British Columbia Breakers
Encyclopedia
The British Columbia Breakers were a professional women's ice hockey team in the National Women's Hockey League
(NWHL). The team played its home games in Langley
, a suburb of Vancouver
, Canada
. The Owner of the Breakers was Nu Global Sports Inc.
team in the Western Women's Hockey League
(WWHL). It was formed in 2004 as a charter member of the league. In 2006, it was announced that the WWHL would be absorbed into the National Women's Hockey League
. However, this was short lived as the NWHL and WWHL could not reach an agreement upon a playoff schedule. As a result, the merger was not consummated. With the collapse of the NWHL in the summer of 2007, the Western Women's Hockey League was once again a completely independent league.
In their first season, the Breakers finished with a record of five wins, 15 losses, and one tie. They were led in scoring by American veteran Cammi Granato
, who had 8 goals and 11 assists for 19 points. Kyla Gillespie and Jodi Faye led the team with 9 goals each, Gillespie in only 14 games. The Breakers came fourth out of five teams and missed the playoffs.
In 2005–2006, the team finished in last place of the five teams—with a record of 21 losses and 3 ties. Melissa Anderson led the team in both goals (9) and total points (15), even though she only played 14 of the 24 games. Goaltender Jennifer Price, who faced almost 50 shots per game (and saved about 91% of them) was named the league's defensive player of the year.
The 2006 -2007 season showed some promise as the Breakers received a few new players who helped them develop their team. Under the guidance of Jeff Bandura the team had its best season to date. Even so management was pursued by the players to relieve Jeff Bandura of his duties.
In 2007-2008 Proved to be a tough rebuild from the 06-07 season, as a number of key players had left. Nat Christensen (formerly a player of the Vancouver Griffins) was appointed head coach. The 2007-2008 edition of the breakers went winless through difficult season.
In 2008-2009 the team was stronger than 07-08, and it looked to be a promising season. This season, however, was riddled with fincial problems from its ownership and proved to be costly on the players. Although the team dynamics were strong, it was not enough to save the team from being pulled at the peak of the season due to the ownership unable to front the costs he committed to. The sports management group had pulled out earlier in the season seeing the writing on the wall. The Breakers were force to end their season early and are no longer apart of the WWHL.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points.
National Women's Hockey League
The National Women's Hockey League was a women's ice hockey league. This League was in service between 1999 and 2007.-History:The NWHL superseded the old Central Ontario Women's Hockey League in 1998-99. After the old COWHL dropped down to three teams in 1997-98, the new league expanded to...
(NWHL). The team played its home games in Langley
Langley, British Columbia (district municipality)
The Township of Langley is a district municipality immediately east of the City of Surrey in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It extends south from the Fraser River to the U.S. border, and west of the City of Abbotsford...
, a suburb of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The Owner of the Breakers was Nu Global Sports Inc.
History
The British Columbia Breakers is an ice hockeyIce hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team in the Western Women's Hockey League
Western Women's Hockey League
The Western Women's Hockey League is one of two major women's hockey leagues in Canada. The league was established in 2004, and consisted of teams in Canada and one from the United States...
(WWHL). It was formed in 2004 as a charter member of the league. In 2006, it was announced that the WWHL would be absorbed into the National Women's Hockey League
National Women's Hockey League
The National Women's Hockey League was a women's ice hockey league. This League was in service between 1999 and 2007.-History:The NWHL superseded the old Central Ontario Women's Hockey League in 1998-99. After the old COWHL dropped down to three teams in 1997-98, the new league expanded to...
. However, this was short lived as the NWHL and WWHL could not reach an agreement upon a playoff schedule. As a result, the merger was not consummated. With the collapse of the NWHL in the summer of 2007, the Western Women's Hockey League was once again a completely independent league.
Season-by-season
- See also: 2004–05 WWHL season2004–05 WWHL seasonThe 2004–05 WWHL season was the first season of the Western Women's Hockey League. Previously this league did not exist and the western teams were in a division of the National Women's Hockey League.-Final standings:...
- See also: 2005–06 WWHL season2005–06 WWHL seasonThe 2005–06 WWHL season was the second season of the Western Women's Hockey League. The Calgary Oval X-Treme enjoyed an undefeated season and claimed the WWHL Champions cup.-Final standings:...
- See also: 2006–07 WWHL season2006–07 WWHL seasonThe 2006–07 WWHL season was the third season of the Western Women's Hockey League. The Calgary Oval X-Treme enjoyed an undefeated season and claimed the WWHL Champions cup.-Exhibition:...
- See also: 2007–08 WWHL season2007–08 WWHL seasonThe 2007–08 WWHL season was the fourth season of the Western Women's Hockey League. The Calgary Oval X-Treme defeated the Minnesota Whitecaps to claim the WWHL Champions cup.-Final standings:...
