The Calgary Oval X-Treme were a professional women's ice hockey team in the Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL). The team played its home games at the Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Oval X-Treme were a member of the National Women's Hockey League for two seasons before breaking away to help form the WWHL in 2004.
History The Oval X-Treme were founded in 1995 as an amateur team for women's hockey players in Calgary, quickly developing a heated rivalry with their northern counterparts, the Edmonton Chimos. In 2002, the Oval X-Treme were approached, along with the Chimos, to join the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL). The two teams joined the Vancouver Griffins to form the West division of the NWHL. After the 03-04 season, where the Oval X-Treme and Chimos faced only each other due to prohibitive costs to fly out east, the two franchises left the NWHL to form the five team Western Women's Hockey League. In 2006, the two leagues were reunited under the NWHL banner. However, this was short lived as the NWHL and WWHL could not reach an agreement upon a playoff schedule. As a result, the merger was not consummated. With the collapse of the NWHL in the summer of 2007, the Western Women's Hockey League was once again a completely independent league.
The Calgary Oval X-Treme suspended activities for the 2009-10 season.
Partially as a result of the Canada national team being based in Calgary, the Oval X-Treme featured many of Canada's top women's hockey players, including Hayley Wickenheiser, Danielle Goyette and Cassie Campbell. As a result, the Oval X-Treme became the undisputed powerhouse of women's hockey in western Canada, winning five consecutive league championships, and compiling a regular season mark of 95-3-2-1 in their last five seasons.
Gina Kingsbury joined the Oval X-Treme in 2006. She had 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 19 games as the Oval X-Treme went on to win the Esso Women's National Championship. In her second season with the Oval X-Treme, Kingsbury scored 20 goals and added 25 assists in 23 games.
Season-by-season in National Women's Hockey League (NWHL): See also: 2002–03 NWHL season See also: 2003–04 NWHL season in Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL): See also: 2004–05 WWHL season See also: 2005–06 WWHL season See also: 2006–07 WWHL season See also: 2007–08 WWHL season See also: 2008–09 WWHL season
+ Year by year Year GP W L T GF GA Pts 2002–03 24 23 1 0 83 81 39 2003–04 12 11 1 0 64 9 22 2004–05 21 20 0 1 152 18 512005–06 24 22 0 2 126 43 46 2006–07 24 23 0 1 172 24 46 2007–08 24 24 0 0 162 27 482008–09 23 20 2 1 143 34 42
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points.
Season standings = Indicates First Place finish = Indicates championship
YearLeagueReg. seasonPlayoffs2002-03National Women's Hockey League first place in Western Division NWHL Champions2003-04National Women's Hockey League first place in Western DivisionNWHL Champions2004-05Western Women's Hockey Leaguefirst place WWHL Champions cup2005-06Western Women's Hockey League first place WWHL Champions cup2006-07Western Women's Hockey League first place WWHL Champions cup2007-08Western Women's Hockey Leaguefirst place WWHL Champions cup2008-09Western Women's Hockey LeagueFirst placedefeat in final
Last roster 2008–09
+ GoaliesNumberPlayerFormer TeamHometown33Kendall Newell Phoenix, Arizona1Amanda Tapp Calgary Oval X-Treme Calgary, Alberta + DefenseNumberPlayerFormer TeamHometown34Delaney Collins Canada National Team Pilot Mound, Manitoba20Tessa Bonhomme Canada National Team Sudbury, Ontario18Gillian Ferrari Toronto Aeros from 1996–2004 and Brampton Thunder from 2004–2006. Thornhill, Ontario8Carla Macleod Canada National TeamCalgary, Alberta5Colleen Sostorics - Captain Canada National Team Kennedy, Saskatchewan + ForwardsNumberPlayerFormer TeamHometown41Erica Ferrer 29Bryanne Panchuck 28Karen McLaughlin Calgary Oval X-Treme Listowel, Ontario27Gina Kingsbury Canada National Team Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec14Jocelyn Zabrick 12Angela Frautschi Switzerland National TeamSaanenland, Switzerland,11Rebecca Russell U-22 Canada National Team (2004-2005) Lethbridge, Newfoundland10 Carrie Olsen Calgary, Alberta9Cherie Piper Canada National Team Scarborough, Ontario7Kaley Hall U-22 Canada Team Calgary, Alberta 6Katy Josephs 4 Jennifer Jonsson Oakview, Manitoba3Anja Stiefel Switzerland National Team Wil, Switzerland, and
Coaching staff 2008–09 General Manager: Kathy Berg Head Coach: Bjorn Kinding Assistant Coach: Bart Doan
Honours The Abby Hoffman Cup (Canadian champions): 1997-98, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07 NWHL Cup (playoff champion): 2003-04 NWHL Western Division (regular season): 2002-03, 2003-04 WWHL Cup (playoff champions): 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 WWHL regular season: 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09
Notable players
Dana Antal Kelly Bechard Tessa Bonhomme Cassie Campbell Delaney Collins Danielle Goyette Kaley Hall Samantha Holmes Gina Kingsbury Kim McCullough Carla MacLeod Cherie Piper Colleen Sostorics Hayley Wickenheiser
See also Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL) List of ice hockey teams in Alberta Ice hockey in Calgary
References