McGill Martlets ice hockey

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McGill Martlets women's ice hockey
McGill Martlets women's ice hockey athletic logo
UniversityMcGill University
ConferenceRSEQ
Head coachAlyssa Cecere (interim)
since 2020–21 season, 0–0–0
ArenaMcConnell Arena
Capacity: 1600
LocationMontreal, Quebec
ColorsRed, white, and black[1]
     
McGill Martlets lined up at centre ice.
Martlets' head coach Peter Smith

The McGill Martlets are a women's ice hockey team that represents McGill University, based in Montreal, Quebec. They are members of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), and compete for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport women's ice hockey championship. Some players have participated internationally, including in the World Student Games. Home games are played at McConnell Arena. In addition, the Martlets are connected to the McGill Team (the university's male ice hockey team), and are subject to the same direction and management of McGill Athletics and Recreation.

Origin name[]

The origin of name "Martlet" is used in reference to the coat of arms of McGill University, which includes three birds. These birds were originally a part of the family crest of James McGill, founder of the university. The McGill Martlet Foundation, created in 1954, uses this heraldic symbol. The foundation is a philanthropic organization aimed at helping student athletes at McGill. In 1976, various women's teams at McGill University adopted the use of the name "Martlets".

History[]

Since 1896, women's ice hockey has existed at McGill University. In the early years of ice hockey play at McGill University, women dressed in long skirts and males were not allowed to attend. The only exceptions were the referee and the arena employees who guarded the main entrance.[2] The ban was lifted a few years later.[2]

The McGill women's ice hockey team participated in the first Women Provincial Ontario Championship in 1914.[3] In 1921, the University of Toronto defeated them in the finale of the first women university championship. The university league was dissolved in 1933.[4] From 1936 to 1948, followed by the time period of 1951 to 1960, there was no competition in the Women Interuniversity Athletics Union (WIAU).

A renewal began in the 1960s. In 1963, David Kerr, a male member of the McGill Redmen, agreed to assist in the revival of the McGill women's ice hockey team. In 2006, Kerr and his wife Sheryl Drysdale (the couple met at McGill) donated $1 million for the hockey program.[5] It is the largest donation ever made for a female sporting program in Canadian university history. The donation allowed the team's trainers to assume a full-time role with the team.[5] In addition, the team was able to employ a scout for the Martlets in the recruitment of collegial players in Quebec.[6]

Despite winning the 1985 Quebec Championship, the Martlets only managed to reach the qualifying rounds only once in the next 13 years.[5] A turnaround for the Martlets began with the arrival of goalkeeper Kim St-Pierre in 1998.[5] Her performance during four seasons helped Martlets become competitive in the Quebec Student Sports Federation, while qualifying for the playoff rounds of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport women's ice hockey championship. Martlets goaltender Kim St. Pierre also played a game for the McGill Redmen. She was the first woman in Canadian Interuniversity Sports history to win a men's regular season game when McGill University defeated Ryerson University on November 15, 2003 by a score of 5–2.[7] Overall, the Martlets have won ten QSSF championships and three Canadian Interuniversity Sport women's ice hockey championship.

2006 and beyond[]

McGill Martlets' in action

During the 2006–07 CIS season, the Martlets were ranked as the number one university team for the duration of the entire season. At the end of season, the Martlets were crowned Quebec champions and awarded a silver medal in the Canadian championships. In the CIS final, the Martlets were defeated by a 4–0 score versus the Alberta Pandas women's ice hockey club.[8] Of note, 9 of their 21 players were rookies.[5] The following season (2007–08), the Martlets enjoyed an undefeated season, with 33 wins.[9][10] In the 2008 postseason, the Martlets (with a record of 7 victories, 0 defeats), claimed the national title on March 10, 2008, in Ottawa, with a 2–0 victory against the Laurier Golden Hawks women's ice hockey program.[5]

At the end of the 2008–09 season, the Martlets were the national women's champions for the second consecutive year.[11] In a rematch of the previous final, the Martlets defeat the Laurier Golden Hawks women's ice hockey team by a score of 3–1. The streak ended in the 2009–10 season, the Martlets appeared in the 2010 championship game, but were defeated by the Alberta Pandas by a 2–0 tally.[12] Goaltender Charline Labonte and head coach Peter Smith were not with the club as they participated in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games. n the 2010–11 season,[13] the Martlets won the QSSF and CIS titles. In addition, the Martlets enjoy another undefeated season with 33 victories and no losses.[14] With their third Canadian championship in four years, the McGill Martlets hockey team become the most decorated in the history of McGill University. On October 1, 2011, the Martlets defeated the Vermont Catamounts women's ice hockey program by a 3–2 tally. With the win, coach Peter Smith earned the 300th victory of his coaching career.[15] Twenty-eight days later (on October 29, 2011), Montreal Carabins women's ice hockey skater scored with 71 seconds left to give the squad a 3–2 win at McConnell Arena. Martlets goaltender Charline Labonte took the loss for the Martlets, giving her a 69–2 overall record in her CIS career.[16] It marked the Martlets first loss to a Quebec conference opponent for the first time in 108 games.[17]

Awards and honors[]

