sent players a PowerPoint presentation on how to contact university coaches. “And I’ve been telling them how going through this tournament is a huge opportunity to meet even more schools from across the country.”
Brown has told both the players and her fellow coaches that Esso Cup week is about the hockey, first and foremost. But she couldn’t help but think beyond the rink when Mid-Isle clinched its spot, only the second team from P.E.I. to ever do so.
“I knew how much I loved going to Esso – just feeling so accomplished,” says Brown. “It’s crazy that the girls get to experience it, the whole-week tournament and being fully committed to hockey. It was exciting to know that they’re going to have that experience that I had when I was younger, because you won’t forget it for the rest of your life.”
Durham West Lightning win Esso Cup
Ontario wins Canada’s National Women’s U18 Club Championship for fourth time
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May 22, 2022
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OKOTOKS, Alta.
– The Durham West Lightning has won the Esso Cup, claiming Canada’s
National Women’s U18 Club Championship on the back of a 27-save performance
from Sophie Helfenstein (Ajax, Ont.) in a 4-1 win over the
Fraser Valley Rush on Sunday at Pason Centennial Arena.
It’s the first national title for the Lightning, who finished third at the
2017 Esso Cup in Morden, Man. The win also marks the fourth championship
for the Ontario Region – the Thunder Bay Queens won in 2010, Sudbury Lady
Wolves in 2015 and Brantford Ice Boltz in 2016.
“I’m so proud of these girls,” Durham head coach Patrick Teggart said after
the game. “They have worked so hard to get here, and to be rewarded is a
great feeling. My joy lies with them; they deserve this. We talked all week
about how important it was to stay together and win as a team and that is
exactly what we did tonight.”
The Lightning opened the scoring late in the first period when Courtney Poelman (Oshawa, Ont.) fired a seeing-eye shot
through a screen. For Poelman, it was an opportune time to record her first
point of the Esso Cup.
After an early penalty kill, the Lightning added a second-period marker
from Zoe Ziotas (Markham, Ont.) to open a
two-goal lead at the second intermission.
“This feels like a dream,” said Lightning captain Jessica Pellerin (Bowmanville, Ont.). “These girls have had such positive energy all week both in the room and on the ice. This is one of the greatest experiences of my life and to share it with this group, it’s a special feeling.” Ella Inglis (Pickering, Ont.) put the game on ice with a wicked wrist shot off the post and in midway through the third period before Sadie Hotles (Markham, Ont.) found the empty net with 2:24 left. The Rush broke Helfenstein’s shutout bid in the third period when Aynsley D’Ottavio (Rosedale, B.C.) found a loose puck for her third goal of the tournament. Despite the loss, Fraser Valley achieved the best finish ever by a B.C. team at the national championship.
Full game stats are available at HockeyCanada.ca/EssoCup . Esso Cup Tournament Awards: Most Valuable Player – Sadie Hotles (Durham West Lightning) Top Forward – Vienna Rubin (Fraser Valley Rush) Top Defence – Abigayle Poitras (Durham West Lightning) Top Goaltender – Eva Fillipova (Notre Dame Hounds) Most Sportsmanlike Player – Sophia Zuck (Prince Albert Bears) Esso Kids Scholarship Program: Most Dedicated Athlete Award – Megan Breum (Fraser Valley Rush)
Prince Albert, Sask., and the Prince Albert Bears of the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League will play host to the 13th edition of Canada’s National Women’s U18 Club Championship in April 2023.
For more information on the 2022 Esso Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram.
Esso Cup Recap: Saturday, May 21
Fraser Valley and Durham West earned semifinal wins on Saturday; they’ll meet for a national title Sunday in Okotoks.
May 21, 2022
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Fraser Valley Rush 3, Notre Dame Hounds 1 (Semifinal)
Durham West Lightning 4, Northern Selects 0 (Semifinal)
Next game - Sunday, May 22:
- Championship: Fraser Valley Rush vs. Durham West Lightning (5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT)
TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast the championship game on May 22 (5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT). Canada’s National Women’s U18 Club Championship will feature an all-female broadcast crew, including two-time Olympic gold medallist Cheryl Pounder, Kenzie Lalonde and Brit Dort.
Quotes: “Our motto all year has been that we need to focus on the things we can control. Whether it’s a penalty or a missed chance, our girls know that they need to make the best of that situation. We took a penalty in the second today but a good shot block leads to a goal for us right away. We executed our motto and now we have a chance in the big game.”
