The McGill Martlets ice hockey team represents McGill University, based in Montreal, Quebec in U Sports women's ice hockey. They are members of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) and have won four U Sports women's ice hockey championships. Some players have participated internationally, including in the World Student Games. Home games are played at McConnell Arena.
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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. The ban was lifted a few years later.
The McGill women's ice hockey team participated in the first Women Provincial Ontario Championship in 1914. The university league was dissolved in 1933. 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. 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. In addition, the team was able to employ a scout for the Martlets in the recruitment of collegial players in Quebec.
Despite winning the 1985 Quebec Championship, the Martlets only managed to reach the qualifying rounds only once in the next 13 years. A turnaround for the Martlets began with the arrival of goalkeeper Kim St-Pierre in 1998. 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. Overall, the Martlets have won ten QSSF championships and three Canadian Interuniversity Sport women's ice hockey championship.
2006 and beyond
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. Of note, 9 of their 21 players were rookies. The following season (2007–08), the Martlets enjoyed an undefeated season, with 33 wins. 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.
At the end of the 2008–09 season, the Martlets were the national women's champions for the second consecutive year. 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. Goaltender Charline Labonte and head coach Peter Smith were not with the club as they participated in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games.
In the 2010–11 season, the Martlets won the QSSF and CIS titles. In addition, the Martlets enjoy another undefeated season with 33 victories and no losses. 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. Twenty-eight days later (on October 29, 2011), Montreal Carabins women's ice hockey skater Ariane Barker 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. It marked the Martlets first loss to a Quebec conference opponent for the first time in 108 games.
The Martlets and Montreal Hockey
In August 2022, the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) unveiled the newest expansion team for the 2022–23 season, the Montreal Force. In keeping with the Martlets longstanding history with Montreal women's hockey, several former Martlets members were signed to the new organisation including former head coach Peter Smith. He stepped into his role as head coach of the Force with four national championship victories with the Marlets under his belt. Jade Downie-Landry, Ann-Sophie Bettez, and Tricia Deguire, all former Marlets, also signed with the Force in 2022.
Awards and honours
Hockey Hall of Fame, class of 2020: Kim St-Pierre
Quebec Hall of Fame, class of 2022: Charline Labonté
USports awards
U Sports was known as the Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union (CIAU; French: Union sportive interuniversitaire canadienne – USIC) until 2001 and as Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS; French: Sport interuniversitaire canadien – SIC) from 2001 until the adoption of the current name in 2016.
The Lois and Doug Mitchell U Sports Athletes of the Year Awards are awarded annually to top male and female athletes of U Sports member universities. The awards were introduced in 1993 and have previously been known as the Lieutenant Governor Athletic Awards, the Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG) Awards, and the Howard, Mackie Awards.
Each U Sports university selects a female and male athlete of the year, from which one player of each gender is chosen as the representative athlete of the year by each of the four conferences – Atlantic University Sport, Canada West, Ontario University Athletics, and RSEQ. These eight nominees are considered for the U Sports Male and Female Athletes of the Year based on their athletic accomplishments, outstanding sportsmanship and demonstrated leadership. A vote of the Canadian Athletic Foundation trustees determines the winners."
2002–03: Kim St-Pierre
2011–12: Ann-Sophie Bettez
The Brodrick Trophy is awarded to the outstanding player of the year during the U Sports women's ice hockey regular season. Recipients are selected by the U Sports Women's Hockey Coaches Association.
The U Sports Rookie of the Year Award in women's hockey recognizes a "first-year player who has exhibited exemplary skill and leadership."
The Fox 40 Coach of the Year is presented annually to the Coach of the Year in U Sports women's ice hockey based on their overall record, leadership, contribution to university hockey and overall team improvement. Members of the U SPORTS Women's Hockey Coaches Association comprise the selection committee.
2002–03: Peter Smith (co-recipient with Lisa MacDonald of Saint Mary's)
RSEQ Awards
2019–20 Leadership Award: Emilia Cotter
2002–03: Kim St-Pierre
2008–09: Charline Labonté
2011–12: Ann-Sophie Bettez
2012–13: Mélodie Daoust
2013–14: Katia Clément-Heydra
2015–16: Mélodie Daoust
2011–12: Mélodie Daoust
2016–17: Tricia Deguire
First Team
2011-12: Charline Labonté
2013-14: Katia Clement-Heydra
2016-17: Mélodie Daoust, Tricia Deguire
2019-20: Tricia Deguire, Jade Downie-Landry
Second Team
2016-17: Olivia Atkinson, Marie-Philip Lavoie
2019-20: Kate Devries, Léa Dumais
2016-17: Tricia Deguire, Jade Downie-Landry
Team awards
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, 2009 Martlets 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
Notable Martlets
Several former McGill Martlets have gone on to become professional ice hockey players, including Ann-Sophie Bettez, Mélodie Daoust, Charline Labonté, Kim St-Pierre, and Catherine Ward.
Martlets in professional hockey
Four former Marlets are playing with the Premier Hockey Federation's 2022 expansion team, the Montreal Force, in its debut season: Ann-Sophie Bettez, Tricia Deguire, Jade Downey-Landry, and Laura Jardin.
International
A number of Martlets have represented Canada in international competition, including with the Canadian national ice hockey team at the Winter Olympic Games and IIHF Women's World Championship, with the Canadian national university team at the Winter Universiade, and with the Canadian national developmental (under-22) ice hockey team at the Nations Cup (previously known as the Air Canada Cup, MLP Nations Cup, and Meco Cup), among other international competitions.
Mélodie Daoust: 2014 Winter Olympics, 2018 Winter Olympics, 2022 Winter Olympics
Charline Labonté: 2006 Winter Olympics, 2010 Winter Olympics, 2014 Winter Olympics
Kim St-Pierre: 2002 Winter Olympics, 2006 Winter Olympics, 2010 Winter Olympics
Catherine Ward: 2010 Winter Olympics, 2014 Winter Olympics
Alyssa Cecere: 2009 Winter Universiade
Katia Clement-Heydra: 2013 Winter Universiade
Brittney Fouracres: 2015 Winter Universiade
Ann-Sophie Bettez: 2010 MLP Nations Cup
Catherine Ward: 2009 MLP Nations Cup