Award-winning Dal Tigers Women's Hockey goalie has joined a national coaching program aimed at increasing the number of women coaching hockey in Canada.
Grace, a fourth-year kinesiology student, will be coaching with the U15 AAA team this season, one of 12 student-athletes invited by and to join the as part of its expansion this year.听
The student-athletes will continue to play U SPORTS women鈥檚 hockey while serving as assistant coaches for U13, U15 or U18 girls hockey teams in their respective communities. Each student-athlete will receive training, mentorship, education and an honorarium throughout the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons.
Grace, who will be backstopping the Tigers for a fourth season, was named the AUS most valuable player last season and a first team all-Canadian last season after earning 14 wins for the Tigers and a FISU silver medal for Team Canada.
鈥淲e are very excited to expand the Creating Coaches program to welcome even more incredible student-athletes from across U SPORTS this season, thanks to the generous financial support of the Hockey Canada Foundation,鈥� said Marin Hickox, vice-president of women鈥檚 and girls鈥� hockey for Hockey Canada.
From player to mentor
Grace is the first Tiger to be a part of this program. The Inferno is an all-female hockey association covering the Dartmouth, Cole Harbour, East Hants and Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia.
鈥淲e are very excited for the opportunity Grace has received and she will do a great job in that role,鈥� says Keifer House, head coach for the Tigers women's hockey team. 鈥淚 have a long-standing relationship with the Metro East organization, so it is great to be able to tie these two threads together. Kudos to Hockey Canada for the development of this program to help foster opportunity for up-and-coming coaches and the benefits that the local associations will receive as well.鈥�
Recognizing the impact of having a female coach on female hockey players, Grace sees the importance of this program on local female hockey players.
鈥淭his program is so important for many reasons but mainly to help increase the ratio of women coaches on girls鈥� team,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his program is helping create coaches who play at the U SPORTS level and are wanting to gain access to resources, and to develop their skills and abilities to be good coaches for the younger generations of female players to come. Sadly, playing competitive hockey will come to an end one day for many female players in U SPORTS, but this opportunity helps set players like me up for success after leaving U SPORTS with real coaching experience to stay involved in the hockey world I know and love."
Creating Coaches was launched in 2021 through a partnership between Hockey Canada, U SPORTS and the Hockey Canada Foundation to provide current U SPORTS student-athletes with opportunities to begin their coaching careers while still playing university women鈥檚 hockey.
Since its inception, Creating Coaches has included student-athletes from 23 U SPORTS women鈥檚 hockey programs and all four of its conferences.
鈥淟ast season set a record for the most women coaching hockey in Canadian history, and we know that programs like Creating Coaches are critical for continuing to support the recruitment, retention and development of women and girls in hockey leadership roles,鈥� says Hickox.
Paying it forward
In addition to a small financial renumeration, Grace and the rest of the coaches will have access to coaching development and recourses through Hockey Canada.
鈥淚 think for women鈥檚 hockey to keep growing in Canada, giving back is a key way to help continue to push, challenge, motivate and inspire the younger generation,鈥� says Grace.
鈥淚 want to continue to pay forward all the life lessons I have learned from hockey and the key moments of my career to help guide and support these girls through their formative years both on and off the ice. By giving back, you are not just passing on skills and strategies but also confidence, resilience, grit and the love for the sport.鈥�
Grace has several role models in the coaching career who have played a key role in her development and that she would like to emulate in her coaching journey.
鈥淚 would like to create an environment where the athletes feel supported and challenged. I want to try to balance trust with my players 鈥� that they know I am always going to be their biggest supporter, while also holding them to high expectations I know they can achieve. Whether that be on or off the ice to get them to their maximum potential.鈥