CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada and U SPORTS have announced this year’s incoming cohort of 22 student-athletes who will participate in the Creating Coaches program, which is designed to increase the number of women coaching hockey in Canada.

Launched in 2021 through a partnership between Hockey Canada, U SPORTS and the Hockey Canada Foundation, Creating Coaches provides opportunities for current U SPORTS women’s hockey players to receive training, mentorship, education and an honorarium as assistant coaches for U13, U15 or U18 girls’ hockey teams in their respective communities.

“As women’s and girls’ hockey in Canada continues to set participation records each season, expanding the Creating Coaches program is an important milestone to increase the number of women behind the bench and connect more girls in communities across the country with mentors who continue to compete in U SPORTS hockey,” said Marin Hickox, vice-president of women’s and girls’ hockey for Hockey Canada. “This program would not be possible without the generous financial support of the Hockey Canada Foundation, and we look forward to welcoming these 22 incredible women to Creating Coaches and supporting them throughout their coaching journey.”

The 22 student-athletes who will participate in the two-year program include representation from all four U SPORTS conferences:

• Mackenzie Beggs (Saint Mary’s University, AUS)
• Sienna Bullen (Queen’s University, OUA)
• Jacquelyne Chief (University of Saskatchewan, CW)
• MJ English (St. Thomas University, AUS)
• Grace Glover (University of Alberta, CW)
• Dana Goertzen (University of Manitoba, CW)
• Valérie Haché (Université de Moncton, AUS)
• Lindsey Johnson (MacEwan University, CW)
• Elizabeth Laberge (Nipissing University, OUA)
• Dallis Mackenzie (Mount Allison University, AUS)
• Makayla Mailhot (University of Windsor, OUA)
• Anya Misner (Carleton University, OUA)
• Alexie Olivier (University of Guelph, OUA)
• Camille Richard (Concordia University, RSEQ)
• Rachel Richards (University of Prince Edward Island, AUS)
• Juliette Rolland (Université de Montréal, RSEQ)
• Gabrielle Santerre (Bishop’s University, RSEQ)
• Jenn Shaw (Mount Royal University, CW)
• Tessa Stewart (University of Regina, CW)
• Robyn Storey (Ontario Tech University, OUA)
• Emma Wedgewood (York University, OUA)
• Kara Yackel (Trinity Western University, CW)

“Creating Coaches gives U SPORTS student-athletes a meaningful opportunity to develop as leaders while helping to shape the next generation of players,” said Pierre Arsenault, chief executive officer of U SPORTS. “We are proud to continue working with Hockey Canada and the Hockey Canada Foundation to expand pathways for women in coaching and strengthen the future of the game across Canada.”

The Creating Coaches selection committee includes representation from Hockey Canada, U SPORTS, Hockey Canada’s Members and the Hockey Canada Foundation Board of Directors.

During National Coaches Week, Hockey Canada is celebrating the positive impact coaches have on athletes in communities from coast to coast to coast, with coaching resources and features shared here .

For more information on Hockey Canada and, please visit HockeyCanada.ca , or follow along via social media on Facebook , X, Instagram and TikTok.

Hockey Canada is committed to being a leader in para hockey, doing its part to grow the game across the country and around the world. As the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games get underway this weekend in Italy, Canada’s Paralympic Hockey Team will go in search of a second gold medal on the biggest stage in para sport.

But with financial support from the Hockey Canada Foundation (HCF), there is a continued focus on the women’s game, an evolving piece of the para hockey puzzle.

Currently, women’s para hockey—which is operated in Canada by Women’s Para Hockey of Canada (WPHC)—is not part of the programme at the Paralympic Winter Games, but Hockey Canada is working closely with World Para Ice Hockey and the International Paralympic Committee to advocate for its inclusion as early as the 2030 Games in the French Alps.

While that advocacy continues, the HCF has been a driving force behind the development of the women’s game, and that support has not gone unnoticed.

Even though we are not officially under Hockey Canada, the Hockey Canada Foundation has supported us in meaningful ways. Over the past few years, we have built a positive and collaborative relationship, and its involvement with Women’s Para Hockey of Canada continues to grow each season.

Because of existing policies and the fact that women’s para hockey is not yet part of the Paralympic Games, it is not currently possible for us to be fully integrated under Hockey Canada or to access the same level of resources, funding and opportunities as our male counterparts. That is why this partnership matters so much—it helps bridge the gap and shows a genuine commitment to the growth and future of women’s para hockey in Canada.

