While much of the talk about Alaina Giampietro’s time at Robert Morris University focuses on her role in bringing the program back to life, her stats tell the story of a player who knows how to create offence. She has a rare ability to combine massive shot volume with a consistent scoring touch.

Alaina’s value to the Colonials isn’t just about being on the ice. It is about her relentless drive to the net that keeps opposing defences on their toes for sixty minutes.

My full conversation with Alaina Giampietro is available now on YouTube.

The Power of Volume

In today’s game, shot volume is a great way to see who is actually driving play. For Alaina, shooting is her identity. Two recent series show this perfectly: her performances against Lindenwood and Delaware.

RMU wrapped their season with a series against both Lindenwood and Delaware. Against Lindenwood, Alaina put up 21 shots over three games. She followed that up with an 18-shot performance in three games against Delaware. Averaging six to seven shots per game is a huge workload, but by putting the puck on net that often, she creates a ripple effect. It leads to more rebounds, more scoring chances in front of the net, and it eventually wears down the opposing goalie.

Alaina hits the ice with an unmatched confidence, which directly contributes to the high volume of shots. She knows where to be to receive the puck and how to free up space to open up opportunities.

The 10% Mark: Consistency and Bouncing Back

The most impressive part of Alaina’s production is how steady she is. Scoring in hockey can be up and down, but Alaina has found a baseline that she hits year after year.

In her first season with the program, Alaina recorded 17 goals on 172 shots, which is a 9.9% shooting percentage. She then dealt with an injury in 2024-25 that limited her to just 11 games. During that stretch, her efficiency dipped to 7.3% as she worked to return to full speed. However, her 2025-26 season has been a perfect example of both her skill and how to bounce back.

This season, Alaina got right back to her elite pace. She recorded 17 goals on 165 shots (10.3%). The fact that she matched her freshman goal total with seven fewer shots shows just how elite her offensive instincts really are, and how much of a threat she can be on each shift.

Growth as a Leader

Taking on the role of a captain this year has clearly influenced her game. While she still shoots a lot, she seems even more intentional about where those shots come from. She has evolved from a high-energy rookie into a smart offensive leader who isn’t afraid to get into the tough areas of the ice to finish plays.

For RMU, having a captain who can basically guarantee a 10% return on nearly 200 shots a season is a massive advantage.

Over her tenure with Robert Morris University, Alaina Giampietro has left a blueprint for what a modern offensive leader truly looks like. She didn’t just help relaunch a program but also defined its production standards. By combining relentless volume with a veteran’s efficiency, Alaina has ensured that her time in a Colonials jersey will be remembered as one of the most reliable scoring threats in the AHA.

My full conversation with Alaina Giampietro is available now on YouTube.

By the Numbers: Alaina’s Shooting Profile

• 2023-24: 17 goals | 172 shots | 9.9%
  

• 2024-25*: 3 goals | 41 shots | 7.3%
  

• 2025-26 (Captain): 17 goals | 165 shots | 10.3%

  *Season shortened to 11 games due to injury.

For Alaina Giampietro, the game of hockey was never just a sport. It was a family tradition that started almost as soon as she could walk.

Growing up in Strongsville, Ohio, Alaina had a unique advantage, as her grandfather ran the local rink. Those early mornings on the ice with him created a bond that went far beyond the X’s and O’s of the game.

My full conversation with Alaina Giampietro is available now on YouTube.

“The stick was already in my hand,” Alaina recalled. “I always asked my grandpa to go to the rink. Those moments skating with him were where everything started.”

That early spark fueled a career that eventually led her to Gilmour Academy, where she first stepped into a significant leadership role as captain. It was during those years that Alaina began to understand that talent alone wasn’t enough to reach the next level. It required a level of dedication that she still carries with her today.

“Hard work pays off,” she said, reflecting on the lessons learned during her time at Gilmour. “It taught me so much about perseverance and what it actually takes to lead a group toward a common goal.”

However, the path wasn’t always a straight line. Like many elite athletes, Alaina faced her share of adversity during her junior career. But rather than let the setbacks define her, she used them as a mirror to find her own inner strength.

“I didn’t prove anyone wrong,” Alaina explained. “I proved myself wrong.”

That shift in mindset became a really important moment in her development. It was that sense of self-discovery that eventually led her to Robert Morris University. The decision to join the newly reinstated RMU program was a leap of faith, but one that felt right from the start. She found a coaching staff and an environment that valued her as a person as much as a hockey player.

Now, as the captain of the Colonials, Alaina is focused on more than just the scoreboard. She is very much aware of the responsibility that comes with being at the forefront of a program’s rebirth.

“We want to leave the place better than we found it,” she shared. “Joining RMU allowed me to be part of something bigger. We are building a foundation here for the girls who will come after us.”

Her commitment to excellence isn’t limited to the ice. Alaina has managed to balance the demands of Division I hockey with a heavy academic load, a feat she credits to the discipline she’s developed throughout her career. For her, giving her all in the classroom is just as important as the effort she puts into a Friday night game.

Throughout her collegiate career, Alaina has relied heavily on a support system of teachers, coaches, and friends. But it always comes back to the foundation her family laid in those early days in Ohio.

As Alaina Giampietro looks to her future in the game she loves so much, her story is about what happens when true passion meets ultimate purpose. From the kid skating with her grandpa to the leader building a legacy at Robert Morris University, Alaina is proving that the right mindset can turn any challenge into a milestone.

My full conversation with Alaina Giampietro is available now on YouTube.

For Stephanie Bourque, it started with not wanting to be outdone by her brother.

“I wanted to do everything that they did,” Stephanie said of her older siblings. “I just had to be better at them than everything. I kind of just really wanted to be better than my brother. That was the big one for me. So I followed him around and would train with him a little bit here and there. I think he pushed me to join hockey.”