- Fraser Valley head coach Tony Lindsay on his team’s semifinal victory
“I’m so happy for our group and proud of these girls. This week has been a great experience. We didn’t know if we could even win our provincials, and now we’re in the Esso Cup final and that is something we won’t take lightly. We have to forget about all the distractions tomorrow and play our game.”
- Vienna Rubin (Fraser Valley Rush) on the chance to play for a national title
“I want us to keep things as simple as possible and play the game we’ve played all year. There is nothing different about tomorrow than any other game we’ve played. I won’t lie to them and try and say it’s not a big game, but once we’re inside the glass it’s just another game, and our girls have to remember that.”
- Durham West head coach Patrick Teggart on the message to his team ahead of Sunday
“We’re all very excited to be here, but we need to keep our heads in it because the work isn’t done. We didn’t come all this way to just make it to the final; we want to win it all. We’ve talked about it in the room, and we know we have to block out all the noise of being on TV and playing under the bright lights. If we stay dialed in, we will be fine.”
- Sadie Hotles (Durham West Lightning) on playing on the national stage
For more information on the 2022 Esso Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Esso Cup Recap: Friday, May 20
Notre Dame, Durham West and Northern all picked up wins on Friday, the final day of preliminary-round action.
May 20, 2022
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Durham West Lightning 5, Fraser Valley Rush 2
Notre Dame Hounds 4, Remparts du Richelieu 2
Northern Selects 2, Prince Albert Bears 0
Next games - Saturday, May 21:
- Semifinal 1: Notre Dame Hounds vs. Fraser Valley Rush (11:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m. PT)
- Semifinal 2: Northern Selects vs. Durham West Lightning (3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT)
TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast the championship game on May 22; (5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT). Both semifinals will be livestreamed at HockeyCanada.ca/EssoCup.
Quotes:
“We’re ready for the pressure this weekend. We’ve talked all week about how we want to play for the title and be on TSN for our family and friends. There is work to be done and we can’t change our routine. What we’re doing has worked to get us here, and we want to keep it going.”
- Jessica Pellerin (Durham West Lightning) on the pressure of the playoff round
“Our goal was to get to this position, and we are feeling good right now. Every team is tired, but we have been here before and we know what we have to do to be ready for tomorrow.”
- Ellie Gauvin (Notre Dame Hounds) on heading into the playoffs with the right mindset
“This one feels good because we have worked so hard for this opportunity. We don’t want to get too high as we know there is still work to be done. We’re facing the number-one team and know that it’s not going to be easy; we’re ready for the challenge and I’m excited to go through it with these girls.”
- Jorja Burrows (Northern Selects) on clinching a berth in the final four, just the second Atlantic team to ever do so
For more information on the 2022 Esso Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
BDO launches Goals for Kids program
As part of the BDO Goals for Kids program, up to $100 will go to minor hockey across the country for every Team Canada goal scor
Carrying on Oliver’s legacy
With her family’s Olliebot fundraising campaign, Northern Selects forward Megan Smith is carrying on her brother Oliver’s legacy and raising money for Ewing sarcoma
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May 20, 2022
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Hockey runs in the blood of Northern Selects forward Megan Smith. Both of her grandfathers played the game; her father, Bryan, played and is the coach of St. Francis Xavier University women’s hockey team.
With a love of the game generations deep in her family, Megan knew she wanted follow in their footsteps and laced up her skates at five years old.
“It’s like a legacy,” the now 18-year-old says. “My family has played hockey and my brother [Oliver] just loved the sport so much.”
Megan’s younger brother, Oliver, would tag along to watch her games when she began her hockey journey. Soon enough, he followed his sister and began playing hockey when he turned five years old.
“He was so antsy in the stands. He just wanted to be on the ice,” Megan says. “He was so eager to get on the ice and the minute you could put skates on his feet, he was off, he was going. He had so much energy.”
Together with their older sister Emma, all three Smith siblings were very close growing up in Antigonish, N.S.
“We were so competitive,” Megan says. “We were always playing mini-sticks together, shooting basketballs outside, going hiking and fishing and camping. We’ve always been so close. So even when Oliver got sick, we were there to support him. We couldn’t be as active, but we made up for it playing video games, watching movies and playing board games.”
When Oliver began his first year playing U11, his father Bryan noticed that something seemed off while he was on the ice.
