Assiniboine Cougars give the gift of inspiration

The Assiniboine Cougars women’s hockey team has been spreading cheer this season by sharing the love of hockey with the hopes of inspiring young players in the process.

For a team that frequently travels to the U.S. for road games, spending hours on the bus becomes second nature.

As such frequent road trips to rural rinks in our region is easy, especially considering the reward.

On top of being one of the top college hockey programs in American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division 2 for the last six years, the Cougars are gearing up for another run at a national title, but the team is focused on more than just wins.

The Cougars prioritize giving back to youth programs, paying forward the generosity afforded them in the early days of their own hockey careers.

Having made it to four ACHA finals by frequently putting the puck in the net, now one of their biggest goals is giving back by hoping to inspire the next generation.

“I challenge my student-athletes every day to be good people. Whether it’s on the ice or off the ice, obviously sports is competitive but you also want to be a good person,” said head coach David (DK) Kirkup.

“The world needs more good people, and I’m a firm believe that if you give back it only strengthens them as individuals but also strengthens our program.”

Kirkup is in his first year as head coach and acknowledges he inherited a solid team from former coach Tony Bertone, both in terms of the quality of the players but also the quality of the people.

Rather than re-write the playbook, Kirkup is trying to instill a sense of community within his players.

As student-athletes they maintain academic pursuits while also staying on top of competitive pursuits, so while making time for such visits is challenging, the trips are very worthwhile.

“Not only are our girls having fun, but when you get a call from a grandpa of one of the young players about how much of an impact it made that we sent some to their practice it’s big. Giving back to the community is such a big part of what we’re trying to do,” Kirkup added.

So far this winter his team has visited Hamiota, Miniota, Minnedosa, Pierson, Elkhorn, Oak Lake, Morris and made multiple appearances at youth practices here in Brandon with plans to visit Minnedosa and Birtle next.

The players often participate in practice and share some of their knowledge and experiences in the game. If any of the lessons they gained in their hockey journey make an impact with the next generation, it’s an added bonus.

For goalie Payton Murray, who grew up in the Wheat City and is a product of Brandon Minor Hockey, being a female role model is a responsibility she takes pride in.

“Previously all young girls had to look up to here is the Wheat Kings so it’s really nice to see that there are female teams out there,” said Murray.

Murray is an assistant coach with a team aged nine and under, and recognizes the importance of paying it forward.

“I also grew up playing here in this system, so it’s really nice to be able to give back to a program that I benefitted from. It’s been really nice to be able to give back to youth hockey and show how awesome our program is and what it has to offer at the same time,” said Murray.

Team captain Megan Carnegie agrees, noting the team is also gaining from the experience.

“We’re a very hard-working team,” said team captain Meagan Carnegie. “The team aspect is great. It’s a great environment which is easily my favourite part.”

Carnegie is a third-year defender out of Winnipeg studying business administration, and while she’s proud of her team’s 10-1 record to start the season (the team’s only loss being a one-goal game to University of St. Thomas in Minnesota) she’s mostly proud of how close the group has become and continues to support each other.

Carnegie also referees upwards of eight to 10 games per week, officiating all levels including senior men’s hockey.

“It keeps me in the game because once my playing days are done I’ll still be refereeing which to me is very important. In Winnipeg there are lots of females reffing but not a lot out here so I’m hoping to inspire some more to take it up,” Carnegie added.

Trends in Manitoba and across the country are reflected in the numbers as more females take up the game.

With increasing opportunity in the professional ranks thanks to the introduction of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) a year and a half ago, as well as increased investments in post-secondary programs, the opportunity to continue playing beyond minor hockey has become a new reality for females pursuing the highest level of the game.

Female participation in Manitoba has steadily grown the last decade, meaning the growth could be a result of both supply and demand.

Since 2011, the total number of registered junior and senior female hockey players in Manitoba has increased 30.5 per cent to 5,471 this year.

For minor players aged U7 to U18, the number of female minor hockey players has increased 32.6 per cent since 2011, with 5,124 players registered this year.

“Whether you attribute it to the PWHL or whether you attribute it to an increase in opportunity, because of girls having opportunities to look forward to in hockey like post-secondary, and with the addition of a league like the PWHL the opportunity is there to make it a career and being compensated fairly to make it a career,” said Dustin Stewart, Manager of Operations for Hockey Manitoba.

“It goes beyond players and encompasses all the different aspects of the game that are involved in our sport. I think that’s something have been involved in female hockey for more than a decade, the girls understand that part of the game more than the boys do.”

The Assiniboine Cougars are a prime example of how giving back will likely continue growing the game for females in Manitoba and across the country in the coming years.

“They understand some of the struggles other young female players have gone through and want to be an active participant in ensuring young girls coming into the game have strong role models. Being involved in the communities and directly with young athletes and ensuring that they see the there is that opportunity and there are those success stories, and use hockey as a tool to accomplish great things in their lives and beyond just sport,” Stewart added.

The Cougars are on the holiday break right now before resuming the second half of the season in January.

If they have their way, they’ll be making strides towards bringing home another championship while inspiring the next generation of Cougars in 2025.

“Female hockey is one of the fastest growing sports,” Kirkup said. “A lot of people have made sacrifices to get these players to the level they are at, so if we can give a little bit to help the next girl get a step up to the next level we want to be part of that.”

» mpackwood@brandonsun.com