Martlets players huddled in the goal crease
  • Kim St. Pierre: Hockey Hall of Fame

RSEQ Awards[]

  • 2019-20 RSEQ LEADERSHIP AWARD: Emilia Cotter, McGill

Most Outstanding Player[]

Rookie of the Year[]

  • 2011-12 RSEQ ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Mélodie Daoust[18]
  • 2016-17 RSEQ ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Tricia Deguire, McGill

[19]

RSEQ All-Stars[]

First Team

  • 2011-12 RSEQ FIRST ALL-STAR TEAM: Charline Labonté[18]
  • 2016-17 RSEQ First Team All-Stars: Mélodie Daoust[20]
  • 2016-17 RSEQ First Team All-Stars: Tricia Deguire
  • 2019-20 RSEQ FIRST TEAM ALL-STAR: Tricia Deguire
  • 2019-20 RSEQ FIRST TEAM ALL-STAR: Jade Downie-Landry

Second Team

  • 2016-17 RSEQ Second Team All-Stars: Olivia Atkinson
  • 2016-17 RSEQ Second Team All-Stars: Marie-Philip Lavoie
  • 2019-20 RSEQ SECOND TEAM ALL-STAR: Kate Devries
  • 2019-20 RSEQ SECOND TEAM ALL-STAR: Léa Dumais

RSEQ All-Rookies[]

  • 2016-17 RSEQ All-Rookie Team: Tricia Deguire
  • 2016-17 RSEQ All-Rookie Team: Jade Downie-Landry

CIS awards[]

Kim St-Pierre was on more than four All-Star teams during her tenure as a Martlet
  • Kim St. Pierre, 2000, MVP at the CIS Women's Ice Hockey Championship Tournament[21]
  • Catherine Ward, 2007 CIS Rookie of the Year[22]
  • Catherine Ward, 2007 CIS Tournament All-Star Team[22]
  • Ann-Sophie Bettez, 2008 CIS Rookie of the Year, BLG Award (CIS Female Athlete of the Year) 2011–12
  • Marie-Andrée Leclerc-Auger, 2009 CIS Rookie of the Year [23]
    • Leclerc-Auger became the third member of the Martlets in three years to be named as the top rookie in CIS women’s hockey. This marked the first time in CIS history that players from the same school in a team sport were honoured as the nation’s best freshman for three consecutive years. Catherine Ward and Ann-Sophie Bettez received the award in 2006–07 and 2007–08.[24]
  • Charline Labonté, 2009 BLG Award nominee (honouring the top CIS female and male athletes)
  • Ann-Sophie Bettez, CIS Player of the Year (Brodick Trophy) (2011–12)
  • Melodie Daoust, CIS Rookie of the Year (Tissot Award) (2011–12)

USports Awards[]

  • Mélodie Daoust, 2013 Brodrick Trophy winner[25]
  • Mélodie Daoust, 2013 RSEQ scoring champion

All-Canadians[]

First Team

  • Mélodie Daoust, 2012-13 USports First Team All-Canadian

Second Team

  • Jade Downie-Landry, 2019-20 U Sports Second Team All-Canadian
  • Katia Clement-Heydra, 2012-13 USports Second Team All-Canadian[25]
  • Brittney Fouracres, 2015-16 U Sports Second Team All-Canadian[26]

U Sports All-Rookie[]

  • Gabrielle Davidson: 2012-13 USports All-Rookie Team
  • Jade Downie-Landry, 2017 USports All-Rookie Team[27]
  • Tricia Deguire, 2017 USports All-Rookie Team
  • Goaltender – Charline Labonté, 2009 First Team
  • Defence – Catherine Ward, 2009 First Team
  • Forward – Ann-Sophie Bettez, 2009 First Team
  • Defence – Cathy Chartrand, 2009 Second Team
  • Forward – Vanessa Davidson, 2009 Second Team
  • Forward – Marie-Andrée Leclerc-Auger, 2009 All-Rookie Team[28]
  • Ann-Sophie Bettez, All-Canadian First Team (2011–12)[29]
  • Melodie Daoust, 2015-16 U Sports First Team All-Canadian[30]

Team awards[]

Charline Labonté also played for the Canada women's national ice hockey team
  • Goaltender Charline Labonté and forward Ann-Sophie Bettez of Sept-Iles, Quebec, shared the honor as co-MVPs of the 2009 McGill women's hockey team
  • Chantal Gauvin, 2009 Most dedicated player honours.
  • Marie-Andrée Leclerc-Auger, earned Martlets 2009 rookie-of-the-year honours
  • Marie-Andrée Leclerc-Auger, 2009 Martlets top sniper.
  • Rebecca Martindale, 2009 Most improved player
  • Catherine Ward, 2009 Most outstanding defenceman award.
  • Catherine Ward won silver with Canada Under 22 team at the 2009 MLP Nations Cup in Germany[31]

Notable Martlets[]

Several former players McGill Martlets went on to become famous professional hockey players, including Kim St-Pierre, Catherine Ward.

Martlets in pro hockey[]

= CWHL All-Star = NWHL All-Star = Clarkson Cup Champion = Isobel Cup Champion
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