Women’s hockey director eyes the next Olympians

At the root of it all it’s Canada versus the U.S., a storied women’s hockey rivalry that began long before these players were born.

But for Gina Kingsbury, newly minted director of the female national program at Hockey Canada, this weekend series between the two countries’ under-18 and under-22 programs at WinSport is about more than wins and losses.

For the under-18 athletes, it’s a first-hand look at how Hockey Canada operates and a chance to audition for a spot at the world championships Jan. 6-13 in Obihiro, Japan.

For the under-22 players, it’s another challenge and chance to get noticed by the senior national team program, ultimately the 2022 Olympic squad.

“It’s a really crucial time frame for us for many reasons,” Kingsbury said. “From an athlete’s perspective, it is some of the athletes’ first time wearing the Canadian jersey. It’s their first time being introduced to our standards, our expectations and understanding what being an elite athlete is all about. For the development athletes (under-22 program), they’re challenging to earn a spot on the senior team so it’s a big opportunity to showcase their ability to compete at this level.”

For Kingsbury and the national team program, it’s a chance to ensure players in the pipeline are

developing properly.

And, frankly, there’s no better measuring stick than playing the U.S.

“It’s a chance to see how we stack up against our archrivals and what we’re going to need to focus on so that in 2022 and 2026, those gaps aren’t existing anymore,” Kingsbury said.

“There’s a lot of purpose for these couple of weeks. It’s the first year of the quad (four-year cycle leading into the Olympics) so there’s a psychological aspect when we play the Americans to gain some confidence and instil that confidence in our athletes.”

There are only four returning players with the under-18 team — Maggie MacEachern of Whitby, Ont., Julia Gosling of London, Ont., Grace Shirley of Saskatoon, Sask., and Alexie Guay of Magog, Que.

Meanwhile, under-22 defenceman Micah Zandee-Hart of Saanichton, B.C., and forward Sarah

Potomak of Aldergrove, B.C., were on the cusp of cracking the 2018 Olympic team roster, centralizing with the Canadian squad in Calgary last year. No doubt they’ll be on the radar ahead of the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.

Both Canadian teams are squaring off with their U.S. counterparts in a three-game series that began Thursday. It was a tough start for the Canadians, who lost both Thursday games: the under-18 team lost 2-1 while the under-22 team dropped a 4-1 decision.

The three-game showdown wraps up Sunday with the under-22 team playing at 10 a.m. and the under-18 team playing at 1 p.m.

And it’s the good kind of busy for Kingsbury, who recently took over for her former coach, Melody Davidson, as the head of the program. The 36-year-old is now overseeing the hiring of world championship and Olympic team coaches and support staff, camp and team selection processes, and will be organizing and strategizing Olympic preparations — among other tasks.

Kingsbury retired from the national team in 2010 and has been working for the last three years in the player development division of the women’s program at Hockey Canada.

No doubt, she understands the process and what it takes to put the country back atop the women’s hockey podium.

“It comes with a lot of responsibilities … it’s exciting and an honour to be able to lead our women’s program,” Kingsbury said. “I’ve seen the program from a players’ perspective and been a part of it on the staff in various different roles. I’m familiar with the program and I look forward to putting my fingerprint on it … it’s about ensuring that we’re building a good vision and working together.”