Jillian Dempsey

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Jillian Dempsey
JillianDempsey.jpg
Dempsey playing for the Boston Pride in 2017.
Born (1991-01-19) January 19, 1991 (age 34)
Winthrop, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height 5 ft 4 in (163 cm)
Weight 135 lb (61 kg; 9 st 9 lb)
Position Forward
Shoots Left
PWHL team
Former teams
Boston Fleet
National teamFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Playing career 2011present
Medal record
Women's ice hockey
Representing Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
IIHF World Women's Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2012 United States Tournament
Women's 4 Nations Cup
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2011 Sweden Tournament

Jillian T. Dempsey (born January 19, 1991) is an American professional ice hockey player for the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). The former captain of the Boston Pride of the now-defunct Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), she holds the all-time PHF records for games played, goals, assists, and points, and is one of only two players to have won the Isobel Cup three times. [1] [2]

Contents

Career

She played for the Harvard Crimson women's ice hockey team from 2009 to 2013, serving as team captain in her final season. Across 129 NCAA games, she scored 148 points, finishing in the top-10 all-time scorers for Harvard and being named a top-10 finalist for the 2013 Patty Kazmaier Award. [3] [4]

In August 2013, she was selected as the 10th overall pick by the Boston Blades in the 2013 CWHL Draft. In October 2013, Dempsey joined the Bisons de Neuilly-sur-Marne on loan for the first round of the 2013–14 IIHF European Women's Champions Cup, where she scored 13 points in 3 games. [5]

She was awarded the CWHL's Rookie of the Year Award in 2014 after leading all American-born players in league scoring. The following season, she scored 19 points in 22 games as the Blades won the 2015 Clarkson Cup.

When the NWHL was formed in 2015, Dempsey left the Blades to join the Boston Pride. [6] In 2018, she was named Pride captain.

Dempsey participated in the 3rd NWHL All-Star Game. [7] She played for Team Stecklein in the 2019 NWHL All-Star Game, and served as captain for Team Dempsey at the 2020 NWHL All-Star Game. [8] On Sunday, January 26, 2020, Jillian Dempsey became the first player in league history to reach 100 career points, including playoffs. She reached the century mark with an assist in a win versus the Minnesota Whitecaps. [9]

In February 2020, Sportsnet named her one of the 25 most powerful women in hockey. [10] She shared the 2020 NWHL MVP award with Allie Thunstrom, as the Pride finished as regular season champions. The team made it to the finals of the 2020 Isobel cup before the playoffs were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the 2020–21 NWHL season in Lake Placid, Dempsey injured her shoulder and played through it until the 2-week season was terminated. [11] When the playoffs resumed in Boston in March, she was again at full health and captained the Pride to their second Isobel Cup Championship as the only remaining player from the first win in 2016. [12]

On December 12, 2022, Dempsey tied a PHF record with six points on Sunday including her first career hat-trick to lead Boston in a 7-5 win versus Buffalo. [13]

Following the folding of the PHF, Dempsey was drafted in the 11th round of the 2023 PWHL Draft by PWHL Montreal. [14] On November 9, 2023, she signed a one-year contract with Montreal. [15]

For the 2024-2025 season, Dempsey signed a reserve contract with the Boston Fleet. [16] Dempsey appeared in nine games for the Pride.

A March 8, 2025 contest versus the Montreal Victoire, resulted in Dempsey logging two assists. Earning the assists on goals by Jamie Lee Rattray and Amanda Pelkey, it proved to be the final two points of her career. An April 2, 2025 home game versus the Ottawa Charge marked her final appearance on PWHL ice.

In early August 2025, Dempsey announced her retirement from professional hockey on social media.

International

Dempsey has represented the United States women's national ice hockey team at the 2009 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship and the 2011 4 Nations Cup. [17] She would again play for the US at the 2012 IIHF Women's World Championship, winning a silver medal.

