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Ice hockey team in Vancouver, Canada
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 .
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 an exhibition schedule of local, CIAU 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 Norwegian national team forward Julia Berg .[3]
For the second season (2001–02), 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 . 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]
Season-by-season
Year by year
Year
GP
W
L
T
OTL
GF
GA
Pts
2000-01
18
14
4
0
-
91
43
28
2001-02
31
27
4
0
-
84
14
54[7]
2002-03
24
10
13
0
1
82
92
21[8]
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
5rd[clarification needed ] , Western Division
no participation to playoff
2001-02
First place Western Division
eliminated in first round
2002-03
2rd[clarification needed ] , Western Division
no participation to playoff
[9]
Inaugural Roster (2000-01)
Forwards
Player
Former Team
Hometown
Debbie Beaudoin
Surrey, British Columbia
Michelle McLeary
North Vancouver, British Columbia
Julia Berg
Norwegian women's national Team
Randaberg, Norway
Natalie Christensen
Abbotsford, British Columbia
Alana Gray
Coquitlam, British Columbia
Danielle Grundy
Kelowna, British Columbia
Caroline Hall
Victoria, British Columbia
Glenda Olson
Abbotsford, British Columbia
Sherri Pitre
North Vancouver, British Columbia
Sherri Schmidt
Lillooet, British Columbia
Sonya Sneyd
Whistler, British Columbia
Kelli Stephens
Elaine Topolnisky
Logan Lake, British Columbia
Samantha Wong
Vancouver, British Columbia
[10]
See also
References
^ http://www.canoe.ca/HockeyNWHL/pre_van.html
^ Vancouver Griffins 2000 Preview, SLAM! Sports, http://www.canoe.ca/HockeyNWHL/pre_van.html
^ Julia Berg stars with Vancouver Griffins, http://hockeyadventure.com/2007/08/12/julia-berg-stars-with-vancouver-griffins/
^ Wilson was a certified level IV master coach and former assistant with the national women's under-22 squad.
^ Cammi Granato signed in May 2002. Source:http://www.realwomeninsports.com/granato.php
^ Dan Hilborn (November 21, 2002). "Olympic stars play for the NWHL Griffins" . Burnaby Now. Retrieved 25 June 2010 .
^ Collins gem Hockey Facts and Stats 2009-10, p.548, Andrew Podnieks, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, Toronto, Canada, ISBN 978-1-55468-621-6
^ Collins gem Hockey Facts and Stats 2009-10, p.549, Andrew Podnieks, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, Toronto, Canada, ISBN 978-1-55468-621-6
^ Collins gem Hockey Facts and Stats 2009-10, p.548, Andrew Podnieks, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, Toronto, Canada, ISBN 978-1-55468-621-6
^ http://www.canoe.ca/HockeyNWHL/ros_van.html
External links