-- Raphaëlle Tousignant (Alternate Captain, Canada’s National Women’s Para Hockey Team)

The Hockey Canada Foundation’s belief in women’s para hockey has meant so much to our athletes and staff. Its support is not only helping our team prepare for international competition, but also inspiring the next generation of girls to see that they belong in this game.

-- Tara Chisholm (Head Coach, Canada’s National Women’s Para Hockey Team)

For the 2025-26 season, the HCF awarded WPHC a $150,000 grant to assist with everything from grassroots programming to preparations for the first-ever World Women’s Para Hockey Championship, which took place last summer in Slovakia (Canada finished with silver, falling to the United States in the gold medal game).

HCF funding has also allowed Canada and the U.S. to face off in a pair of border series—in 2024 in Minot, North Dakota, and 2025 in St. Catharines, Ontario.

With the support of the Hockey Canada Foundation, we were able to travel to represent Canada at the inaugural women’s world championship this past summer in Slovakia. By supporting our team and helping us get there, we were able to make the largest step in our journey to becoming a Paralympic sport. 

Being able to compete in our most important competition to date has meant the world to me and my teammates; representing the country is something we never take for granted. It means a lot to be backed by the Hockey Canada Foundation, so we are able to continue to show up and show the world what we can do as a country, and what we can do as women in our sport.

-- Alannah Mah (Alternate Captain, Canada’s National Women’s Para Hockey Team)

And while the Paralympic push is a key piece of the puzzle moving forward, the connection to the grassroots of the game is an important one.

Much like their able-bodied counterparts with Canada’s National Women’s Team, the members of Canada’s National Women’s Para Hockey Team see a simple formula for the continued growth of women’s para hockey—if they can see it, they can be it.

We have seen a significant surge in the number of women and girls picking up a sled across Canada. This growth is directly linked to Hockey Canada Foundation funding, which supports developments camps and builds a visible high-performance program. For the first time, there is a clear, tangible pathway: a young girl starting at the grassroots level can now see a direct line to the world championship. Knowing that a future in this sport is possible and supported is a powerful motivator that is changing the landscape of para hockey.

-- Peggy Assinck (Athlete Representative, Women’s Para Hockey of Canada)

And so, the journey continues—for the Hockey Canada Foundation and Women’s Para Hockey of Canada.

To a stronger sport.

To a new generation of Team Canada role models.

And, one day, to the first-ever women’s para hockey tournament at the Paralympic Winter Games.

The fact that a respected and influential federation like Hockey Canada—and the Hockey Canada Foundation—is more willing than ever to step in and contribute reflects significant progress compared to past years. Their support sends a clear message that they now value women’s para hockey and are committed to achieve equity in the sport. This message continues to help build momentum towards the potential inclusion of women’s para hockey at the Paralympic Winter Games, because I believe that other major federations and countries will look to our example and take similar steps to support and grow women’s para hockey in their own programs.

-- Raphaëlle Tousignant

This partnership has helped women’s para hockey grow from a developing program into a rising force in Canadian sport. With the Hockey Canada Foundation beside us, we’re building something sustainable and moving closer to the day when women’s para hockey has a place on the Paralympic stage.

-- Tara Chisholm

CALGARY, AB – The Hockey Canada Foundation (HCF) has announced the appointment of five new leaders to its boards of directors that will further enable the foundation to fulfil its mission of removing barriers and growing the game on and off the ice.

Joseph Broccolini, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Dhruv Gupta and Derek Mori have been appointed to the Hockey Canada Foundation’s Board of Directors, with Todd Humphrey joining the board’s U.S. arm.

“Our board works tirelessly to grow the game and ensure children across Canada can experience the power of hockey, and we are excited to welcome Joseph, Cassie, Dhruv, Derek to their new roles,” said Ashif Mawji, chair of the Hockey Canada Foundation Board of Directors. “Each season, we continue to see increased requests for support through programs like the Assist Fund, and we hope to impact more children and families in the future.”

“Todd’s wealth of experience, including his many leadership roles in the sports industry, is a tremendously important addition to our US board,” said Mike Humes, chair of the Canadian Hockey Foundation US Board of Directors. “Working alongside Ashif and our fellow board members across both Foundations, we have made tremendous progress in strengthening our great game and look forward to continuing to advance hockey for years to come.”

Broccolini is the executive vice-president of his family’s fully integrated real estate provider, Broccolini, and has played a critical role in refining the company’s strategic vision and was instrumental in establishing the organization’s foray into the real estate and development market.

