Iqaluit Blizzard wins hockey gold in Ottawa
Coach Lauren Perrin looks for more tournament competition for under-18 team this spring
The Iqaluit Blizzard under-18 Major Female Division team won gold on Dec. 8 at the Eastern Ontario Stars Kickin’ Ice in the Capital house league tournament. (Photo courtesy of Lauren Perrin)
The Iqaluit Blizzard under-18 Major Female Division team struck gold over the weekend at the 10th annual Eastern Ontario Stars Kickin’ Ice in the Capital house league hockey tournament.
The Blizzard team was a composite of the under-18 and under-15 Iqaluit female teams, with the majority of players in the younger age cohort.
“Our girls being younger, playing against older girls in Ontario, is not new to us but definitely what we face on the majority of our trips,” said Blizzard coach Lauren Perrin.
Iqaluit swept the B division with five wins and no losses in the tournament, which was held in Ottawa from Dec. 6 to Dec. 8.
The team last won in Ontario in March, claiming first place at the 40th annual Kanata Girls Hockey Association house league tournament.
“We’re pretty interested in going into another tournament in March to see what the girls can do and to show the rest of Canada what they’re able to do,” Perrin said.
Winning is fun for the players, she said, but it is not the sole goal of the team.
“I would say that while we do enjoy winning, our first goal is to prioritize having fun and feeling a sense of belonging,” she said.
“We are striving to make female hockey a place where girls get to come to and really feel like they belong somewhere and are respected — being able to rely on each other when someone might need a little extra support. We’re all about that.
“Winning is a plus, and a fun plus at that.”
Perrin has coached the Blizzard for the past five years.
Another Ottawa-based tournament, held from Dec. 13 to Dec. 15, attracted two Iqaluit boys’ teams.
The Iqaluit Blizzard under-15 B division team won one out of three games in the 19th annual Holiday House League Tournament, hosted by the city’s West End Hockey League.
Team Piqsiq of Iqaluit won three out of four games in the under-15 A division, falling out of contention in the semifinals.
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