My full conversation with Stephanie Bourque is available on YouTube.

Growing up in Moncton, New Brunswick, that sibling rivalry became the spark. But it was her father who turned it into something more.

“He’s really the one that made me realize what it took to achieve those dreams that I had,” Stephanie said. “He pushed me past my limits at such a young age. He coached me for more than six years before I left for Stanstead. He’s the one that made me realize that if I wanted it, I would have to put in the work. No one else can do it for you.”

That foundation carried her to Stanstead College, where she grew into a leader, earning the captaincy in her final season and walking away as the team’s MVP and the JWHL Defensive Player of the Year.

It also shaped the kind of player she would become at Union College, where she chose the program not because it was an obvious path to professional hockey, but because of what it could become.

“I just really wanted to be a part of that change,” Stephanie said. “I wanted to be one of the players that helps the program grow in the right direction. Union is a great academic school and has that small family feel. For me, that was really important.”

Four years later, she leaves as the program’s all-time points and assists leader among defenders, with an ironwoman streak of 141 consecutive games, a Psychology degree, and a season in which she averaged more than 28 minutes per game as the second most-utilized player in NCAA women’s hockey.

Now she’s chasing the 2026 PWHL Draft, where a selection would make her the first defender from New Brunswick to play in the league.

“Being from Moncton and New Brunswick gave me the love for the game,” Stephanie said. “Being able to achieve that dream, not just for myself, but for all my teammates and coaches and my family who have been supporting me throughout my journey.”

She coaches youth hockey back home every summer, and hears from young girls who want to play in the PWHL one day. That’s part of what’s driving her toward this next step.

“It would allow me to continue to grow the game and inspire the next generation of young girls wanting to play professional hockey,” she said.

And for Stephanie Bourque, that’s always been the point.

My full conversation with Stephanie Bourque is available on YouTube.

For many young girls, growing up and dreaming about playing professional hockey meant aspiring to play in the NHL. It meant modelling their game off the likes of Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin, all because there were no easy ways to see the players who looked just like them.

“When you can see it, you can be it” never rang so true until the creation of the PWHL, where those girls could finally see, on a regular basis, the very role models they’ve been looking for.

For Princeton University forward Issy Wunder, who now sits on the cusp of embarking on her own PWHL journey, the impact of seeing yourself properly represented in the sport you love rings especially true.

“I remember when Sami Jo Small came and talked at my high school with her gold medal,” Wunder recalled. “That was an extremely formative experience for me, just hearing her story. And I think visibility in the community is so important because you need young girls, need people to look up to who aren’t men and who are just like them and look like them.”

Wunder, who has completed a remarkable four-year career at Princeton both on and off the ice, doesn’t feel pressure when thinking about those young girls and becoming a role model for the next generation. Like many in the sport, she says that pressure is a privilege, and one that represents fuel that drives her development and passion.

“I think the fortunate thing about the modern age and social media and how the game is growing,” Wunder said. “It’s not really necessarily just me. There are so many different girls, so many different types of players that you can model your game after. And I think that the best thing is that there are different people who you can look up to.”

Now that one chapter of her career is closing, another one is on the verge of being written, as the 2026 PWHL Draft looms on the horizon. And as excited as Wunder is about the possibility of hearing her own name called on draft night, she recognizes how much has changed and how far the sport has come.

“The biggest thing that I find myself thinking about is how fortunate we are that this is now the reality,” Wunder said. “I’ve spent my whole life, I love the Maple Leafs, I’ve watched the NHL growing up. Every single year, I sit down and watch the Draft, and it’s always so cool to see those 17, 18, 19-year-old boys go out there and have their dreams come true. And I think the fact that now we get to do that is an extremely cool thing.”

Through the many individual awards, her deep connection to the community, and the team milestones she helped achieve, Issy Wunder will undoubtedly leave a lasting legacy at Princeton University. And as she looks ahead to a professional hockey career in the PWHL, she carries with her the reminder of just how important it is to be the role model so many in the sport never had.

Sport was a constant in Tory’s household long before hockey was her focus, and that has had a lasting impact on her life.

“When I was younger, my dad would always take me to soccer games or baseball games,” she said. “I feel like just being in that environment made me think this was something I wanted to do.”

My full conversation with Tory is out now on YouTube.

And while she tried other sports, like tee-ball, she didn’t feel that spark until her dad, a hockey player himself, had suggested that she give hockey a try. “I started off pretty old, I’d say,” Tory recalled. “I didn’t learn to skate until I was seven-ish, and he would take me to open skate at a rink in our hometown.”

It didn’t take long for her dad's passion for hockey to be shared by Tory, and that drive to succeed in the sport was sparked by a role model she had never met.

“My grandfather, he passed before I was born,” Tory said. “Everyone in my family growing up, and as soon as I started hockey, they were like ‘You remind me so much of your grandfather.” And it wasn’t until she was older that she learned he was a professional tennis player.

“I would have loved to meet him. He’s my role model. I want to be as good as him and have the discipline and everything that he had.

When it came time to make that jump from the junior to the collegiate level, everything just “clicked” for Tory when it came to deciding on Northeastern University.

“Everybody gets that feeling when they know that a place is right for them,” Tory recalled. “And the coaching staff, they just seemed like the type of people that were going to push me to grow. And I really enjoyed being someone who had somebody to push them me and try to reach my limits.”

And making that decision to commit to a five-year program at Northeastern meant that when the PWHL came into existence, she would have to delay pursuing her professional dreams. But in doing so, she learned a lot about herself.

"Doing it on my own has been hard at times, but I feel like I've appreciated it more because I'm doing it for myself and I have a goal," she said. "Everything that I've done, I feel like it's starting to pay off. I'm proud of myself, and it's been hard, but I'm glad to see where I am now."