A three-time Olympic champion and eight-time world champion, Campbell-Pascall is an Order of Canada recipient and was the first women’s hockey player inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, and continues her career as a sports broadcaster since being the first woman to provide colour commentary on Hockey Night in Canada.

Gupta is the president of Akash Group of Companies and responsible for business and strategic partnerships for all business holdings across Western Canada, growing the operation into one of the largest homebuilders in Alberta.

The founding partner of CPUS Engineering Staffing Solutions Inc. and Canadian Power Utility Services Limited, Derek Mori has volunteered as a minor hockey coach for more than 25 years and been active in fundraising events for over two decades.

A visionary sports business executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience across professional sports, technology and emerging ventures, Humphrey is the founder of Highmark Sports Group and played a central role in launching one of the most advanced arena and fan environments in sports as a founding executive of the Seattle Kraken.

More information on the five new directors can be found here.

Alex Boulanger used to spend her working hours waiting for the weekend. To get away from the office and back to the rink. She didn’t care about the level; she just wanted to spend more time around hockey. Then it finally occurred to her that she could. She just had to try.

“What was tough for me was [worrying about] what other people were going to think … but at the end of the day, it’s what you’re going to think if you don’t,” Boulanger said. “Have the courage to just go … often times [success] is just the audacity to go and try.”

So, at 29 years old, the product of Brossard, Quebec, went back to university in pursuit of a career in hockey.

She enrolled at the Université de Montréal and played two seasons with the Carabins, until there was no longer room for her on the roster. Though disappointing at the time, being forced to find a new team (and therefore a new school) was a stroke of luck for Boulanger.

She reached out to Concordia University coach Caroline Ouellette and asked for a tryout. It went well and she was invited to join the team.

“I didn’t know Alex very much, but I had heard great things about her character, her leadership and about her as a teammate,” said Ouellette, a four-time Olympic gold medallist and 2023 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee. “I knew she was very involved in the community already as a student-athlete, in coaching and volunteering in different areas of hockey, so for us at Concordia it just made sense to have that type of leadership and character and experience.”

“That’s where the passion and the goal to coach really grew, especially under [Ouellette], who I can now call a good friend and a good mentor to me,” Boulanger said. “She and Julie [Chu] have been very kind to me, took me under their wings.”

U SPORTS transfer rules require a player to redshirt for a season before being eligible with a new school, so by the time Boulanger suited up for the Stingers, she was in her fourth year of university. Which, coincidentally, meant she was eligible for Creating Coaches, a program launched by Hockey Canada and the Hockey Canada Foundation (HCF) in 2021. It is designed to encourage more women into leadership positions by supporting senior student-athletes to try coaching.

“It’s tough when you want to start coaching and you’re a player … you need training, but you also need the connection to a team,” Boulanger said, explaining how the Hockey Canada program facilitates the needs of the student-athlete and the minor hockey teams they coach.

In addition to providing coaching certification, Creating Coaches connects the athletes with a minor hockey organization to build a coaching resume. A financial subsidy from the HCF enables athletes to commit more easily to the whole program by not having to balance part-time work on top of everything else.

“If it wasn’t for the program and the financial support that’s through the Hockey Canada Foundation, there’s no way I could have committed all my free time to a team,” Boulanger said, who spent two seasons with CEGEP teams while finishing up her own schooling.

“You can tell right away as a coach yourself, there’s a certain few that have what it takes to become a coach,” Ouellette explained. “I think Alex always had the intangibles: the work ethic, the passion, the dedication for the game to better herself, to better her teammates and to want to study the game.

“We were really, really so proud that she was chosen as part of the Creating Coaches program because we really believe it’s truly an important program to build and to give opportunities to more student-athletes to start coaching and to develop a passion for it.”

Boulanger graduated from Concordia (and Creating Coaches) in 2023 and felt ready to make a living out of hockey. A longtime friend and former minor hockey teammate, Valérie Bois, had just been named head coach of the women’s hockey team at Bishop’s University, so Boulanger made a call. One brief, formal meeting later, she was a full-time assistant coach.

“I was coaching players I had just played against for the past two seasons,” Boulanger pointed out. “But at some point, you just have to take the opportunity when it comes.”

Boulanger is no stranger to opportunity. With the Stingers, she was part of back-to-back U SPORTS national championship drives, including one title win. With the Gaiters, she was back in the national championship game in just her second season behind the bench. But this time, Boulanger was facing down a friendly foe. Waterloo Warriors assistant coach Emma Cheeseman was in the inaugural Creating Coaches cohort with Boulanger.