“He wasn’t as fast,” Bryan says. “He was very quick, very agile. Then when the fall came for tryouts, he just didn’t have that same flexibility, agility.”
Oliver was complaining about his leg and groin being sore, so he began physiotherapy to try to strengthen his leg. Along with the pain, he started to feel unwell. That brought Oliver back to his doctor in February of 2017, when he was officially diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in his left hip, a rare type of cancer that occurs in bones or soft tissue.
With his mobility limited and Oliver spending more time at home as he underwent treatment, the Smiths brainstormed what activities he could do to pass the time. Bryan had some woodworking experience, so he thought of creating a robot out of wood and hockey laces. Nicknamed the “Olliebot,” Oliver worked with his family to make more of the wooden robots to give to friends.
It wasn’t until Bruce MacPherson, the father of Megan’s teammates Bree MacPherson and Mairead MacPherson, asked to buy an Olliebot that they realized this fun family activity would be a great way to give back to the community.
“We were like, ‘Wow, we could sell these,’” Bryan says. “We knew that Oliver’s cancer, Ewings cancer, there wasn’t a lot of fundraising for it. It’s very rare, and there isn’t a lot of fundraising for childhood cancer in general. … We knew we had to direct it to that.”
The Smiths launched Olliebots for public sales in the middle of November 2017. By Dec. 23 of that year, they had sold 273 unique Olliebots. Proceeds go to the Ewings Cancer Foundation of Canada and support other families in Nova Scotia who have been affected by childhood cancer.
“Each one comes with a little tag and then hockey laces and wooden blocks, and then there’s customizable stickers and googly eyes,” Megan explains. “Each Olliebot is actually signed with a heart inside an O. It’s on the left hip, which is where Oliver’s cancer was.”
There are quite a few notable members of the hockey community that own an Olliebot. Pittsburgh Penguins captain and Nova Scotia native Sidney Crosby has one, plus he signed an Olliebot for Oliver to keep. Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner, Mike Babcock, Darryl Sittler, Ron MacLean and Don Cherry each have an Olliebot. Blayre Turnbull, Jill Saulnier and Troy Ryan of Canada’s National Women’s Team also have their own.
With time, the Olliebot project became a community fundraising effort. Schools in Antigonish have helped to prepare wood for the Smiths or host Olliebot nights where teachers and students help to create the wooden robots. Megan’s teammates on the Selects also helped in gathering supplies.
“The girls that are playing on my current team, I played with them all the way up in Selects. Some years, we get to the end of the season and the coaches will be like, ‘OK girls, untie your skates, take the laces out and pass them to the Smiths,’ and we make Olliebots out of skate laces right from my teammates’ skates,” Megan says. “I mean, I’m watching people undo their skates to give to my family so we can give money to research for cancer. It’s just unbelievable the support that you can get from a group of 20 girls.”Unfortunately, Oliver lost his battle with cancer in June 2019, one day after his 12th birthday. Just as the hockey community rallied around the Smith family when Oliver was diagnosed, the community continues to provide them with support and love since his passing.
“I’ve been with [my teammates] since Oliver got diagnosed all the way up
until he died in 2019, and they all came to his funeral, they were in the
front row at his funeral,” Megan says. “They were all around, and even the
coaches too.”
There are good days and bad days when grieving the loss of a loved one, but Megan has shown resilience and perseverance. Her love of the game has also helped her over the past few years.
“Hockey has been the one place where I feel I can go and that [it’s] just a positive outlet,” she says. “Nobody meets you with a frown face, everyone meets you with a smile and they ask you how you’re doing, and they talk about Oliver in the most positive ways. They tell you just how great of a sister or mother or father you are to him and how proud you should be just to carry on his legacy.”
Almost three years later, there continues to be signs and tributes to Oliver in the Nova Scotia hockey community. Megan switched her jersey to Oliver’s No. 2 to continue to carry on his legacy—plus Oliver’s two best friends wear No. 2 and No. 22 to remember him. The Selects also have decals on the back of their helmets that feature an O, a heart and a No. 2.
In honour of Oliver, the Smith family continues to make Olliebots and donate their proceeds to the Ewings Cancer Foundation of Canada. While Oliver used to sign each Olliebot with his signature O and heart, Megan now continues that tradition. Each member of the Selects has their own Olliebot that sits in their dressing room stalls. There’s even an Olliebot sitting outside on their local arena sign.
