Olympic gold medallist Caroline Ouellette looks to inspire new female hockey players
Posted November 26, 2021 2:11 pm.
Last Updated November 26, 2021 5:03 pm.
Caroline Ouellette may be retired from Canadian women’s national hockey, but she’s as busy as ever.
The four-time Olympic gold medallist has made it her mission to inspire the next generation of female players.
“When I’m asked about the state of women’s hockey now, there are so many things that make me so happy and so proud,” she explained. “I see Team Canada perform at the last Worlds [Championship] in Calgary — the caliber of play, the speed, the passion, the physicality. It’s incredible. And that makes me so proud.”
She says things have really changed since she first hit the ice as a child.
“I also see the young girls now playing on an all-girls team and having that sense of belonging and that team atmosphere. I didn’t experience that,” she told CityNews.
How do we get more girls involved in hockey?
More about her upcoming Girls Hockey Celebration (@CelebrationCaro) here: https://t.co/K5JbgcoYa4 pic.twitter.com/mpyGDUDRJN
— Sandra Prusina (@sprusina) November 26, 2021
Ouellette recalls playing “with the boys” when she was young, telling CityNews she was, at the time, “the only girl on the team.”
“And that makes me so proud as well,” she declared.
“But then I see that we don’t have a professional league, and that makes me really sad because the best athletes in our sport don’t have anything to aspire to, to make and earn a living. I see a lot of girls leave the game at the age of 10, 11, 12 because there aren’t enough leagues to keep them without travelling a ton.”
That’s where her non-for-profit Girls Hockey Celebration comes in. The hockey program provides hockey equipment to 60 girls every year so they can try the sport for free.
“I’m very passionate about this topic,” she admitted.
“We need more programs that inspire young girls try hockey, learn to skate and to do it with female role models that are in the game. That makes them feel welcome and feel like they can be part of something that’s bigger. That’s at the huge forefront of what needs to happen and what needs to change.”
This also brings up the issue of making women’s sport be visible 365 days a year, versus just during special events like the Olympics or World Championship.
What about getting consistent coverage for women’s hockey? pic.twitter.com/R9FgLvFNG3
— Sandra Prusina (@sprusina) November 26, 2021
“That is a very difficult situation,” Ouellette said with a sigh. “To me, it starts with more exposure in the media. Why not follow, at least, the Olympic team as they prepare for the full Olympic year? Just by doing that, showing that creates interest. And when you have interest, it’s contagious. It creates more and more and more. We follow our favourite NHL teams throughout the season, and I have a look at the Montreal newspaper — it’s a huge part of it. Can we make more room on the bench for other hockey news?”
The 42-year-old Montreal native believes there is space and interest for more women’s hockey coverage — and is vowing to do more to help push the sport forward.
“I always say that I feel in my heart, as a sports fan, I have more to give always. Sports fans do have more room to love and appreciate, and we have to give it to them so that it also brings more people to be interested,” she said, adding there’s also more work that needs to be done to make the sport more inclusive.
“When you read some articles on women’s hockey, you still to those days see those really negative comments that are sad. It’s sad we still have to fight through that in 2021.
“We still have to fight for credibility when these women are the best in their sport. They give all that they have and more. Unfortunately, they aren’t making a living off the sport they are the best in the country at,” Ouellette added.
For now, she believes there’s a bright future ahead for women’s hockey, and part of that will be helped forward with the Beijing games in just a few months.
“I’m hopeful that the next Olympic games will create great momentum for the sport.”
