1974 women hockey pioneers honoured at Leaside Arena

Those present Friday night at the Leaside Sports Hall of Fame at Leaside Arena are basking in the glow of a happy and sentimental evening. Two women’s hockey teams from the Leaside Girls’ Hockey League, established in 1974, were honoured. It was, as described by historians, an offshoot of the Leaside Hockey League, essentially a boys’ organization. The founders correctly observed that there was an increasing demand by girls to play the game. As a result, a fledgling two-team house league was created, featuring the Lancerettes and the Blazerettes as seen above. It was the efforts of these teams which led ultimately to the creation of the Wildcats league. It is now part of a huge network of girl’s and women’s hockey including the professional junior hockey performances of the Provincial Women’s Hockey League.  Also inducted were the late Matthew Sayliss, former NHLer Mike McEwen and competitive curler Jan Carwardine. Leaside Sports Hall of Fame for 2018. 

The honour roll of women who formed the Lancerettes and Blazerettes is fairly complete. But time has lost track of one or two.

Lancerttes: Barb Edwards, Nancy Mallabon, Ann Brown, Laurie Morton, Betty Ann Armstrong, Shirley Shepherd, Wendy Tunnicliffe, Megan Paul, Lynn Daly, Lisa Ritchie, Ann McGrath and Lynn Ann Gilchrist. Coach: Dave Yarlett. Blazerettes: Debbie Cummings, Susan Clark, Janet Seelig, Lana Dubois, Daniele Spethman, Janet Fehr, Gwen Crampton, Wendy Hall, Cathy Stockman, Sandra Morrow, Julie Gerrard, Pat Lysyk.