Universities end women’s hockey scholarship pilot

A university women’s hockey pilot project testing whether enhanced financial scholarships could stem the flow of talent to the NCAA is ending without a definitive answer.

What started in 2014 as a fiveyear experiment with potential ramifications for other Canadian university sports was extended in 2019 because of a lack of rigour in reporting data.

A committee tasked with fixing that was working to insert key performance indicators when U Sports membership voted this year to shut it down after the 2022-23 season.

An enhanced athletic financial award, or AFA, influenced Audrey-Anne Veillette’s decision to pass on a full scholarship to Clarkson and play for the Université de Montréal. The quality of the university and the Carabins, as well as proximity to the 20-year-old’s hometown of Drummondville, Que., were other factors. So, when Veillette says an enhanced AFA “played a huge role — I’m sure how much exactly,” it reflects the difficulty in measuring its impact.

There were 400 female hockey players on NCAA rosters in 2014, 293 in 2020. Pilot project proponents admit it’s difficult to pin down the reason for the decrease.

“Personally I’m very disappointed that it’s wrapping up,” Ryerson head coach Lisa Haley said. “Early on, when it began, I don’t think there was enough preparation and thought put into how to really make the most of the opportunity. We treaded water for quite a few years without the right type of know-how to promote it, to even educate people that this was out there.”

Participation by schools was voluntary. Teams had to remain under a cap, so it didn’t cost more money. Women’s hockey coaches had the flexibility under that cap to offer a package covering tuition, fees and room and board, approximating the full-ride of an NCAA Division I school.

Ontario schools had more restrictive rules and could only offer full tuition (partial prior to 2014), not room and board like other conferences.