Women's Hockey in New Brunswick

New Brunswick Amateur Hockey Association (NBAHA)

If you need any information about girls'/women's hockey in New Brunswick, please contact:

New Brunswick Amateur Hockey Association
165 Regent Street, Suite 4, Box 456
Fredericton, NB E3B 4Z9

Phone (506) 453-0089
FAX (506) 452-0868

All of the information in this file was provided by Lesley Reddon (H8Y8@unb.ca) who currently plays goalie for the Men's University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds and the women's Moncton Maritime Sports Blades (AA). She also played for Team Canada at the 1994 World Championships, the women's University of Toronto Varsity Blues, and the Toronto Aeros Senior AA women's team.

General Information

There is only one Senior A team (equivalent of AA in Ontario) in the province - the Moncton Maritime Sports Blades. The Blades have been representing NB at the Nationals for the past 10 years. Each season, the team makes one trip to the province of Quebec to play some quality female teams, but a lack of competition forces the Blades to round out their schedule with games against bantam and midget boys teams, boys' high school teams and mens teams.

There are three Senior B teams registered with the NBAHA - Grand Falls, Shediac and the UNB Red Blazers. A women's senior league that has 4 teams also exists in Saint John, but none of these teams are registered with the NBAHA.

Underneath these senior teams, girls high school competition exists with the areas surrounding the cities of Bathurst, Saint John and Moncton being the hotbeds. There are approximately 15-16 high school teams in total.

Within the minor hockey system, there are no all female teams. Unless girls join their high school teams, they play on boys teams in the Novice through Midget age categories. In spite of this, New Brunswick has entered teams in the 1991 and 1995 Canada Games and this process has enabled the identification of young female talent even though it is scattered throughout the male minor hockey system at young age groups. In addition to Canada Games camps, the annual Stacy Wilson Female Hockey School (first one held in August, 1995) also provides young girls with an opportunity play and learn in an all female environment.

University of New Brunswick Women's Team

The University of New Brunswick Red Blazers do not have official status as a varsity team, but have operated as a club team for a number of years. Players include both students and non-students.

Due to a lack of competition, the team does not compete in a league. The Red Blazers are one of 3 Senior B teams registered with the NBAHA (Grand Falls and Shediac are the others). In addition to these two teams, UNB plays exhibition games against some Maine schools (Bates College, Bowdoin and University of Maine), other Atlantic Canadian women's university club teams (St. Francis Xavier, Saint Mary's, Acadia, Dalhousie and Mount Allsion) and bantam boys teams.

Other Atlantic Canadian University Women's Teams

As mentioned above, several other AUAA universities have women's teams competing at the club level (none have varsity status). St. Francis Xavier (Antigonish, NS), Saint Mary's (Halifax) and Acadia (Wolfville, NS) have teams for sure and I am fairly certain that there are teams at Dalhousie (Halifax) and Mount Allison (Sackville, NB) as well.

Miscellaneous Information

For your personal interest, UNB has a general web page at http://www.unb.ca/fredericton.html. There is general UNB info in there along with some Athletics and Recreation info (I think you visited once last year and saw some of my Athlete of the Week write-ups). This year some of the Varsity teams have added their own stuff.

The UNB Varsity Reds Men's Hockey page can be accessed directly at: http://www.unb.ca/web/VReds/Hockey/Hockey.html. It has season results, stats, coach and player profiles. If you're ever bored, thought it may be of interest!

1996 Esso Women's Nationals

This information is from the CHA.

MARITIME SPORTS BLADES

New Brunswick is represented again by the Maritime Sports Blades at the Esso Women's Hockey Championship. They automatically qualified as the lone senior "A" female hockey team in the province.

The hometown Sports Blades made great strides in 1995, upsetting the Calgary Classics 2-1 in the semi-finals before losing 5-2 to Team Quebec in the gold medal game, putting them in the medal round for an historic first time. The New Brunswick squad placed fifth in 1994.

With the addition of four members of last year's 1995 Canada Games Team, the Blades have a good blend of veteran and young players. Of 20 players, only four did not compete in the 1995 Esso Women's Nationals.

The team is led by national team members Stacy Wilson, Rebecca Fahey and Therese Brisson, who won gold with Team Quebec in 1995. 1994 Team Canada member Lesley Reddon, who was selected top goalkeeper at the 1995 Esso Nationals, will backstop the Blades.

1996 Esso Women's Nationals Summary

Team:   Maritime Sports Blades (NB)
Round-Robin Record: 2-1-0 (2nd in Pool B)
   Saskatchewan 0 New Brunswick 5
   New Brunswick 5 P.E.I. 1
   New Brunswick 0 Ontario 4
   New Brunswick 8 Manitoba 1
Semi-Finals:    Team Quebec 4 New Brunswick 1
Bronze Medal:     New Brunswick 4 Alberta 3 (OT)
Final Standing: 3rd

1995 Esso Women's Nationals Summary

Team:   Maritime Sports Blades
Round-Robin Record: 1-1-1 (2nd in Pool B)
Quarter-Finals: New Brunswick 4 Saskatchewan 0
Semi-Finals:    New Brunswick 2 Alberta 1
Gold Medal:     Quebec 5 New Brunswick 2
Final Standing: 2nd

Tournaments

The 4th Annual Lobster Cup Tournament will be held in Moncton New Brunswick Canada during April 1998. The tournament will feature Women's Hockey divisions in the Novice; Atom; & Senior ( under 19 ) Categories. There is a 4 game guarantee. Interested teams and organizations may e-mail tripp@nb.sympatico.ca or send to the address following for further information:

Lobster Cup Tournament
PO Box 20038
Moncton New Brunswick
E1C 9M1
or call 1-506-387-6080