And pay off it will, with the 2026 PWHL Draft on the horizon, which will mark a culmination of a journey that began in hometown rinks, was fuelled by a role model she never met, and was tested at every level. A journey that may very well end with her joining the ranks of the best players from around the world. And that’s a destination worth cheering for.

My full conversation with Tory is out now on YouTube.

“Be where your feet are.”

It’s a phrase that often comes up when speaking with athletes. It speaks to the importance of being present, in the moment, focused on what you can control, not what you can’t. And for Cornell defender Alyssa Regalado, that’s exactly the mentality she’s taking into the 2026 PWHL Draft.

“It’s honestly really tough, obviously,” Regalado said. “It’s something that’s going to be on my mind until the day comes. But I think it’s more so, just how can I work towards something? How can I make myself better? Not just with hockey, or the PWHL, or whatever my future holds, but just myself as a person. I’m just taking it day by day.”

Regalado has spent the past four years patrolling the blueline at Cornell, helping the team to three straight Ivy League Championship titles, and over that time, through the ups and downs, she has grown. That growth has helped prepare her for this moment, and she cites this past season, with the program’s high expectations and the loss of 11 seniors, as a testament to her personal growth.

“I think it was hard to overcome those losses this year,” Regalado recalled. “Being one of the seniors and leaders, it was about teaching the underclassmen how to deal with those losses. I didn’t have those seniors telling me how to do that. So I think that communicating with them helped me to learn how to handle it and move on from it, but also use it to build on to the next game.”

Over that time, Regalado has also had the opportunity to play alongside current PWHL players. She spent three years paired with Ottawa Charge defender Rory Guilday and Vancouver Goldeneyes forward Katie Chan. Seeing them succeed and make their professional dreams come true motivates Regalado.

"I think both show that not only are they amazing hockey players and great people," said Regalado. "But there's a lot that goes on that people don't see. And just knowing that all that extra work pays off is really special to see. It motivates me that this work will all pay off some way, somehow in the end."

With the prospect of a professional career on the horizon, it isn’t lost on Regalado how special this moment is for her career. “It’s an amazing thing to even think about,” she said. “It’s something that I never thought was even going to be possible. I think my freshman year, I said, ‘Okay, well, after my four years, I guess maybe Sweden, if that’s an option. It’s hard to put into words how cool and how special it is to have this opportunity.”

For Alyssa Regalado, she may not know what is in the cards for this next chapter of her journey through the sport she’s always been a student of, but she knows that by being where her feet are and staying in the moment, she’ll end up exactly where she was meant to be.

Béatrice Bilodeau finishes her shifts in the classroom as a medical student, and then, in whatever time is left, she shows up for other people.

That pattern is a big part of why the University of Ottawa Gee Gees captain was named the 2025-26 recipient of the Marion Hilliard Award, which recognizes excellence across hockey, academics, and community involvement.

My full conversation with University of Ottawa Gee Gees captain Béatrice Bilodeau is available now on YouTube.

Since 2022, Béatrice has served as a crisis responder with Kids Help Phone. While it is demanding work, she has maintained it alongside everything else on her plate, serving as yet another reminder of the impact she has both on and off the ice.

Her medical studies have opened other doors, too. In 2024, she became a mentor with the Rural Outreach and Mentorship Initiative, working one-on-one with high school students in rural communities who are considering a career in medicine. And in that same year, she also joined medical teams at Festival Sportif and the Triathlon St-Noel, and has been volunteering at CHSLD Ernest-Brisson in Gatineau, spending time with seniors in the long-term care program. Her dedication to the community is truly remarkable and reflects who Béatrice is.

As if she weren’t busy enough, Béatrice has supported the Gee Gees alum leadership program within Fillactive, which helps to bring together nearly 15,000 girls ages 12 to 17 to discover new physical activities. And for the past three summers, she has returned home to volunteer at the Festival of Sports, an event built around getting people moving and engaged in their communities.

Béatrice Bilodeau prides herself on how she shows up for her teammates, as both a captain and as a peer. She also knows how important it is to show up for her community, wherever and whenever that may be. An award like the Marion Hilliard Award does not go to someone who simply fills out a volunteer form once and moves on. Béatrice is proof of that. She has built something consistent and intentional alongside a strong hockey career.

While we didn’t get a chance to discuss it in our conversation, that story and Béatrice’s impact are worth celebrating and recognizing.

My full conversation with University of Ottawa Gee Gees captain Béatrice Bilodeau is available now on YouTube.

Each step along her journey has prepared defender Stephanie Bourque for this next chapter in an already successful hockey career.

Bourque, a native of Moncton, New Brunswick, has finished a standout collegiate career at Union College, where she became the program’s all-time points and assists leader among defenders and set an ironwoman streak by playing in 141 consecutive games.

Stephanie Bourque and her Path From Backyard Rinks to the 2026 PWHL Draft

Now that she has graduated, with a Psychology major in hand, her eyes are set on making the jump to professional hockey.

“I think it’s kind of just treating it like any other big milestone,” Bourque said. “I’m just going to control what I can. So that’s just doing the daily things, the little things every day that put me in the best frame of mind and put me in the best physical shape to achieve that dream one day.”

If she were to hear her name called on Draft night, Bourque would become the first defender from New Brunswick to suit up in the PWHL, and only the second player ever to play a game in the league following forward Sarah Bujold. While she doesn’t feel pressure about the possibility of holding that mantle, doing so would mean a lot and reflect the support she’s had along the way.

“Being from Moncton and New Brunswick gave me the love for the game,” Bourque said. “So I think being able to achieve that dream, not just for myself, but for all my teammates and coaches and my family who have been supporting me throughout my journey.”