- See also: 2008–09 WWHL season2008–09 WWHL season-Final standings:Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points. -Playoffs:semi-finals*March 7, 2009: Calgary 9, Starthmore 0*March 7, 2009: Minnesota 4, Edmonton 0-Final WWHL Championship:...
In their first season, the Breakers finished with a record of five wins, 15 losses, and one tie. They were led in scoring by American veteran Cammi Granato
Cammi Granato
Catherine Michelle "Cammi" Granato is a retired American female ice hockey player and one of the first women to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November 2010....
, who had 8 goals and 11 assists for 19 points. Kyla Gillespie and Jodi Faye led the team with 9 goals each, Gillespie in only 14 games. The Breakers came fourth out of five teams and missed the playoffs.
In 2005–2006, the team finished in last place of the five teams—with a record of 21 losses and 3 ties. Melissa Anderson led the team in both goals (9) and total points (15), even though she only played 14 of the 24 games. Goaltender Jennifer Price, who faced almost 50 shots per game (and saved about 91% of them) was named the league's defensive player of the year.
The 2006 -2007 season showed some promise as the Breakers received a few new players who helped them develop their team. Under the guidance of Jeff Bandura the team had its best season to date. Even so management was pursued by the players to relieve Jeff Bandura of his duties.
In 2007-2008 Proved to be a tough rebuild from the 06-07 season, as a number of key players had left. Nat Christensen (formerly a player of the Vancouver Griffins) was appointed head coach. The 2007-2008 edition of the breakers went winless through difficult season.
In 2008-2009 the team was stronger than 07-08, and it looked to be a promising season. This season, however, was riddled with fincial problems from its ownership and proved to be costly on the players. Although the team dynamics were strong, it was not enough to save the team from being pulled at the peak of the season due to the ownership unable to front the costs he committed to. The sports management group had pulled out earlier in the season seeing the writing on the wall. The Breakers were force to end their season early and are no longer apart of the WWHL.
| Year | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | 21 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 49 | 98 | 14 |
| 2005–06 | 24 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 40 | 127 | 3 |
| 2006–07 | 24 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 71 | 121 | 17 |
| 2007–08 | 24 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 23 | 135 | 2 |
| 2008–09 | 24 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 17 | 76 | 2 |
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points.
Season standings
| Year | Regular Season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| 2004-05 | 4rd | no participation to playoff |
| 2005-06 | 5rd | no participation to playoff |
| 2006-07 | 4rd | elimined in first round |
| 2007-08 | 5rd | no participation to playoff |
| 2008-09 | 5rd | no participation to playoff |
Last Roster 2008-09
| Goalies | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | |Player | |Former Team | |Hometown | |||
| 30 |  Canada |
Kayla Canning | Abbotsford,, British Columbia | |||
| 1 | Canada |
Desirae Clark | B.C. Breakers | Salmo, British Columbia | ||
| Defense | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | |Player | |Former Team | |Hometown | |||
| 77 | Canada |
Veronica Lang | Richmond, British Columbia | |||
| 19 | Canada |
Amy De Bree | Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia | |||
| 15 | Canada |
Katie Welsh | BC Breakers | Abbotsford, British Columbia | ||
| 7 | Canada |
Sandra Wright | Langley, British Columbia | |||
| n/a | Canada |
Rayna Cruickshank | ||||
| Forwards | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | |Player | |Former Team | |Hometown | |||
| 93 | Canada |
Jennifer Kindret | B.C. Breakers | Winnipeg, Manitoba | ||
| 24 | Canada |
Emily McGrath-Agg | Vancouver, British Columbia | |||
| 20 | Canada |
Natashia Pellatt | Langley, British Columbia | |||
| 18 |  United States |
Alana Bremiller | BC Breakers | Millbrook, New York, | ||
| 17 | Canada |
Silvia Traversa | BC Breakers | Vancouver, British Columbia | ||
| 16 | Canada |
Danielle Grundy | B.C. Breakers | Kelowna, British Columbia | ||
| 14 | Canada |
Kyla Gillespie | Nanaimo, British Columbia | |||
| 9 | Canada |
Katy Lacasse | Comox, British Columbia | |||
| 6 | United States |
Anne Girtz | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |||
| 4 | Canada |
Stephanie Burlton | B.C. Breakers | Vancouver, British Columbia | ||
| n/a | Canada |
Kathleen McDonald | B.C. Breakers | |||
| n/a | Canada |
Mary Darvill | B.C. Breakers | West Vancouver, British Columbia | ||
Coaching Staff 2008-09
- Head Coach: Natalie Christensen
- Assistant Coach: Ken Welsh
- Manager Player/Equipment: Maureen Hawkes
External links
See also
- Western Women's Hockey LeagueWestern Women's Hockey LeagueThe Western Women's Hockey League is one of two major women's hockey leagues in Canada. The league was established in 2004, and consisted of teams in Canada and one from the United States...
(WWHL) - List of ice hockey teams in British Columbia