Team British Columbia forward Darnley has not yet been there
Welland teenager invited to fill out province’s roster at national championships
Team British Columbia came the farthest to compete in the 2024 National Para Hockey Championships, which wrapped up Sunday in Port Colborne — 3,407.7 kilometres as the crow — or in this case, the slapshot — flies.
Yet one of Team B.C.’s players lived close enough to Vale Centre to drive home for lunch when the team opened the four-day, seven-team tournament with 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. games on Thursday.
And Sheena Darnley didn’t need to exceed the speed limit or hit all the lights to do that — she had more than enough time for a round trip and a second helping of dessert.
That’s because the young forward — No. 15 in the B.C. lineup if you’re keeping score at home — lives in Welland.
How’s this for another “say what” moment?
Though Darnley and her teammates were one goal away from clinching at least a silver medal in the A Division, she has never even been to Canada’s westernmost province. Her next trip to the West Coast will be her first.
But “B.C.” quickly became synonymous with “we” as soon as the 16year-old accepted an invitation to fill out a depleted lineup.
“When I tried out for Team Ontario, I didn’t make it. I found out Team B.C. were out of players and they asked me to come in and represent them,” she said.
Along with six other out-of-province additions — all but one from Ontario — Darnley wound up playing five games for B.C. after the team’s lone practice doubled as a get-acquainted session.
Since the Grade 10 student at Notre Dame College School in Welland plays on the Niagara Thunderblades at the club level, as well as on the women’s national team, she didn’t need a program to know some of her opponents.
“I have a lot of people I know on Team Ontario,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun to go up against them, especially in this kind of format.”
Darnley didn’t hesitate to answer “absolutely” when asked if she used knowledge of Team Ontario’s tendencies when a berth in the goldmedal game was on the line in the semifinal round on Saturday.
Team B.C. lost a 1-0 heartbreaker in a three-round shootout and was relegated to play Alberta for the bronze medal, which it won, 6-2, on Sunday morning.
Quebec defended its A Division title by defeating Ontario, 1-0 in overtime, also on Sunday.
“We played as hard as we could. Our team put the best players forward,” Darnley said.
“We worked as hard as we could as a team after just meeting these guys a few days ago,” she added.
“Although we didn’t end up winning the silver medal, we still played the game we wanted to play.”
Given the choice, she would have preferred deciding the game in overtime, not in a shootout.
“I mean, yeah, I don’t know how long it would have gone, but I feel overtime represents the team more than just putting your star players out,” Darnley said. “A team is all the people, right? All the people together, and I think if it had gone into more overtime we could have had more of a chance.
“Also, it would have been more representative of the team.”
Darnley, who was born with a spine that didn’t fully form past the first lumbar, has been playing para hockey since she was nine years old. She attended a try-it day and decided to try it.
“I didn’t have a dare or anything, I got into a sled with these two sticks that were way too big for me, and I just loved it,” Darnley recalled. “I loved the feeling of skating on the ice, I love the strength and power it gave me. I was just ecstatic to play.”
No out-of-province players were listed on the Alberta, Quebec and Quebec development rosters. Ontario had one player from Newfoundland, Manitoba and one from Ontario while New Brunswick had seven from Nova Scotia and two from Prince Edward Island.