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.
In 2000–01, the Vancouver GriffinsVancouver Griffins 2000 Preview, SLAM! Sports, http://www.canoe.com/HockeyNWHL/pre_van.html 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.Julia Berg stars with Vancouver Griffins, http://hockeyadventure.com/2007/08/12/julia-berg-stars-with-vancouver-griffins/
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.Wilson was a certified level IV master coach and former assistant with the national women's under-22 squad. Olympians Nancy Drolet of Canada women's national ice hockey team, Cammi GranatoCammi Granato signed in May 2002. Source:http://www.realwomeninsports.com/granato.php) 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.
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 Pts2000-01 18 14 4 0 - 91 43 282001-02 31 27 4 0 - 84 14 54Collins gem Hockey Facts and Stats 2009-10, p.548, Andrew Podnieks, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, Toronto, Canada, 2002-03 24 10 13 0 1 82 92 21
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points.
Season standings
YearRegular seasonPlayoffs2000-01Exhibition games only2001-02Exhibition games only2002-032rd, Western Divisionno participation to playoff
Inaugural Roster (2000-01)
+ GoaliesPlayerHometownKrista CloutierPickardville, AlbertaChantal CottonVancouver, British ColumbiaJennifer Price Victoria, British Columbia + DefensePlayerHometownKobi KawamotoSurrey, British ColumbiaErin LeslieVancouver, British ColumbiaPatti MaskallRichmond, British ColumbiaTamara PickfordChilliwack, British ColumbiaKira SinowVancouver, British ColumbiaRenae StevensonAbbotsford, British Columbia + ForwardsPlayerHometownDebbie Beaudoin Surrey, British ColumbiaMichelle McLeary North Vancouver, British ColumbiaJulia BergRandaberg, NorwayNatalie ChristensenAbbotsford, British ColumbiaAlana Gray Coquitlam, British ColumbiaDanielle GrundyKelowna, British ColumbiaCaroline Hall Victoria, British ColumbiaGlenda OlsonAbbotsford, British ColumbiaSherri Pitre North Vancouver, British ColumbiaSherri SchmidtLillooet, British Columbia Sonya SneydWhistler, British ColumbiaKelli StephensElaine TopolniskyLogan Lake, British ColumbiaSamantha Wong Vancouver, British Columbia
References
External links NWHL website Vancouver Griffins in 2003 Esso Women's National Vancouver Griffins Logo Hockey British Columbia