Bourque also coaches youth hockey back home in the summers, and she hears from young girls who want to play in the PWHL one day. Knowing that is an inspiration and provides fuel to achieve this next milestone.

“I couldn’t look up and say that I’m going to play professionally in the PWHL,” said Bourque. “So to be able to see someone achieve that dream, being from Moncton, will show them that no matter where you’re from, everyone has a different path to success, but it is doable, and it’s very much achievable.”

Regardless of where this next chapter of hockey takes Stephanie Bourque, she has the foundation to succeed and the inspiration of those young girls back home who will be cheering her on when the spotlight shines brightly on the next generation of PWHL stars.

My full conversation with Stephanie Bourque is available now on YouTube.

Her father and older brother both played the game, and for Béatrice, that was enough. She started playing at four years old, and for the better part of the next eight years, she played on boys’ teams because that was what was available to her. It was not a hardship. “I love playing with the boys,” she said. “I was going to school with them, and it was just like I was part of the gang.” That outdoor rink became the place where it clicked for her, where she would work on her shot and realize, as she put it, that this was the game she wanted to play.

My full conversation with University of Ottawa captain Béatrice Bilodeau is available now on YouTube.

Growing up in Quebec means growing up around hockey, and Béatrice discovered that early on. “Everyone wants to play hockey,” she said, “and even if they’re not on a team, they know about it. It made it easy to connect with friends through the sport.” Girls’ programs were not as accessible then as they are now, but she did not experience that gap as a setback. She played, she developed, and by the time she made her way to Cégep Limoilou and the Titans program, she had a foundation built from years of competing against players who pushed her to get better.

The Cégep years were when her game took a significant step. Training four to six times a week alongside skilled teammates in a structured program pushed her to levels she had not reached before. The COVID-19 pandemic cut her first season short, as it did for players across every level, but she credits that disrupted stretch with teaching her something she carried forward. “It taught us resilience,” she said. “We focused on individual skills and techniques, which ultimately benefited our growth as players.” By the time her final season with the Titans wrapped up, she had earned the RSEC Sportsmanship Award, voted on by league staff. “It was special because it was voted on by the league’s staff, recognizing my efforts to be a good teammate,” she said. “I was just being myself, which made it even more meaningful.”

The decision to continue her hockey career at the university level was not difficult. The question was where. Béatrice chose the University of Ottawa and the Gee-Gees, and the reasoning behind that choice says more about her than any number could. “With COVID affecting recruitment, I chose a program that felt like home,” she said. “The culture and coaching style resonated with me, and I knew I would fit in well.”

The jump from junior to collegiate hockey came with an adjustment. The game was faster, the players more physically developed, and the margin for mistakes was certainly smaller. But the work she had put in through her years in Quebec’s competitive environment prepared her for exactly that kind of transition. Now in her fourth year and wearing the captain’s ‘C’, Béatrice doesn’t hesitate when talking about her time with the Gee Gees. “These have been the best years of my life,” she said. “I’ve met amazing people and pursued my academic and athletic goals simultaneously.”

The way that Béatrice describes leadership is a great example of why it’s a role she was meant to fill. To her, it’s about being available to teammates, being consistent, and understanding that the role of a captain is as much about the person beside you as it is about what you do on the ice.

In March, she was named the winner of the Marion Hilliard Award, recognizing outstanding achievement in hockey, academics, and community involvement. Her volunteer work spans Kids Help Phone, the ROMI mentorship program for rural students interested in medicine, Fillactive, seniors in long-term care, and medical support at community sporting events. For Béatrice, none of it feels separate from the rest of her life in Ottawa. ‘It’s so nice to see what impact we can have on them,’ she said. ‘It’s also nice to know that we’re doing that while having so much fun and just living the best experience of our lives. If it can help little girls to dream big and keep pushing, I’m more than happy.’”

Girls’ hockey is more accessible now than it was when Béatrice was four years old, working on her shot on the rink her father built, and she is aware of what that means for the players coming up behind her. And as she looks ahead, there may well be uncertainty, but the foundation has been built on a journey defined by success on the ice and a tremendous impact in the community.

My full conversation with University of Ottawa captain Béatrice Bilodeau is available now on YouTube.

“This is what I’ve been working towards for almost a year now. It just means everything.”

When Tory Mariano elected to pursue a five-year undergrad at Northeastern, she had no idea that playing professional hockey could have been an option. After taking a year away from the game to finish her degree, she’s now on the cusp of joining the PWHL.

Tory Mariano on Family, the Road to Northeastern, and Why She’s Ready for the PWHL Draft

Tory Mariano, a defender at Northeastern University, entered the Husky program and chose to pursue a five-year undergraduate program because of its co-op program, which gave her the chance to plan for the future and solidify her academics. Then, partway through her collegiate career, the PWHL was unveiled, offering an opportunity to play professional hockey.

Despite being told that she was ineligible for the 2025 draft because she was unable to relocate to a city that drafted her, she remained undeterred. “At the beginning, I will say that it was tough,” Mariano said. “I’ve never been at school without playing hockey or being a part of the team. It was uncharted waters, but (Dave) Flint helped me a lot.”

A year away from the game was a challenge. She had loved the game ever since she was a kid, when her dad would show her photos of her grandfather playing the game. But doing so gave her perspective.

“Doing it on my own has been hard at times, but I feel like I’ve appreciated it more because I’m doing it for myself and I have a goal,” she said. “Everything that I’ve done, I feel like it’s starting to pay off. I’m proud of myself, and it’s been hard, but I’m glad to see where I am now.”

My full conversation with Tory is out now on YouTube.

Mariano describes herself as a defender who takes care of her own zone first, physical and reliable, the kind of player who makes her team harder to play against. The year away gave her room to approach her conditioning in a way a regular season may not have allowed.