“Emma and I, during the starting [lineup] presentation, looked at each other and were just like ‘Let’s go!’” Boulanger remembered. “It was just like coming full circle.”

“We were so very proud for her and Valérie Bois, who is also a great friend in coaching,” Ouellette said. “We felt a lot of pride for Alex in her young coaching career because we know how hard she worked to bring Bishop’s to the level they were playing at when it mattered the most.”

Coming off the national title, Bois was offered a position in the Professional Women’s Hockey League. When it was time to tell Boulanger, she just had one question.

“She gave me a call and said, ‘When would you be ready to be a head coach?’” Boulanger said with a grin.

Boulanger was named Bishop’s head coach for the 2025-26 season. Eight years after starting a journey to break away from a desk, Boulanger was living her dream.

The Kananaskis Country Golf Course was buzzing with excitement on Aug. 27 as donors, a who’s-who of Team Canada athletes and Assist Fund families came together for a day that blended hockey, golf and a world-class setting with a powerful purpose.

The Great Assist Golf Tournament helped mark a special milestone—the fifth anniversary of the Assist Fund, which has been breaking down barriers to keep kids on the ice and in the game. Celebrating five years, $5 million and 10,000 assists, the event brought together 36 generous donors and a star-studded lineup of players, coaches and staff from Canada’s men’s, women’s and para hockey programs who were gathered in Calgary for National Teams Orientation Camp on the road to Italy.

In true “only at Hockey Canada” fashion, every group had the rare chance to share the fairways with Team Canada athletes—creating an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. Laughter and friendly competition filled both courses at Kananaskis as influential business leaders and community builders teamed up with Canada’s best to raise funds and awareness for the HCF’s work across the country. The presence of Assist Fund families served as a powerful reminder of the real impact this program has made over the past five years—and why the support of events like this matters so much.

Thanks to the generosity of our participants and partners, the tournament raised more than $500,000, helping ensure more kids have the chance to experience everything hockey has to offer. The day was highlighted by not only great scores, but a renewed sense of purpose: continuing to make hockey accessible to all, no matter the barriers.

TORONTO, Ontario - The Hockey Canada Foundation has announced that it has committed $1 million for its Assist Fund during the 2025-26 hockey season, which will be distributed as registration-fee subsidies for young Canadians playing hockey and facing financial barriers.

Since it launched in 2020, the Assist Fund has helped over 10,000 Canadian children from diverse backgrounds to participate in competitive and non-competitive hockey, including over 4,000 who identify with Black, Indigenous or racialized communities.

“The Assist Fund is a critical program for our foundation to help more children get on the ice and experience the positive benefits of playing hockey from coast to coast to coast,” said Donna Iampieri, executive director of the Hockey Canada Foundation. “As we celebrate its five-year anniversary, we are grateful to the leadership and contributions of our volunteer board of directors, partners, staff and the many Canadians who donate to the Assist Fund each year.”

Each approved recipient will receive up to a $500 assist, which can be applied to registration fees this season with minor hockey associations sanctioned by Hockey Canada.

To enhance the impact of the Assist Fund, 100 per cent of all donated funds from Canadians will go towards applicants of the program. Donations can be made at AssistFund.HockeyCanadaFoundation.ca.

The application process for the Assist Fund is now open and can be found here.

To learn more about the Hockey Canada Foundation, please visit HockeyCanadaFoundation.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, LinkedIn, X and Instagram.

The Hockey Canada Foundation (HCF) is proud to support Creating Coaches — a groundbreaking program helping to shape the next generation of women leaders in hockey. Now in its fourth year, the initiative provides mentorship, training and hands-on coaching experience to U SPORTS student-athletes as they begin their journey behind the bench.

With targeted grant funding from the HCF, a total of 16 student-athletes received on-going support during the 2024–25 season while serving as assistant coaches with U13, U15 or U18 girls’ teams. As active players themselves, these young women gain vital experience, receive professional development opportunities and contribute meaningfully to the sport’s growth at the grassroots level.

The impact is already being felt. In March 2025, Creating Coaches alumna Alex Boulanger helped guide Bishop’s University to its first-ever U SPORTS national championship, while Emma Cheeseman was behind the bench for Waterloo University in its run to the championship game.

Current coaches in the program are also making waves — Izzy Lajoie (University of Alberta) was on the coaching staff with the 2025 Esso Cup champions, the Edmonton Jr. Oilers!

