Swede impresses in CWHL

Rundqvist joins new Canadian women's hockey league 07-03-11
Danijela Rundqvist returned to Canada after the Olympics to play in the fledgling Canadian Women's Hockey League Photo: Courtesy Danijela Rundqvist
BURLINGTON, Canada – Danijela Rundqvist wants to make one thing perfectly clear. She is NOT the daughter of former Swedish national team captain Thomas Rundqvist. The relationship is a myth some TV commentators, ill-informed by their neophyte researchers, have been propogating at the last three Olympics. Moreover the Swedish women’s team winger doesn’t think Hans Rundqvist, who IS her father, gets nearly enough credit for the hours he has put in helping her develop as a player. “He taught me how to skate at the age of 5 and when I started to play hockey, he drove me to all of my early morning practices,” she said. “He was not a player and is not one of those parents who tries to tell you how you should play. He’s just been an amazing support.” Last month Hans took some vacation days from his job as a prison guard in Sweden, flew to Canada and showed up unannounced to watch his daughter play for the Burlington Barracudas of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. “My father was here for four games and I scored four goals for him while he was here,” she said. One of them came in a shootout to give Burlington a 5-4 win over Toronto. Rundqvist, known by her teammates as ‘Danni’, wears jersey number 55 with the Barracudas because her father was born in 1955. The Stockholm native entered her name for the CWHL’s first draft last summer and was selected 13th overall by the Barracudas. “I came to Canada because I wanted to play against the best players in the world,” she said. Rundqvist led the Barracudas in scoring with 11 goals and 15 points in 22 games, playing on the same team as Olympic gold medalist Becky Kellar of Canada. “She really had a great second half of the season,” Kellar said. “It was nice to get to know her, I’ve played against her for so many years.” Among the other Olympic gold medalists in the league are Jayna Hefford, Gillian Apps and Cherie Piper of Brampton; Caroline Ouellette, Kim St. Pierre, and Sarah Vaillancourt of Montreal; Jennifer Botterill and Tessa Bonhomme of Toronto and veteran U.S. defender Angela Ruggiero of Boston. Rundqvist has a reputation as a feisty player and has had more than one clash with Canadian star Hayley Wickenheiser. “I don’t start anything,” Rundqvist says, “but I don’t take anything either.” Kellar also recalls her rugged play. “There was one game in a pre-Olympic tournament in Vancouver in August of 2009 that got a little testy,” she said. “I’ve been on the receiving end of some of her hits. She’s a very strong girl and I was quite happy when it was us who drafted her.” Rundqvist has been boarding with the family of Ted and Fran Colley in Burlington and has become a big sister to the Colleys’ three boys Rhys, 11, Jared, 7, and Cade, 4. “All of them play hockey,” Rundqvist said. “Ted and I have been running some practices for Jared’s team, teaching them power skating.” Rundqvist says the CWHL has a higher level of play, but is not yet as well organized as the league in Sweden. She plans to play in the CWHL again next season, if she can find a way to get some financial compensation. Unlike their male counterparts in the NHL, female players often live on a shoestring. She even says asking NHLers with their multi-million-dollar salaries to sponsor players in women’s leagues might not be a bad idea. “This league needs a couple of years to get established,” she said. “But I want something to happen now, I haven’t got the patience to sit around and wait. Rundqvist once worked in customer service for Stadium, the largest sports company in Sweden, but she has been a full-time hockey player since 2009. Including the money she could have made working back home, she estimates coming to Canada for the year has cost her about $25,000. She has the full support of Niclas Högberg, who has taken over as coach of the Swedish women’s team from Peter Elander. Incredibly, Rundqvist started playing in the Swedish Women’s League at the age of 13 and was only 17 when she made her debut in the Olympics at Salt Lake City in 2002. She won the Swedish championship three times with AIK and the club also won four European titles while she was playing there. After the Swedish women won their first Olympic medal – a bronze – at Salt Lake City in 2002, each of the players received $1,500 from the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation. Rundqvist, therefore, was quite surprised when they initially received nothing for upsetting the United States in the semifinals and winding up with a silver medal at Torino in 2006. “Money is very important for us,” she said. “I called the federation to see if we would be getting something, and they said, no.” The federation later did an about-face and gave each of the silver medalists $1,500. “I just wanted them to show some appreciation for what we did,” she said. Rundqvist credits the Swedish Olympic Association with providing the impetus that resulted in a pair of Olympic medals. In the Olympic season of 2009-10, the Swedish girls received financial support, relative to the amount of money they were making in their regular jobs. Her share was $800 a month, not enough to live on, but definitely a big boost. She also has played in five World Championships, winning two bronze medals. In 190 games with the Swedish national team, she has scored 41 goals. Maria Rooth, who scored the winning goal to beat the U.S. in Torino in 2006, has retired from the national team and is working as an assistant coach to Shannon Miller at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. But Erika Holst, Sweden’s other great star, will return to play in her 10th World Championship in Switzerland in April. Veteran Gunilla Andersson, 35, is expected to make her 11th World Championship appearance on defence. Also returning are goalie Kim Martin, Elin Holmlov and Pernilla Winberg who all play college hockey for the Minnesota-Duluth in the U.S. Katarina Timglas had to have back surgery and that has forced her into retirement. One of the team’s bright new prospects is 19-year-old defenceman Linnea Backman, whom Rundqvist predicts will eventually become among the world’s best blueliners. Rundqvist flew to St. John’s, Nfld., to play for her country in the November Four Nations Tournament, but has missed monthly national team camps and subsequent international tournaments which conflicted with her CWHL schedule. The Swedes went winless in November, losing 8-1 to eventual champion Canada, but were impressive in winning the February event in Torp, Sweden, against Finland, Germany and Russia. Sweden will open its World Championship training camp in Stockholm in early April, then fly to Switzerland on April 12. The Barracudas failed to make the playoffs and their season was over by the end of February. However, Rundqvist will remain in Burlington for the month of March and has lined up practice icetime with several clubs, including the girls team at Appleby College in Oakville. “It’s been a great experience,” she said. “It was fun to be part of the first draft ever in women’s hockey. I just want to be a hockey player right now. Afterwards, I’ll be working for the rest of my life. DENIS GIBBONS

