U22 Junior Female Provincial team approved for Kindersley

By Jordan Parker

The Kindersley Junior Klippers will expand junior hockey in the area in the 2023-2024 season.

Hockey Saskatchewan recently approved their application for a U22 Junior Female team to be part of the first season of the new Provincial Junior League for Female players.

“We’re really happy about this announcement. Hockey Saskatchewan announced in December/January we wanted this league, and the response has been positive,” said Kelly McClintock, the General Manager of Hockey Sask.

“This is just a continuation of the growth of female hockey, and the provincial female league has seen 100 teams in 20 communities. This is the continuation of the emphasis on creating more opportunities for female players to stay in the game longer.”

He said that giving players this opportunity to play Under-22 will allow for further advancement, including making women want to give back, coach, officiate, and volunteer.

“One of Hockey Saskatchewan’s strategic objectives is to grow the game. We value inclusivity, fun and safety, and this just falls in line with that,” he said.

“We opened this to applications, and we had five applications we accepted. Since the announcement, people have contacted us and asked how they can apply. If this happens later in the year, we can assess and maybe get a few more teams.”

For McClintock – and Kindersley – having the female team was a natural next step.

“In rural Saskatchewan, there’s a different level of passion for the sport. You grow up in rinks in these communities. You go every night. At a young age, you might help with the canteen, paint the ice, or other things,” he said.

“For six or seven months, it’s the hub of the community. It creates passion at a young age, and this will keep young ladies connected.”

A leading force behind the application for the team was Klippers Board of Directors member Mike Cullen.

“We saw they were expanding, and I had been part of the Jr. Klippers board for three years. I billeted a male player from the ages of 18-21. Seeing how he’s evolved, his maturity, his hockey sense, and his perspective was amazing. He’s going to university and hopes to make the Calgary squad,” he said.

“I have two daughters. They play hockey, and when my daughter went from co-ed hockey to female, the dressing room and atmosphere, as well as her love of hockey, changed. She made lifelong friends.”

While Cullen himself was skating from three years old well through senior, he learned from the Marketing Manager of the SJHL Klippers, Nikki Robinson, that options are limited for women.

“She went through the hockey system and told me the options after 18 for females weren’t big. They could retire or go directly to university. But if you’re going to school to play hockey and don’t have the passion for school, that could be an issue,” he said.

“I hadn’t looked that far ahead for my daughters and realized when I was 18, I had no idea what I wanted to do. This hockey for under-22 allowed more time to figure things out for young women. It’s more time to play.”

His daughter played for the Western Prairie Thunder, which brought girls together from Kindersley, Kerrobert, Rosetown and Leader. Then it happened in Saskatoon with the Comet program.

“With the Junior Klippers, we just want to keep hockey at the forefront in the province for young women. Expanding opportunities is a goal everyone should be excited about,” he said.