Another win off the ice, Charlotte Melindy (Queen’s University) was the 2025 recipient of the OUA Champion of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Award while also mentoring a U18 AA girls’ team in Kingston, Ontario.

With the continued support of the HCF, the program will expand to accept 11 new student-athletes for the 2025-26 season, totaling 20 Creating Coaches for the program’s fifth year. The highest enrollment number to date for the program!

By investing in programs like Creating Coaches, the HCF is helping close the gender gap in coaching and ensuring more women are empowered to lead — both on and off the ice.

In rinks across the country – and even beyond our borders – the hockey community continues to show what makes this sport so special: a deep, shared belief that every child deserves the chance to play.

This spring, that spirit came to life through two unforgettable Assist Fund events hosted by the Hockey Canada Foundation (HCF). Thanks to the commitment of the board of directors of the HCF and Canadian Hockey Foundation US (CHFUS), along with the generosity of partners, over $200,000 was raised to help more kids lace up their skates and find their place in the game.

In Tampa Bay, the first-ever U.S.-based fundraiser – led by CHFUS vice-chair Steve Griggs – brought together hockey legends, NHL leadership and passionate supporters. Just days later, the tradition continued in Montreal, where long-time HCF director Barry F. Lorenzetti hosted a powerful evening at the Bell Centre, uniting donors, alumni and Team Canada greats in support of a shared mission.

These nights weren’t just about raising funds – they were about rallying the hockey community around a simple but powerful goal: to ensure financial barriers are never the reason a child is left off the ice. From coast to coast to coast and across generations, this is what hockey looks like at its best – united, generous and full of heart.

Together, we’re breaking down barriers and keeping the game we love open to all.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada and U SPORTS have announced the nine student-athletes who have been selected to join Creating Coaches, a program designed to increase the number of women coaching hockey in Canada, as part of its fourth cohort.

The student-athletes will receive training and mentorship through the program during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.

Creating Coaches was launched in 2021 through a partnership between Hockey Canada, U SPORTS and the Hockey Canada Foundation to provide current U SPORTS student-athletes with opportunities to begin their coaching careers while still playing university women’s hockey.

Each student-athlete will be an assistant coach for a U13, U15 or U18 girls’ hockey team and receive coach education, professional development opportunities and an honorarium.

This year’s cohort includes student-athletes from nine U SPORTS women’s hockey programs across all four of its conferences:

• Allie Barter (Saint Mary’s University, AUS)
• Jordyn Blais (University of Regina, CW)
• Annick Boudreau (Université de Moncton, AUS)
• Brianna Bowman (Wilfrid Laurier University, OUA)
• Madison Cronkwright (Brock University, OUA)
• Maggi Dewolf-Russ (University of Windsor, OUA)
• Jessymaude Drapeau (Concordia University, RSEQ)
• Charlotte Melindy (Queen’s University, OUA)
• Keiara Raitt (University of Waterloo, OUA)
  
  

“We are so grateful to the U SPORTS coaches who nominated these nine incredible women to join Creating Coaches at such an exciting and important time for women’s and girls’ hockey in Canada,” said Marin Hickox, vice-president of women’s and girls’ hockey at Hockey Canada. “The first three cohorts of participants have positively impacted the game in so many ways, and we are thrilled to expand this year’s group to include more deserving student-athletes, thanks to the generous financial support of the Hockey Canada Foundation.

“Girls who have been coached by a woman are more likely to transition into a coaching role at the end of their playing careers, and it is our intention that this program will continue to positively influence the recruitment and retention of girls and women in leadership roles in the sport.”

Since its inception, Creating Coaches has included student-athletes from 19 U SPORTS women’s hockey programs and all four of its conferences.

“We are incredibly proud of the U SPORTS athletes who have been selected to join the Creating Coaches program,” said Pierre Arsenault, chief executive officer of U SPORTS. “These student-athletes represent the future of leadership in sport, and their involvement in this program will not only elevate their own careers but also inspire countless others. By stepping into coaching roles, they are helping to build a stronger, more inclusive sports community across Canada.”

The Creating Coaches selection committee includes representation from Hockey Canada, U SPORTS, Hockey Canada’s Members and the Hockey Canada Foundation Board of Directors.

During National Coaches Week, Hockey Canada is celebrating the positive impact coaches have on athletes in communities from coast to coast to coast, with #ThanksCoach resources and features shared here.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.