“I’ve been working with our strength and conditioning team here,” Mariano said. “It’s crazy, but I feel like I’ve been doing more than I would in a typical season. I mean, it’s hard to simulate a game, and minutes and stuff like that. It’s been very challenging, but I think it’s honestly for the better.”

In her final season on the ice for the Huskies, Mariano played in all 37 games and set career highs in assists and points. She also helped lead the team to their record 20th Beanpot Championship title.

Now she’s ready for one more milestone.

“I think just to hear my name called and be a part of a team, I mean, that’s what I want. That’s what I’ve been putting my whole year towards,” Mariano said. “I miss the team aspect. It’s not easy to go to the gym or go skate and you don’t have 26 or 28 girls with you. So, I mean, just to be in a team dynamic again would be awesome. Just to have a family again and just be a part of something bigger than yourself would just be great.”

The road to the PWHL Draft may not have been exactly how Tory Mariano drew it up back when she first laced up her skates, but the work she’s put into the journey will be worth it when she pulls on a professional jersey for the very first time.

My full conversation with Tory is out now on YouTube.

Molly Jordan sees the game differently than most defenders her age. She processes quickly, slows things down when the play speeds up around her, and has the confidence to make the right decision at the right time rather than the safe one. That quality does not always show up cleanly in a box score, but it shows up in how she has produced at every level she has played.

My full conversation with University of Minnesota defender Molly Jordan is available now on YouTube.

That foundation was built with the Bishop Kearney Selects, one of the more respected programs in the American development pipeline, before Jordan went on to Boston College, where she spent the first two seasons of her collegiate career, and put up 42 points in 72 games, including a career-high 24 points in 2024-25. The step up to one of the most defensively structured programs in NCAA women’s hockey has not slowed her down. She is a skilled defender with good foot speed and great hockey sense who can contribute at both ends of the ice, and her 16 points in 39 games this season show just how well she’s adjusted to a new program.

Molly has also represented the United States twice at the IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship, earning silver in 2022 and bronze in 2023, and was named to the All-Star team in the latter tournament while serving as alternate captain. She also suited up for the U-18 Series against Canada and, most recently, the 2025 Collegiate Series.

How Molly Jordan’s Path to the University of Minnesota Was Always About Chasing the Biggest Challenge

On this week’s episode of Rinkside Rundown, Molly talks about her development path, what drove her decision to transfer to Minnesota, and what her game looks like as she continues to chase the biggest stage in hockey.

Molly Jordan’s introduction to hockey came by way of an outdoor rink, and her enjoyment of it was cemented by quality time with family.

You see, it was at an early age, maybe two or three years old, as Molly recalls, when her father would build a rink in the backyard of her home in Berlin, Connecticut, and she would watch her brother glide across the ice. Molly would stand at the back door, pressed up against the glass, wanting so badly to get out and enjoy it with him, despite not knowing how to skate.

Molly would go on to learn how to skate, play lacrosse, field hockey, and golf, and she was glad she did. “I think being able to kind of play those other sports, you start to build yourself as more of an all-around athlete versus just a hockey player,” she said. “I think it was super important for my development, and I think it definitely helped me.” The friendships that came with having three teams’ worth of teammates didn’t hurt either.

My full conversation with University of Minnesota defender Molly Jordan is available now on YouTube.

By the time she was making her way through her youth career with the Connecticut Polar Bears and the Bishop Kearney Selects, Molly’s skillset and passion for the game were undeniable. She also looks back on that time with nothing but appreciation and thanks for the many coaches who helped her along the way. “My youth career, I look back, and I just get the biggest smile on my face because of all the people that kind of helped me along the way,” she said. “I obviously still look back and give all thanks to them for kind of getting me to where I am now.”

The international stage came calling early for Molly, a reflection of the hard work and dedication she had for the craft she loved so much. She represented the United States twice at the IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship, first in 2022, where she earned a silver medal, and again the following year, earning bronze in 2023. It was also in that tournament where she served as an alternate captain and was named to the All-Star team. Not done there, she would also suit up for the U-18 Series against Canada and, most recently, participated in the 2025 Collegiate Series.

Next, it was time to make the jump from junior to collegiate level hockey, first with Boston College. Following two seasons with that program, Molly made another important decision, one based on her commitment to not taking the easy route and to continue challenging herself. And that’s exactly what she did when she went off to the University of Minnesota.

Her new head coach, Brad Frost, described her as “a very skilled defender with great vision and feet,” and the program has delivered exactly what she was looking for as she continues to pursue her hockey dreams. “Every day you show up to the rink, you want to give your best just to make those around you better, and it’s truly special being a part of a team that I can see competing for national championships for a really long time,” she said. “It’s Minnesota. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

Beyond the rink, Molly makes it a priority to stay active in her community and has been spending time with Children’s Minnesota. “It’s something that I really wanted to do,” she said. “It’s my first time in the Midwest, and I wanted to put myself out there and give back to a community that has already given me so much.” She also makes it a priority to return to Connecticut to coach and inspire the next generation, paying forward the kind of support that has followed her throughout her career.

When Molly first peered through the glass as a young girl and watched her brother skate laps on the backyard rink her father built, she may not have realized exactly what was being set in motion. But, as she says, “the path along the way is sometimes more important.” And that path will undoubtedly lead to even more chapters full of even more incredible milestones.

My full conversation with University of Minnesota defender Molly Jordan is available now on YouTube.

Haley came to the Dolphins, the top program in the U22 Elite league, after developing at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, one of the most respected player development programs in North American hockey. The step up hasn’t slowed her down. She’s a dynamic, fast forward who plays an aggressive game and is confident with and without the puck, and she’s producing at nearly 1.5 points per game, the strongest output of her junior career.