“It’s not glued there, it just sits there and it has sat there for like three years,” Megan says. “Nobody takes it. Everyone knows what it is and it’s totally amazing.”
Overall, the Smiths have made over 4,500 Olliebots and have raised more than $100,000.
“With Oliver losing his battle, you never want to see another kid go through what he has went through,” Megan says. “Just with the lack of fundraising and research for pediatric cancer, I think it’s important that we keep up his legacy.
“I think Oliver would be really honoured to know that we carried on his legacy and that there’s still hope for other children.”
Something Oliver would always say is, “Be the hardest worker.” It’s a motto the Smith family used throughout Oliver’s life and after his death. With Olliebots tucked into their suitcases for the Esso Cup, Megan and the Selects plan to embody that motto on the ice in Okotoks.
“Whenever I play, I try to be the hardest worker and it brings me so much joy to be able to do that and honour his legacy,” she says. “Everyone on my team knows the ‘Be the hardest worker,’ and we truly live by it. We are the hardest workers in practice, off ice, during games. We live by it, and it means so much that the girls support me and my family.”
Esso Cup Recap: Thursday, May 19
The Lightning, Rush and Hounds all picked up victories on Thursday in Okotoks, keeping Durham West perfect at 4-0.
May 19, 2022
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Fraser Valley Rush 5, Northern Selects 4 (SO)
Durham West Lightning 9, Remparts du Richelieu 3
Notre Dame Hounds 4, Prince Albert Bears 2
Next games - Friday, May 20:
- Fraser Valley Rush vs. Durham West Lightning (12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT)
- Notre Dame Hounds vs. Remparts du Richelieu (3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT)
- Prince Albert Bears vs. Northern Selects (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT)
TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast the championship game on May 22; please check local listings for details. All preliminary-round games and the semifinals will be livestreamed at HockeyCanada.ca/EssoCup.
Quotes:
“We left it all out there today and earned this win. I’m proud of this group and what we’ve been able to accomplish. We didn’t even know if we would win our province and here we are now. We’ve got one more tomorrow and we’re not done yet.”
- Vienna Rubin (Fraser Valley Rush) on the shootout victory on Thursday
“This is the best hockey we’ve played all season. We came here to compete and win. The competition here is tough, but we need to keep doing what we have been doing to be successful.”
- Sadie Hotles (Durham West Lightning) on the Lightning mindset heading into Friday
“To get the win here tonight feels great. We’ve been working hard but haven’t been rewarded. To beat our rivals from Saskatchewan makes it even sweeter. The pressure is on us now heading into the last day. I think this team is built for this moment and I know we will push forward.”
- Ryann Perrett (Notre Dame Hounds) on Hounds’ first regulation victory
For more information on the 2022 Esso Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ESSO: STA 1-TRI 0 OT Post-Game (Gold)
Tyra Meropoulis scored the only goal of the game 14:41 into overtime and Camryn Drever made 28-saves as the St. Albert Slash are
2022 Esso Cup Recap: Wednesday, May 18
Prince Albert, Durham West and Northern Selects all picked up victories on Day 3 of the 2022 Esso Cup in Okotoks, Alta.
May 18, 2022
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Northern Selects 6, Remparts du Richelieu 2
Prince Albert Bears 6, Fraser Valley Rush 5
Durham West Lightning 4, Notre Dame Hounds 3
Next games - Thursday, May 19:
- Northern Selects vs. Fraser Valley Rush (12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT)
- Remparts du Richelieu vs. Durham West Lightning (3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT)
- Prince Albert Bears vs. Notre Dame Hounds (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT)
TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast the championship game on May 22; please check local listings for details. All preliminary-round games and the semifinals will be livestreamed at HockeyCanada.ca/EssoCup.
Quotes:
“We have a tired group for sure. We knew today was going to be a grind and it was. We’ve been in tight games all week and we knew we needed to elevate our game to the next level, today we did that, and it helped get us the win.”
- Sara Stewart (Northern Selects) on playing with a short bench due to injuries.
“It doesn’t matter how we got here and now we’re in it just like everyone else. The girls in that room are hungry and we came here to win. We can’t soak this in for too long, we have to get right back to work here and finish the right way.”
- Sophia Zuck (Prince Albert Bears) on the Bears’ mindset after back-to-back victories.
