Sask. products stay on radar for Hockey Canada female teams

Willow Slobodzian takes part in a skating session in July of 2019.

    Being a virtual invite to a summer camp for one of Hockey Canada’s women’s teams is a huge thing in these coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic times.

    On Monday, Hockey Canada announced seven Saskatchewan products were among 109 players to earn invites to a pair of virtual camps with Canada’s National Women’s Program.

    Forwards Sophie Shirley and Grace Shirley along with defenders Brooke Hobson, Ashley Messier and Willow Slobodzian are among 50 players who will meet weekly on a virtual basis as part of Canada’s national women’s development team summer camp. These meeting will continue until these athletes return to university in the fall.

    Forwards Neena Brick and Baylee Kirwan are among the 59 players who will meet weekly on a virtual basis as part of Canada’s national women’s under-18 summer camp. These sessions will run until the 2021 under-18 women’s worlds.

    The upcoming under-18 women’s worlds are slated to run Jan. 5 to 12, 2021 in Linkoping and Mjolby, Sweden.

    Normally, these players would physically get to skate in a camp that is usually held in August in Calgary.

    This year, these players wouldn’t have the chance to impress Hockey Canada brass with an in-person performance. Due to the shutdowns that occurred in North American due to the COVID-19 pandemic starting in earnest on March 11 and 12, most of these players missed playing time in the post-season resulting in another lost chance to turn heads of Hockey Canada decision makers.

Grace Shirley in action for the Stars in the 2018-19 campaign.

    No national championships were won in NCAA women’s hockey, U Sports women’s hockey and in Canada’s female under-18 AAA ranks, because they were all cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    If you are a player who is taking part in these virtual female camps run by Hockey Canada, you have accomplished a big thing. You have done enough to remain on Hockey Canada’s radar despite some lost opportunities to turn heads.

    Sophie Shirley, who has been in Hockey Canada’s female national team system since 2015, had an impressive sophomore season with the defending NCAA champion University of Wisconsin Badgers.
    In 36 overall games, the star forward and Saskatoon product piled up 29 goals, 32 assists and a plus-36 rating in the plus-minus department.

    Sophie was named a second team Western Collegiate Hockey Association all-star and was named a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the NCAA’s top female collegiate hockey player.

    Grace Shirley, who is Sophie’s younger sister, finished up her rookie campaign with the Badgers. With the Badgers, dynamic forward went through a learning year netting one goal and four assists in 36 overall games.

    Grace helped Canada win gold at the under-18 women’s worlds in 2019.

Brooke Hobson in action for the Bears in April of 2017.

    Prince Albert product Brooke Hobson had a solid junior season controlling the blue-line for the NCAA’s Northeastern University Huskies. Hobson posted six goals, nine assists and a plus-22 rating in 30 overall games, and she has been named the Huskies captain for her upcoming senior season.

    Messier, who is Wilcox, played for the Selects Hockey Academy in Rochester, New York, for her Grade 12 year. In November of 2019, Messier helped Team Saskatchewan win silver at the National Women’s under-18 Championship, which features provincial all-star teams.

    This past January, the slick offensive-defender helped Canada take home silver at the under-18 women’s worlds.

    Slobodzian, who is from Clavet, finished her junior season with the NCAA’s Cornell University Big Red. She appeared in 31 overall games posting two goals, 15 assists and a plus-28 rating.

Slobodzian’s 15 assists, 17 points and plus-28 rating were career highs.

    The Shirley sisters, Messier and Slobodzian are alums of the Saskatoon Stars female under-18 team. Hobson is an alumna of her hometown Prince Albert Northern Bears female under-18 team.

    As for the under-18 camp invites, Brick had an impressive 16-year-old campaign helping her hometown Regina Rebels finish first in the Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League with a 27-2-1 record. She was the SFU18AAAHL’s top scorer piling up 30 goals and 28 assists for 58 points.

    Brick was named a first team SFU18AAAHL all-star and claimed the circuit’s Hayley Wickenheiser Most Valuable Player award and the Kelly Bechard Top Scorer award.

Neena Brick was the SFU18AAAHL’s most valuable player last season.

    Kirwan, who is a Gull Lake product, had a spectacular 16-year-old campaign helping the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats finish second in the SFU18AAAHL with a 22-7-1 record. She finished third in SFU18AAAHL scoring with 29 goals and 12 assists for 41 points.

    Kirwan was a second team SFU18AAAHL all-star and claimed the circuit’s Fiona Smith Most Sportsmanlike Player award.

    All seven of these players with Saskatchewan roots have already made waves in the game. They have the potential to be playing hockey at an elite level for a lengthy number of years to come.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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