“Haley Box and the Moment That Changed Everything”

The production is consistent with her international track record. Haley is a three-time U18 Women’s World Championship medallist with Team USA, collecting two golds and a silver. She also suited up for the 2024 Under-18 Series against Canada, one of the key proving grounds in the American development pipeline.

She’s committed to the University of Wisconsin for 2026-27, where she’ll join one of the most competitive programs in NCAA women’s hockey.

On this week’s episode of Rinkside Rundown, Haley talks about her development path, what drew her to Etobicoke, and what her game looks like heading into Wisconsin. The full episode is available now on YouTube.

Haley Box grew up in Cheyenne, Wyoming, a place she describes as having one rink, no summer ice, and no girls’ teams when she was coming up. But none of that slowed her down, largely because of the family she had around her.

Her parents drove her to every practice and every game, and her brothers spent hours outside with her working on new skills, competing against her and never holding back. “They know that’s what I need,” she said. That support system, built in a backyard in Wyoming, is something she credits as the foundation for everything that followed.

Check out the full conversation with Haley Box on YouTube.

A hockey camp in Nashville turned out to be a turning point. It was the first time Haley had been in an all-girls environment, with female coaches and players who had gone further in the game than she had ever seen up close. She came home from that camp with a much clearer sense of what was possible, and she started setting goals.

Those goals took her to the Etobicoke Dolphins, and she admits she was nervous walking in. “They’ve got so many Team Canada kids. I didn’t know what they were gonna think of me, I didn’t know how I was gonna fit in,” she said. But it turned out to be exactly what she needed. Her coach, Joe, pushed her to limits she did not know she could reach; the competition at every practice raised her game, and she came away with friendships she will carry for a long time. “It’s been the best decision for me and as a family,” she said.

From there, the goals kept coming, and eventually, they took her to the Team USA jersey. Competing against Canada, she says, is unlike anything else in the sport. “You want to leave everything out there because it’s so important,” she said. Her brother has been a constant throughout it, helping her stay even at every major tournament. Not too high, not too low.

Now, as she gets ready to head to Wisconsin, Haley is watching the women’s game grow and feeling genuinely excited about what that means for the players coming up behind her. The rise of the PWHL, the increasing visibility of the sport, and the sense that the opportunities available today look different from what existed even a few years ago.

It started in a backyard in Cheyenne. And now here she is.

Check out the full conversation with Haley Box on Episode 114 of Rinkside Rundown, available on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

Before every game, Penn State forward Grace Outwater picks up her hockey stick and writes two letters on it. They aren’t her own initials. They belong to her grandmother.

In a recent conversation on Rinkside Rundown, Grace talked about the woman behind those initials. Her grandmother passed away in her early to mid-50s, and Grace was open about how much it affected her family. “It was really hard on the family because she was so young, and she was a big part of our family,” she said. “We spent our summers at the cottage with her and my grandpa all the time when we were growing up.”

What makes the ritual meaningful is what her grandmother meant to her off the ice. She didn’t really follow hockey, but that never stopped Grace from going to her. “If I was going through a hard time with hockey, or with anything, I would always go to her,” Grace said. “She was literally the most positive person I’ve ever met. She never had anything bad to say about anyone. She always gave me great advice.”

So every game day, those initials are a reminder to bring that same energy to the ice. “Putting her initials on my stick really means a lot to me,” Grace said. “Just to have her in the back of my head, knowing to stay positive throughout the game and to keep her advice throughout the rest of my life.”

Want to hear the full conversation with Grace Outwater? Follow the podcast on Instagram and subscribe to Rinkside Rundown on Substack and YouTube so you never miss an episode.

There is something about a backyard rink that never really leaves you.

For Grace Outwater, it started with her grandfather and a patch of ice that her family built at home. It started with watching her brother skate and deciding she wanted to try it too. It started with a little hesitation, and then a lot of fun, and then a group of friends that made her never want to leave the ice. By the time Grace realized she loved hockey, hockey already had her.

That’s the thing about the sport. It has a way of pulling you in through the side door, through a family member, through a backyard rink, through a group of kids just trying to have fun on a cold afternoon. And for a lot of the players I’ve had the privilege of talking to on this podcast, that’s exactly how it started.

Watch the full interview on YouTube.

What separates Grace’s story, though, is what happened after the fun part.

At some point in ninth grade, something shifted. She watched her older teammates get recruited by universities and national teams, and something clicked. She went home and had a conversation with her parents about eating better, training harder, and taking the sport seriously in a way she hadn’t before. That conversation changed the trajectory of everything that followed.

It takes a certain kind of self-awareness to recognize that moment when it’s happening, especially at that age. Most kids don’t. Grace did, and she acted on it, and now she’s one of the most promising forwards at Penn State studying kinesiology, balancing one of the most demanding athletic schedules in college hockey, and doing it with a maturity that comes through clearly in conversation.

Along the way, she had people in her corner who made the difference. Her first coach, Glenn Gillies, kept the joy in the game during the hard stretches. Coaches like Dana Overhill and Hannah through the Lady Sens program pushed her competitively while making sure she believed in herself. Grace talks about those relationships the way many great athletes do, not as people who just taught her hockey, but as people who saw something in her and refused to let her forget it.

She carried that forward into her own leadership. As an assistant captain with the Ottawa Lady Sens, Grace learned that leading wasn’t about being the loudest voice in the room. It was about showing up the right way every single day and trusting that the people around you would notice. That lesson has followed her to Penn State.

One of the highlights she shared from her time there so far was playing in an outdoor game at Beaver Stadium. Over 100 years of college football history, and there was Grace Outwater skating on that ice in front of the biggest crowd her team had ever played in front of. She described it as one of the coolest experiences of her career, and honestly, it’s hard to imagine it being anything else.