“As a group we are happy with the win tonight. This was a hard-fought, tight game and we played well. We are a confident group right now and the mood is high heading into tomorrow.”
- Zoe Ziotas (Durham West Lightning) on the confidence in the Lightning locker room.
For more information on the 2022 Esso Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
2022 Esso Cup Recap: Tuesday, May 17
Prince Albert, Durham West and Fraser Valley picked up victories in Okotoks, leaving the Lightning and Rush perfect.
May 17, 2022
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Durham West Lightning 3, Northern Selects 1
Prince Albert Bears 9, Remparts du Richelieu 4
Fraser Valley Rush 2, Notre Dame Hounds 0
Next games - Wednesday, May 18 (All games at Scott Seaman Sports Rink):
• Northern Selects vs. Remparts du Richelieu(12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT) • Fraser Valley Rush vs. Prince Albert Bears (4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT) • Notre Dame Hounds vs. Durham West Lightning (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT)
TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast the championship game on May 22; please check local listings for details. All preliminary-round games and the semifinals will be livestreamed at HockeyCanada.ca/EssoCup.
Quotes:
“We had to deal with some adversity today. The Selects are highly ranked, and they showed it. Our girls had to deal with some adversity and learn how to fight through it. It was a big confidence boost to finish off the game the way we did.”
- Durham head coach Patrick Teggart on his team bearing down and remaining undefeated
“We have a happy room right now. This was a long time coming, and a great feeling to pick up the win. We’ve said all year that we can’t get too high or low and today we showed that.”
- Brooklin Fry (Prince Albert Bears) on her team picking up its first win of the tournament
“We played a heavy game tonight, and it was really intense. Our team likes to play that way, we wanted to compete hard against a big Notre Dame team and we did that tonight.”
- Aynsley D’Ottavio (Fraser Valley Rush) on a 2-0 win over Notre Dame
For more information on the 2022 Esso Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ESSO: DUR 4-PVH 1 Post-Game (Bronze)
Chavonne Truter scored the game winner just 48 seconds into the third period and tallied three points as Durham West claims the
Generosity in a time of need
When a historic storm brought flooding and landslides to southern British Columbia, Aynsley D’Ottavio relied on acts of kindness to help get her back home to Chilliwack
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May 17, 2022
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When Aynsley D’Ottavio left her home in Chilliwack, B.C., to tour Quinnipac University in November, she never imagined how difficult it would be to get back home.
The Fraser Valley Rush defenceman and her mother made the trip to Connecticut with the intent of touring the university for one day before returning home.
“We got in [to Connecticut] that night and my dad texted my mom and said that a storm was going on [back home],” D’Ottavio says. “It didn’t really affect us too much because we do live in B.C. and there’s a lot of rain.”
Not thinking much of the precipitation, they went to sleep after the long travel day in preparation for the tour in the morning. The next day, they continued to receive updates about the unprecedented amount of rain they were getting back home.
“I toured the school all day, and kind of was hearing about everything as the day went on,” D’Ottavio says. “And then flying home that night, [that’s when we] found out that it got really bad.”
A historic rainstorm brought some B.C. communities nearly a month’s worth of rain within the span of 48 hours. The storm broke dozens of rainfall records and caused devastating landslides that closed almost every major highway in southern B.C.
After an already rain-filled September and October in the Fraser Valley, the latest dump overwhelmed creeks and rivers that wouldn’t normally be flood risks. Entire regions of the Fraser Valley became ingulfed by floodwaters. About 20,000 people were forced to flee their homes due to the storm.
The original plan was for D’Ottavio’s father to pick her and her mother up at the airport to drive the 16-year-old to Langley so she could join the Rush to face the Northern Capitals. While laid over in Toronto, D’Ottavio found out that the storm ruined that plan.
“We were kind of at a loss as to what to do because my dad couldn’t get through the flooding to pick us up,” she says. “We got into Vancouver, and my mom’s boss generously got us a hotel in Vancouver. We stayed there for a night and just kind of assessed the situation.”
D’Ottavio was not the only member of the Rush that was impacted by the floods. Forward Hannah Dods was at home in Chilliwack when the storm began. At first, the 15-year-old didn’t think too much about the incoming storm, but hearing about the beginning of the flooding and the height of the water in the rivers grabbed her attention.
“The night before I remember I was with my friend and we were talking about how much it was raining and we’re like, ‘Do you think school might be closed?’ But we were completely doubting it,” she says. “The next thing you know, school’s closed.”
