Sacrificing so much to be in the spotlight
Some are lawyers, and bankers, and retailers, and teachers. But most of all, the women of the Calgary Inferno and Les Canadiennes de Montreal are hockey players, putting it all on the line for Clarkson Cup, the one-game final of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League.
“These players, I have so much respect for them,” said Calgary Inferno star Rebecca Johnston in the lead-up to Sunday’s final (12 p.m. on Sportsnet). “They’re helping develop the sport, they’re playing for the love of the game. They’re not playing for money or glory. They’re playing just because they love to play hockey. They sacrifice so much. They go to work all day, then they come to practice. They’re exhausted. They don’t have weekends off.
“Whenever I’m tired, or feeling exhausted, I think of them and realize that I have it pretty good. For them to do what they do all day — and then come to practice and games, and then to be at their best and work as hard as they can — it’s incredible.”
Johnston is one of the bigger names in women’s hockey, able to make a living in part because she’s a carded national athlete.
COCA-COLA COLISEUM FACEOFF: 12 p.m. TV: Sportsnet Head to head: Calgary held a 4-2-0 edge in regular-season play.
How they got here: 23-4-1 in the regular season, including 4-2-0 against Montreal. Eliminated Toronto Furies in three games in semifinals.
Clarkson Cup history: 1-1 in previous final appearances.
The Inferno: Rebecca Johnston led Calgary with 15 goals and 24 assists, third overall in league scoring ... Brianna Decker earned $25,000 (U.S.) after a social media campaign exploded following her performance at the NHL all-star game, where she showed off her passing skills ... Kacey Bellamy was the second highest-scoring blue-liner in the league this year with 21 points in 26 games. Forward Rebecca Leslie was third in rookie scoring with 27 points. ... Rookie goaltender Alex Rigbsy went 14-2-1 in the regular season, with a 2.04 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage ... Calgary has nine Winter Olympians on its roster.
Special teams: Calgary’s power play had a 31.5 success rate. The Inferno killed off 81.7 per cent of their penalties.
MONTREAL
How they got here: 21-6-1 in the regular season. Eliminated Markham Thunder in three games in semifinals
Clarkson Cup history: 4-2 in previous final appearances.
Les Canadiennes: Marie- Philip Poulin was a force this season with 50 points in 26 games, but is a game-time decision. Poulin had six gamewinning goals. Linemate AnnSophie Bettez was second in league scoring with 48 points ... Erin Ambrose led all blueliners in scoring, with 24 points in 26 games ... Hilary Knight leads the post-season with four goals and four assists ... Emerance Maschmeyer (15-4-1) led all goalies with a .935 save percentage, 1.45 goals-against average, and four shutouts. She had two more shutouts in the semifinals ... Montreal has six Winter Olympians.
Special teams: Montreal’s power play had a 42.6 per cent success rate. Les Canadiennes killed off 88.6 per cent of their penalties.