But what excites Grace most right now isn’t any single game or moment. It’s the direction the sport is heading. The growth of the PWHL, the increasing visibility of the women’s game, and the sense that the opportunities available to young players today are genuinely different from what existed even five years ago. Grace sees all of it, and she’s excited, and after talking with her, so am I.

It all started on a backyard rink her grandfather built. And now here she is.

Check out the full conversation with Grace Outwater on Episode 113 of Rinkside Rundown, available on YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Five years ago, Kao Lawrie asked a simple question: were there others like me in hockey?

As a trans non-binary player, Kao rarely saw people who shared their experience in the sport. That question didn’t disappear over time. Instead, it turned into something real. It turned into This Tournament Has Everything, an inclusive hockey weekend on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia for women, trans, two-spirit, and non-binary players. What started as a small, community-driven idea has since grown into an event that brings together more than 120 players from across North America and beyond.

But in our recent conversation on Rinkside Rundown, it wasn’t the numbers that stuck with me the most. It was a story about a little girl and a starfish.

You’ve probably heard a version of it before. A little girl is on a beach, and a hundred starfish have washed ashore and are drying out in the sun. She’s picking them up one by one and throwing them back into the ocean. An older man watches her for a while, then tells her there are too many of them and that it won’t make any difference.

She picks up a starfish, looks at him, and says: “Well, it matters to this one.”

Kao shared that story when discussing the tournament and why a small, grassroots community event matters in a world where the bigger picture can feel completely overwhelming. And honestly, they’re right.

It’s easy to look at everything happening right now and feel paralyzed by the scale of it all. The problems are big, the noise is loud, and it can genuinely feel like nothing you do at the local or community level will move the needle on anything meaningful. But that’s not really how change works. It starts with one player feeling seen at a weekend tournament on the Sunshine Coast. It starts with one person walking away from that experience feeling like they actually belong in this sport. And then that person tells a friend, who shows up the following year, and before long, 120 players are lacing up their skates together.

As Kao put it, this is where the movement begins, and the hope is that it dominoes into something bigger from there.

This year’s tournament runs from March 6 to 8, 2026. If you know someone who needs to hear that hockey has a place for them, share this post, send them the episode, and let them know that the space exists.

Because it matters to this one. And the one after that.

The full episode of Rinkside Rundown with Kao Lawrie is available now on YouTube, and wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Kao Lawrie's relationship with hockey started the way it does for a lot of kids, informally, playing with friends, figuring out the sport on their own terms. But when it came time to find a more structured path into the game, the options weren't always there. There was no girls' team available when they were young, which made it harder to keep playing consistently. Later, when they did find a team, the environment wasn't always easy to navigate. Locker rooms, in particular, were spaces where Kao didn't always feel comfortable, and over time, their involvement in the sport began to fade.

Check out the full conversation with Kao Lawrie now on YouTube.

That started to change when they moved to the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. They joined a local team, found teammates who were genuinely welcoming, and began to reconnect with a sport they had always cared about. It was a meaningful shift, but it came with a new kind of awareness. Kao identifies as trans non-binary, and the more they played, the more they noticed how few players around them shared their experience. It wasn't just about visibility, though that mattered too. It was about whether spaces in hockey had ever been built with people like them in mind. As far as they could tell, they largely hadn't.

So Kao decided to create one.

Creating Something That Did Not Exist Yet

The concept behind This Tournament Has Everything was straightforward in the best possible way. Kao wanted to organize a tournament specifically for women, trans, two-spirit, and non-binary players, a weekend where people could come together, play hockey, and not have to wonder whether they belonged there. “A space where people could come together and feel seen and celebrated,” as Kao described it.

Getting the first event off the ground turned out to be more complicated than anticipated, and not for reasons anyone could have predicted. The Sunshine Coast is a boat-access community, which already makes logistics more involved than most places. The local rink also depends on the region's water supply, and when a severe drought extended well beyond anyone's expectations, there simply wasn't enough water to maintain the ice. The tournament had to be postponed. It was a frustrating setback for an event that hadn't even happened yet, but Kao pushed through it, and when the tournament finally took place months later, around 15 to 20 players showed up. Most were from nearby communities, but some had travelled specifically to be part of it, which said something even then about the demand for a space like this.

A Tournament That Continued to Grow

That first event was modest, but it was real, and it kept growing. Five years later, This Tournament Has Everything draws more than 120 players to that same single-rink facility on the Sunshine Coast, with participants travelling from across Canada, the United States, and in some cases from overseas. For a lot of those players, it is the first tournament they have ever competed in that was designed specifically for them, not as an afterthought or an accommodation, but as the entire point.

The tournament takes place over a single weekend, with all games held in the same arena. That shared setting matters. It gives players from completely different parts of the world the chance to meet, spend time together, and experience something that most of them have never had access to before.

A Grassroots Effort That Continues to Expand

What makes this tournament's growth even more significant is how it happened. This wasn’t a league initiative or a program funded by a governing body. Kao organized it independently, starting from scratch and building it year by year through word of mouth and a genuine need that the sport had never properly addressed. “Hockey is for everyone,” Kao said, and This Tournament Has Everything exists as a direct expression of that belief, proof that when the existing structures don’t reflect that, someone can decide to build something that does.

“This is where the change starts,” Kao said.

With the next tournament coming up in early March, the story Kao shared in this episode feels timely. It’s a reminder of what grassroots efforts can actually accomplish, and of how much it matters when someone decides that the absence of a space isn’t a reason to give up on a sport, but a reason to create something new.

You can find This Tournament Has Everything on Instagram at @tthehockeytournament

Check out the full conversation with Kao Lawrie now on YouTube.