Thankfully, both Dods and D’Ottavio’s family homes were not affected by the flooding in Chilliwack. Dods’ school would end up staying closed for an entire week and became a refuge for people affected by the flooding. Although Dods’ home was unaffected, she did witness the effects of her hometown being cut off by the natural disaster.
“Literally any kind of resources you would usually get, we’re not getting fed with any new supplies or anything,” she says. “We can’t waste the fuel we have because we can’t get more. We can’t eat all our groceries because if we go to the store, there’s no groceries because no supplies are getting in and out of Chilliwack.”
With the highways blocked by debris and water, there was no way for Dods to get to Rush practices or games. It did offer a silver lining, though—the 15-year-old was able to participate more on her basketball team.
“It was good to have chill time, but probably the one thing that disappointed me the most was definitely missing out on my hockey,” Dods says. “I think I missed a game and a couple practices, and not seeing my teammates for a week was like, ‘I can’t wait to get back out there.’”
Back in Vancouver, D’Ottavio was making calls to her teammates to see what she could do for their upcoming games against the Capitals.
“We had a game the next day in the morning, so we got a hold of some teammates and kind of just saw if we could put together a ride to even watch the game,” D’Ottavio explains.
With plans underway to try to get herself to Langley, she thought of an idea. Many of her teammates have old hockey gear in their homes. If she was unable to have her own equipment with her due to the flooding, what if her teammates could piece together a set for her?
“It was great,” she says. “I brought up the idea of getting some gear and everybody was just so on board with it and really wanted to see me on the ice, which was great because I really wanted to be on the ice and play with everybody. It was really awesome.”
Decked out in a set of hockey gear cobbled together from several teammates, the practicality of the idea hit when she stepped out on the ice.
“It was so awkward, and it was so weird,” D’Ottavio says. “Skating at first, I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it. Different skates are so tough to get used to just to begin with, but ones that are already broken in and old skates, it was so tough.”
Despite the discomfort, she recorded an assist in the Rush’s 3-2 overtime win. With the game complete, the next challenge was how to return home. D’Ottavio and her mother joined her defence partner Jade Lore and Lore’s mother to see if they could find a way home without using the closed roads.
Their first thought was to drive to Pitt Meadows Airport, a regional airport about 32 kilometres from Vancouver International Airport, to see if they could find a small plane that could fly them home, but there was no availability.
“We didn’t even have it in mind, but we saw the helicopter service across the street and asked them if they had any availability,” she says. “It turned out that somebody had cancelled, or they just had room and they were generous enough to give us a ride.”
In her first helicopter ride, D’Ottavio had a birds-eye view to see devastating flooding in her community first-hand.
“It was crazy. I couldn’t even recognize roads. There’s a highway that cuts right through, we couldn’t even make out where the highway was. It was worse than I would have imagined,” she says.
Although the circumstances surrounding the historic storm were difficult, the generosity of those willing to help in the community was always present. Several hockey associations in surrounding areas helped those affected by the natural disaster. Dods says her family assisted with filling up sandbags at a nearby park.
“It felt cool seeing all these people coming together,” Dods says.
D’Ottavio is thankful for all the generous acts that helped her and her mother return home. As the city worked to repair the damages, she remembers the positivity the community had for those most affected.
“Everybody was rallying around the farmers and the people living in the floodplains that were affected and had to leave their homes,” D’Ottavio adds. “The pilot told us that a bunch of plane and helicopter services were giving people free rides across the water to get them home to their families or people that had just left for work in the morning and just couldn’t get home. It was really awesome to see.”
Although lots of the infrastructure damaged by the storm has been repaired, there are still signs of the flooding six months later. Once the roads in and out of town re-opened, D’Ottavio and Dods were happy to be back with the Rush on their road to the Esso Cup.
2022 Esso Cup Recap: Monday, May 16
The Durham West Lightning, Notre Dame Hounds and Fraser Valley Rush notched wins on Day 1 of the Esso Cup
May 16, 2022
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Durham West Lightning 6, Prince Albert Bears 2
Notre Dame Hounds 2, Northern Selects 1 (OT)
Fraser Valley Rush 4, Remparts du Richelieu 1
Next games - Tuesday, May 17:
• Durham West Lightning vs. Northern Selects (1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT) • Prince Albert Bears vs. Remparts du Richelieu (5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT) • Fraser Valley Rush vs. Notre Dame Hounds (8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT)
TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast the championship game on May 22; please check local listings for details. All preliminary-round games and the semifinals will be livestreamed at HockeyCanada.ca/EssoCup.