Personal life

She is a graduate of the Rivers School and Harvard College, where she majored in Classics. [18] During her time at Harvard, she lived in Canaday Hall in her freshman year, and later in Pforzheimer House. After completing a master's in education, she joined the Teach For America programme. In 2016, she became a fifth grade teacher in her home town of Winthrop, Massachusetts. [19] [20] She continued teaching while playing in the NWHL, including conducting class from her hotel room during the 2020–21 Lake Placid bubble. [21]

When she was nine, she won a contest to name the Boston Bruins mascot, Blades the Bruin. [22] Her father, Jack Dempsey, currently serves as the Boston Fire Department commissioner. [23]

Career stats

  Regular Season Playoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
2013–14 Boston Blades CWHL 241414281040110
2014–15 Boston BladesCWHL22910191720000
2015–16 Boston Pride NWHL 1877141042354
2016-17 Boston PrideNWHL1751015021010
2017-18 Boston PrideNWHL167815211010
2018-19 Boston PrideNWHL1610414010002
2019-20 Boston PrideNWHL241723402811012
2020-21 Boston PrideNWHL7336022130
2021-22 Boston Pride PHF 207714632135
2022-23 Boston PridePHF24141428620110
2023-24 PWHL Montreal PWHL 24134230000
PWHL totals24134230000
NWHL/PHF totals14270761463016961513
CWHL totals462324471060110
Source [24]

Honours and championships

Championships
2016 Isobel Cup Champion
2021 Isobel Cup Champion
2022 Isobel Cup Champion

References

  1. "PHF (W) - All-time totals". Elite Prospects. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  2. "Awards - PHF (W) Isobel Cup Champion". Elite Prospects. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  3. "Female Career Achievement Award: Jillian Dempsey | Sports | the Harvard Crimson". Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  4. "Jillian Dempsey - 2012-13 - Women's Ice Hockey". Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  5. https://www.hockeyfrance.com/championnats/actualit%C3%A9s/actualites-competitions/item/8470-ewcc-neuilly-demarre-fort?highlight=WyJkZW1wc2V5Il0= [ dead link ]
  6. "Women's Winter Classic Adds to Jillian Dempsey's Proud Boston Hockey Legacy | Women's Hockey Life". January 17, 2016. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  7. "Media Guide for the 2018 NWHL All-Star Game". NWHL.zone. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
  8. "NWHL All-Star Game coming to Boston; Jillian Dempsey will captain". December 21, 2019. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  9. Nathan Vaughan (January 28, 2020). "Record Broken: Dempsey hits 100 The longest tenured member of the Pride is a historic first". SB Nation. Archived from the original on March 7, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  10. "The 25 Most Powerful Women in Hockey - Sportsnet.ca". Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  11. Porter, Matt (January 29, 2021). "Boston Pride to play Buffalo Beauts in best-of-three to determine fourth playoff seed in NWHL - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  12. "Boston tops Minnesota for NWHL championship". ESPN. March 27, 2021. Archived from the original on April 2, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  13. Paul Krotz (December 12, 2022). "Sunday Highlights: Dempsey Delivers All-Time Best". premierhockeyfederation.com/. Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  14. Lauren, Campbell (September 18, 2023). "Former Boston Pride captain drafted by Montreal in PWHL Draft". MassLive. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  15. Kennedy, Ian (November 9, 2023). "PHF All-Time Leader Jillian Dempsey Signs With Montreal". The Hockey News. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  16. Kennedy, Ian (November 28, 2024). "Dempsey Returns As A Reserve As Boston Fleet Complete Their Roster". The Hockey News. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  17. "Duo Brings Competitive Spirit | Sports | the Harvard Crimson". Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  18. "Kaz Watch: Jillian Dempsey is 'living the dream' at Harvard". February 5, 2013. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  19. "Jillian Dempsey and teachers everywhere have given an A-plus performance - the Boston Globe". The Boston Globe . Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  20. Shinzawa, Fluto. "Jillian Dempsey is the captain of the Boston Pride. But in this fifth-grade class, she's Ms. Dempsey". Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  21. Porter, Matt (January 31, 2021). "Jillian Dempsey is a star for the Boston Pride. She's also a teacher. For NWHL players, two jobs is the norm - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  22. "Boston Pride's Jillian Dempsey ready for 2019 NWHL All-Star Game: 'I'm so excited'". February 8, 2019. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  23. "Mayor Walsh names new Boston fire commissioner". Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  24. "Eliteprospects.com - Jillian Dempsey". EliteProspects. Archived from the original on July 22, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  25. "Bruins Announce 2009 Carlton Award". Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  26. "Jillian Dempsey, Women's Hockey: Harvard Athletics - GoCrimson.com". www.gocrimson.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2012.
  27. "ECAC Hockey" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
  28. "All-League & All-Rookie Teams Announced". February 24, 2010. Archived from the original on February 17, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  29. "Freshman Katie Jamieson Receives All-Ivy Accolades". February 25, 2010. Archived from the original on January 23, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2010.