Growing up in Norway, Ena did not have the same access to women’s hockey that young players have today. Even so, she knew early on what she wanted.

By the time she was 12, she had set her sights on playing college hockey in the United States. It was an ambitious goal, especially coming from a country where the women’s game is still continuing to grow. That goal gave her something specific to work toward.

Today, as a goaltender with Brynäs IF in the SDHL and a member of the Norwegian national team, Ena is part of a group of players helping push the program forward.

Check out our full conversation on YouTube.

“I think the numbers show that we are definitely taking the right steps,” she said. “A lot more girls are playing now, just number-wise. I wish that we took an even steeper slope in terms of development and our level of play, but that’s something we’re working on.”

She believes in the direction the program is heading, even as she recognizes there is still work to be done.

“We need the resources and the opportunities to do so, but it’s a work in progress. So I believe in our process.”

Understanding the Responsibility That Comes With the Role

As her career has progressed, Ena has become increasingly aware of her role within Norwegian women’s hockey.

“I definitely take a lot of pride in it,” she said. “I think that’s a big part of being a pro hockey player, is to be a good role model and kind of do what you can to improve as a nation.”

That responsibility is not something she takes lightly. It extends beyond her own performance and into what her presence represents for players coming behind her.

She remembers what it was like to be a young player trying to understand what her future in hockey could look like.

“I think it’s super important,” she said. “Having a dream and having something you want to go for is super important for your development.”

At the time, simply seeing other players succeed helped make those goals feel attainable.

“I remember when I was younger, we obviously couldn’t watch much women’s hockey,” she said. “But I remember when I was 12 years old, I knew I wanted to play college hockey in the U.S., and that drove me a lot in tough times throughout my youth.”

Now, young players in Norway have more opportunities to follow the sport and see what is possible.

“I think it’s super important to see girls play and have role models that you can mimic your game after,” she said. “Get some creativity or stuff like that. Just kind of see how they do their everyday and what they do to be successful.”

Carrying That Perspective Forward

The expectations that come with representing both club and country are something Ena embraces. “Pressure is privilege,” she said.

It is a mindset that reflects how she approaches her career and the opportunities it offers. Through her play with Brynäs IF and her continued role with the national team, she is now part of a program that continues to build toward something more.

She is one of the players helping carry that progress forward.

Check out our full conversation on YouTube.

For Ena Nystrøm, goaltending was never just a position. It was always where she felt most at home.

Long before representing Norway internationally or stepping onto the ice professionally in the SDHL with Brynäs IF, Ena was simply a kid in Norway who loved being part of the game. Her introduction to hockey came through her family, particularly her father, who had wanted to play himself but never had the opportunity. What began as a way to try something new quickly became something more lasting.

“I always liked being on the ice,” Ena said. “I liked skating fast, and I liked being part of a team.”

That early connection set her on a path that would eventually take her far beyond Norway.

Watch the full interview on YouTube

Ena joined me on the latest episode of Rinkside Rundown to reflect on the experiences that shaped her development, the mindset required to play her position, and how her journey has unfolded across different countries and levels of the game.

Learning to Compete

Like many players from countries where women’s hockey is still developing, Ena spent much of her early career playing alongside boys. It was simply the environment that existed at the time. But rather than seeing it as an obstacle, she views it now as an important part of her growth.

Playing in that setting forced her to adapt quickly. It demanded competitiveness and resilience, qualities that would become essential as she progressed.

At the same time, she witnessed firsthand how the sport began to evolve around her. Over the past decade, opportunities for girls and women in Norway have steadily improved. More players are entering the sport, and the pathway is becoming clearer for the next generation.

That progress has made her own journey feel connected to something larger than herself.

Representing Norway internationally remains one of the most meaningful parts of her career, not just for what it represents personally, but for what it signals about the continued growth of the game in her home country.

Finding Her Identity in Goal

Ena’s connection to goaltending emerged early. Even before fully committing to the position, she found herself drawn to its responsibilities.

There is a unique mental challenge that comes with being a goaltender. Every mistake is visible. Every moment carries weight. It is a position that demands a balance between the mental and physical sides of the game.

Over time, she came to understand something that reshaped how she approached those demands.

“Pressure is privilege.”

It is a mindset that reflects experience. Pressure, in her view, is not something to fear. It is something earned. It means you are in a position where your performance matters, where you have been trusted with responsibility.

That perspective has stayed with her as she has moved through each stage of her career.

Leaving Home to Grow

Recognizing that she needed stronger competition and greater opportunities, Ena decided to leave Norway and continue her development in North America. It was not an easy move, but it proved to be an important one.

That journey began with her time at the Ontario Hockey Academy, which gave her exposure to a new level of training and structure. From there, she continued on to the NCAA, where she played at both Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Mercyhurst.

College hockey became a defining period in her development, not only as a goaltender but as a person. The demands of balancing academics and athletics forced her to develop discipline and time management skills that extended beyond the rink.

It was also a time that helped prepare her for what would come next.

The Next Step

Now playing professionally in the SDHL with Brynäs IF, Ena continues to build on those experiences. The league is one of the strongest environments in women’s hockey and offers an opportunity to compete alongside and against elite players from around the world.

It is also part of a broader shift in the sport. The growth of professional leagues has created clearer pathways for players, allowing careers to extend and evolve in ways that were not possible in previous generations.

For players coming from countries where the sport is still developing, that visibility matters. It creates something tangible for younger athletes to pursue.

Ena understands that role and the importance of what comes next for the game.

Every stage of Ena’s career has brought new challenges. Leaving home, adapting to new environments, and competing at higher levels have all required adjustment. But those experiences have also reinforced the mindset that continues to guide her.

Pressure is not something to fear, but is something earned.

Watch the full interview on YouTube