Quotes:
“We have carried a ton of energy with us all season, and we brought it here again today. It was a long journey to get here, but to open this tournament with a victory is huge and gets the experience off on the right foot. It felt nice to score today, but the win is more important.”
- Jessica Pellerin (Durham West Lightning) on her two-goal performance and a tournament-opening victory.
“The first period was a bit scrambly for sure, but we’ve been practicing hard for the last three weeks and knew this was going to be a challenge. We had some nerves late, but to get this win in front of all our family and friends is a great start to the week.”
- Kaitlyn Gilroy (Notre Dame Hounds) on returning to game action after a long layoff.
“This was a heavy game tonight. Everyone was pulling in the right direction, worked well together, and picked up the win. This was a great way to start off this tournament.”
- Katie Leroux (Fraser Valley Rush) on a hard-fought victory over Richelieu.
For more information on the 2022 Esso Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ESSO: TRI 2-PVH 1 Post-Game (SF)
Chloé Gendreau’s first period goal lifted the Harfangs du Triolet past the Pembina Valley Hawks 2-1, giving the Quebec Champion
Okotoks set to host first ever national U18 club championships
Esso Cup and TELUS Cup return to Alberta ice; first time tournaments held jointly
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May 12, 2022
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OKOTOKS, Alta. – The Town of Okotoks will be a hub of hockey activity as the host community of the 2022 Esso Cup and TELUS Cup, with the top men’s and women’s U18 club teams from across Canada converging on Central Alberta to compete for a pair of national championships, May 16-22.
In the Esso Cup, five regional champions will join the host, Prince Albert Bears for Canada’s National Women’s U18 Club Championship. Competing teams include the Fraser Valley Rush (Pacific), Durham West Lightning (Ontario), Northern Selects (Atlantic), Notre Dame Hounds (West), and Remparts du Richelieu (Quebec).
“We cannot wait to drop the puck at two Hockey Canada national championships in Okotoks this week,” said Dean McIntosh, vice-president of events and properties for Hockey Canada. “For the first time, fans will be able to experience the Esso Cup and TELUS Cup in one centralized location, bringing the excitement of Canada’s U18 Club Championships to Foothills County.
“On May 22 we will crown champions at both events for the first time since 2019, and are thrilled that Canadian hockey fans can watch the best U18 club teams in the country compete for a national championship once again.”
The TELUS Cup, Canada’s National Men’s U18 Club Championship, will see the host Sydney Rush take on five regional champions including the Cantonniers de Magog (Quebec), Moncton Flyers (Atlantic), Mississauga Reps (Central), Notre Dame Hounds (West) and Vancouver NE Chiefs (Pacific).
“To have the Esso Cup and TELUS Cup in Okotoks has created a buzz around town and the entire community is excited to have these events in our own backyard,” said Geoff Stewart, President of Okotoks Minor Hockey Association. “Usually, our association slows down at this time of year, and it has been incredible to see and hear the local response from not only the association, but the community. The passion and love of the game in Okotoks is truly unique and having the opportunity to host both tournaments has not been taken for granted.”
Opening ceremonies will take place prior to the evening games on May 16, while the presentation of the tournament awards as well as both the regional and national TELUS and Esso scholarships will be made at the conclusion of the preliminary round.
The tournaments conclude May 22 with Championship Sunday broadcast nationally on TSN and RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcast partners, starting with the Esso Cup finale at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT, and the TELUS Cup championship game at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT.
Fans looking to attend the national U18 club championships, supported by Tourism Calgary, can purchase their tickets now at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets. Event packages begin at $70 plus fees, while single-game tickets are available for as low as $10 for preliminary-round games.
For more information on the 2022 Esso Cup and 2022 TELUS Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
For more information: |
Jason La Rose - September 30, 2022
Kara Spady - Hockey Alberta - June 29, 2022
Ezra Ginsburg via Hockey Manitoba - June 27, 2022
June 23, 2022
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2022-23 NWT: USA 2 – CAN 1 (Game 2)
2022-23 NWT: USA 4 – CAN 3 SO (Game 1)
2022 U17: Day 10 – Saturday, November 12
2022 U17: Day 9 – Friday, November 11
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