What it's all about...

On Saturday Feb 19^th, 2011 at the Master Card Centre, the Toronto HC faced off against Montreal for their last meeting of the regular season. Saturdays match up was not your regular CWHL game, the game was held as a fundraising event put on for the CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind) and turned out to be a great success. There were over 500 people in attendance and many fun events for all those involved. In support of the CNIB, the players all wore sun glasses for the anthem, which was sung by an amazing visually impaired individual who blew everyone away with his beautiful voice.

Some of the other events throughout the game were silent auction, chuck a puck, 50/50 but the highlight of the night was getting to experience watching the Ice Owls, a Toronto based visually impaired hockey team who played in between the first and second period. The goalies are completely blind and they play with a larger “puck” that makes sound and cannot be lifted above 3 feet off the ice within the rules of the game. What motivating and talented individuals that show us that nothing should stand in your way of doing what you love.

Following the game we held a “Skate with the Champions” which was very well attended and a fun opportunity for the players to interact with fans of all ages, taking home pictures and autographs from all the players on both teams.

We would like to say a huge thank-you for all those involved helping make the event such a success, to the fans who came out to support the CWHL and the CNIB and also to the players on both teams for sharing your time helping instill dreams in so many young players.

Montreal ended up on the winning side, defeating Toronto 4-2 solidifying their hold on first place in the league. For more details on playoffs and the Clarkson Cup, visit www.cwhl.ca or find us on Twitter and Facebook. For more information on the CNIB or on how you can show your support go to www.cnib.ca

Written by Haleigh Callison

Photos provided by Brandon Taylor – Pro Am Images

Aloha Canada!!!

Ariez, a small paper version of a student from Aikahi Elementary School in Hawaii recently made a visit to Brampton. A class from the school is participating in The Flat Stanley Project. The Flat Stanley Project grew out of a classic children's book by the same name, written by Jeff Brown. In the story, Stanley, a regular boy, is squashed flat by a falling bulletin board. On the bright side, he discovers that his parents can slip him into an envelope and mail him to visit friends in faraway places. In real life, students in thousands of classrooms around the world participate in the Flat Stanley Project. There are many versions of the project, however the main theme is that students create a ‘flat Stanley’, either a copy of the boy from the book or make paper versions of themselves, and are sent all over the world where their adventures are recorded and sent back to the student to learn about different cultures. During Ariez’s stop in Brampton, she was able to watch a Canadian Women’s Hockey League game when the Brampton HC hosted the Montreal HC on February 20^th. Ariez was not only able to experience elite women’s hockey, but was greeted by Brampton HC’s Jayna Hefford and Gillian Apps who were happy to show her their Olympic Gold Medals.

