Vancouver Griffins

Last updated
Vancouver Griffins
City Vancouver, Canada
League National Women's Hockey League
DivisionWestern
Founded2000
Folded2003
Home arena Queen's Park Arena
ColoursDark blue, red & blue grey
Owner(s)Phillip DeGrandpre
General managerNancy Wilson
Head coachSylvain Leone, Nancy Wilson
Captain Cammi Granato

The Vancouver Griffins were a professional women's ice hockey team in the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL). The team played its home games in Queen's Park Arena, in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada.

Contents

History

The team was established in January 2000 by local businessman Phillip DeGrandpre. The Griffins were voted in by the NWHL in May 2000. The Griffins would become the first expansion team for the NWHL outside their traditional Ontario and Quebec base. [1]

In 2000-01, the Vancouver Griffins [2] played 18 exhibition games against Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union (CIAU) teams, British Columbia and Alberta provincial women's teams, and NWHL teams. The first head coach of the Griffins was Sylvain Leone. The club’s first roster was selected at a training camp in August 2000 in Abbotsford, British Columbia. In the 2000-01 season, the only players that were not from British Columbia were goalie Krista Cloutier of Pickardville, Alberta, and forward Julia Berg, a member of the Norway women's national ice hockey team. [3]

For the Griffins' 2001–02 season, the team was owned by British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame inductee Diane Nelson. The head coach was Nancy Wilson. [4] Olympians Nancy Drolet of Canada women's national ice hockey team, Cammi Granato [5] ) and Shelley Looney of the United States women's national ice hockey team joined Vancouver Griffins. The Griffins' roster also included Burnaby's own 18-year-old Natashia Pellatt, a graduate of Moscrop Secondary School. Other younger players included 15-year-old Courtney Unrah. The team played 31 exhibition games against local, CIAU, British Columbia and Alberta provincial women's teams, and NWHL teams. One of the highlights of the 2001-02 season was a victory over Hayley Wickenheiser and her Edmonton Chimos club by a 7-1 score. Nancy Drolet had a hat trick and Cammi Granato scored the other four goals against Edmonton. [6]

The Griffins joined the Calgary Oval X-Treme and Edmonton Chimos as a fully scheduled three team division in the NWHL for the 2002-03 season. The Griffins disbanded at the end of that season.

Season-by-season

Year by year
YearGPWLTOTLGFGAPts
2000-01 181440-914328
2001-02 312740-841454 [7]
2002-03 24101301829221 [7]

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points.

Season standings

YearRegular SeasonPlayoffs
2000-01Exhibition games only
2001-02Exhibition games only
2002-032rd[ clarification needed ], Western Divisionno participation to playoff

[7]

Inaugural Roster (2000-01)

Goalies
PlayerHometown
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Krista CloutierPickardville, Alberta
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Chantal CottonVancouver, British Columbia
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Jennifer Price Victoria, British Columbia
Defense
PlayerHometown
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Kobi KawamotoSurrey, British Columbia
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Erin LeslieVancouver, British Columbia
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Patti MaskallRichmond, British Columbia
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Tamara PickfordChilliwack, British Columbia
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Kira SinowVancouver, British Columbia
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Renae StevensonAbbotsford, British Columbia
Forwards
PlayerHometown
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Debbie BeaudoinSurrey, British Columbia
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Michelle McLearyNorth Vancouver, British Columbia
Flag of Norway.svg Julia BergRandaberg, Norway
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Natalie ChristensenAbbotsford, British Columbia
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Alana GrayCoquitlam, British Columbia
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Danielle GrundyKelowna, British Columbia
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Caroline HallVictoria, British Columbia
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Glenda OlsonAbbotsford, British Columbia
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Sherri PitreNorth Vancouver, British Columbia
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Sherri SchmidtLillooet, British Columbia
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Sonya SneydWhistler, British Columbia
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Kelli Stephens
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Elaine TopolniskyLogan Lake, British Columbia
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Samantha WongVancouver, British Columbia

[8]

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References

  1. ↑ [usurped]
  2. ↑ Vancouver Griffins 2000 Preview, SLAM! Sports, http://www.canoe.ca/HockeyNWHL/pre_van.html
  3. ↑ Julia Berg stars with Vancouver Griffins, http://hockeyadventure.com/2007/08/12/julia-berg-stars-with-vancouver-griffins/
  4. ↑ Wilson was a certified level IV master coach and former assistant with the national women's under-22 squad.
  5. ↑ Cammi Granato signed in May 2002. Source:http://www.realwomeninsports.com/granato.php
  6. ↑ Dan Hilborn (November 21, 2002). "Olympic stars play for the NWHL Griffins". Burnaby Now. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
  7. 1 2 3 Collins gem Hockey Facts and Stats 2009-10, p.548, Andrew Podnieks, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, Toronto, Canada, ISBN   978-1-55468-621-6
  8. ↑ [usurped]
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