Vancouver Griffins

The Vancouver Griffins were a professional women's ice hockey team in the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL). The team played its home games in Queen's Park Arena, in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada.

Vancouver Griffins
CityVancouver, Canada
LeagueNational Women's Hockey League
DivisionWestern
Founded2000
Folded2003
Home arenaQueen's Park Arena
ColoursDark blue, red & blue grey
Owner(s)Phillip DeGrandpre
General managerNancy Wilson
Head coachSylvain Leone, Nancy Wilson
CaptainCammi Granato

History

The team was established in January 2000 by local businessman Phillip DeGrandpre. The Griffins were voted in by the NWHL in May 2000. The Griffins would become the first expansion team for the NWHL outside their traditional Ontario and Quebec base.[1]

In 2000-01, the Vancouver Griffins[2] played 18 exhibition games against Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union (CIAU) teams, British Columbia and Alberta provincial women's teams, and NWHL teams. The first head coach of the Griffins was Sylvain Leone. The club’s first roster was selected at a training camp in August 2000 in Abbotsford, British Columbia. In the 2000-01 season, the only players that were not from British Columbia were goalie Krista Cloutier of Pickardville, Alberta, and forward Julia Berg, a member of the Norway women's national ice hockey team.[3]

For the Griffins' 2001–02 season, the team was owned by British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame inductee Diane Nelson. The head coach was Nancy Wilson.[4] Olympians Nancy Drolet of Canada women's national ice hockey team, Cammi Granato[5]) and Shelley Looney of the United States women's national ice hockey team joined Vancouver Griffins. The Griffins' roster also included Burnaby's own 18-year-old Natashia Pellatt, a graduate of Moscrop Secondary School. Other younger players included 15-year-old Courtney Unrah. The team played 31 exhibition games against local, CIAU, British Columbia and Alberta provincial women's teams, and NWHL teams. One of the highlights of the 2001-02 season was a victory over Hayley Wickenheiser and her Edmonton Chimos club by a 7-1 score. Nancy Drolet had a hat trick and Cammi Granato scored the other four goals against Edmonton.[6]

The Griffins joined the Calgary Oval X-Treme and Edmonton Chimos as a fully scheduled three team division in the NWHL for the 2002-03 season. The Griffins disbanded at the end of that season.

Season-by-season
Year by year
Year GP W L T OTL GF GA Pts
2000-01181440-914328
2001-02312740-841454[7]
2002-0324101301829221[7]

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points.

Season standings
Year Regular Season Playoffs
2000-01 Exhibition games only
2001-02 Exhibition games only
2002-03 2rd, Western Division no participation to playoff

[7]

Inaugural Roster (2000-01)
Goalies
Player Hometown
Canada Krista Cloutier Pickardville, Alberta
Canada Chantal Cotton Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada Jennifer Price Victoria, British Columbia
Defense
Player Hometown
Canada Kobi Kawamoto Surrey, British Columbia
Canada Erin Leslie Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada Patti Maskall Richmond, British Columbia
Canada Tamara Pickford Chilliwack, British Columbia
Canada Kira Sinow Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada Renae Stevenson Abbotsford, British Columbia
Forwards
Player Hometown
Canada Debbie Beaudoin Surrey, British Columbia
Canada Michelle McLeary North Vancouver, British Columbia
Norway Julia Berg Randaberg, Norway
Canada Natalie Christensen Abbotsford, British Columbia
Canada Alana Gray Coquitlam, British Columbia
Canada Danielle Grundy Kelowna, British Columbia
Canada Caroline Hall Victoria, British Columbia
Canada Glenda Olson Abbotsford, British Columbia
Canada Sherri Pitre North Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada Sherri Schmidt Lillooet, British Columbia
Canada Sonya Sneyd Whistler, British Columbia
Canada Kelli Stephens
Canada Elaine Topolnisky Logan Lake, British Columbia
Canada Samantha Wong Vancouver, British Columbia

[8]

References
  1. http://www.canoe.ca/HockeyNWHL/pre_van.html
  2. Vancouver Griffins 2000 Preview, SLAM! Sports, http://www.canoe.ca/HockeyNWHL/pre_van.html
  3. Julia Berg stars with Vancouver Griffins, http://hockeyadventure.com/2007/08/12/julia-berg-stars-with-vancouver-griffins/
  4. Wilson was a certified level IV master coach and former assistant with the national women's under-22 squad.
  5. Cammi Granato signed in May 2002. Source:http://www.realwomeninsports.com/granato.php
  6. Dan Hilborn (November 21, 2002). "Olympic stars play for the NWHL Griffins". Burnaby Now. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
  7. Collins gem Hockey Facts and Stats 2009-10, p.548, Andrew Podnieks, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, Toronto, Canada, ISBN 978-1-55468-621-6
  8. http://www.canoe.ca/HockeyNWHL/ros_van.html
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