Provided by Shelby Baker

FANS INVITED TO MEET OLYMPIC STARS IN CHARITY HOCKEY EVENT

For Immediate Release

FANS INVITED TO MEET OLYMPIC STARS IN CHARITY HOCKEY EVENT

Canadian Women’s Hockey League plans fundraiser for CNIB

TORONTO – On Saturday evening, February 19, come out and see the best in women’s hockey. Then stay – and skate – as the fun continues.

The Toronto Hockey Club of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) is scheduled to play Montreal at 6:15 p.m. at Master Card Centre arena. This game between two highly skilled teams will feature seven gold-medal Olympians: Kim St-Pierre, Caroline Ouellette, Sarah Vaillantcourt, Julie Chu, Tessa Bonhomme and Jennifer Botterill, and Sami Jo Small.

Sami Jo Small has close connections with the CNIB, noting “I come from a long line of optometrists and my family would always volunteer at the CNIB in Winnipeg. I’d go in to read books to the blind. I know how important vision health is and I have a very close family connection to the CNIB and so I brought it to the team.”

“When the idea came up, the whole team came together to tackle the various tasks to make the event happen. I feel really positive about how hard we’ve worked to help out a great cause,” added Haleigh Callison.

The game will feature door prizes, a Silent Auction, a section for visually impaired fans with LIVE play-by-play, an autograph session, and for a $5 donation you can take to the ice and skate with the players after the game. Other surprises will also occur on Saturday making this game extra special!

All of the extras for Saturday’s game were organized by an already busy team that must balance, work, hockey, school, and other commitments, but Alexandra Hoffmeyer understands that “any time you are in the position where you can help out a greater cause, I think it's really important to do so. I've spent many years playing hockey and being taught the importance of giving back to a community that supports you.” She continued, saying “because we have this platform and many players on our team are in the spotlight even more given their status as Olympians, I think it is a great chance to help organizations such as CNIB in generating more awareness and funds using this reach.”

The CNIB provides valuable support and resources to those affected by vision loss in Canada. As of 2007 there were over 108,000 legally blind Canadians and many more that experience partial vision loss.

No tickets required. Entrance to the game and festivities is free when accompanied with a donation to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. For game spectators with a visual impairment, a special seating section has been set up to provide live play-by-play. The Master Card Centre is located at 400 Kipling Avenue in Toronto.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

Event Media

Angela Di Stasi

416-599-9900 ext.229

adistasi@newscanada.com

Chief Organizer CWHL

Sami Jo Small

416-524-7625

samismall@hotmail.com

Toronto Media Relations

Meg Black

416-436-9575

Ms.megblack@gmail.com

Fans Invited to Meet Olympic Stars at Women's Hockey Game

Canadian Women's Hockey League Plans Fundraiser for CNIB

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Feb. 11, 2011) - On Saturday evening, February 19, come out and see the best in women's hockey. Then stay – and skate – as the fun continues.

The Toronto Hockey Club of the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) is scheduled to play the Montreal team at 6:15 p.m. in the arena of the Master Card Centre. You are invited to this highly skilled sports event – and so are seven gold-medal Olympians: Kim St-Pierre, Caroline Ouellette, Sarah Vaillantcourt, Julie Chu, Sami Jo Small, Tessa Bonhomme and Jennifer Botterill.

At a designated time during the evening, game spectators will be invited onto the ice for another highlight: Skate With The Champions. For a $5 donation per person, this will be your chance to mix and mingle, say hello to players, get your autographs, and encourage your kids to feel like little Olympians too. Door prizes and other surprises are in store including a Silent Auction fundraiser with several must-have items.

No tickets required. Entrance to the game and festivities is free when accompanied with a donation to the Canadian National Institute For The Blind. For game spectators with a visual impairment, a special seating section has been set up to provide live and up-close, play-by-play. The Master Card Centre is located at 400 Kipling Avenue in Toronto.

Clarkson Cup heading to Barrie - Feb 5th 2011

Clarkson Cup heading to Barrie

Clarkson Cup heading to Barrie. Barrie will play home to the biggest annual event in women’s hockey. The Clarkson Cup will be contested at The Barrie Molson Centre from March 24 to 27. Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman drops the puck for Haleigh Callison, left, and Olympian Sami Jo Small during the event's announcement. Stan Howe photo

Barrie will play home to the biggest annual event in women’s hockey. The Clarkson Cup will be contested at The Barrie Molson Centre from March 24 to 27. Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman drops the puck for Haleigh Callison, left, and Olympian Sami Jo Small during the event's announcement.

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Name This

History Television is doing a segment on the Toronto HC to try and find a name for the club. Check out the link below to see the video and if you have any suggestions for names we'd love to hear them!! There is only 550 on there as of right now.... :-) Not a bad start!!!

http://namethis.ca/