‘I get to experience what we fought for’ Jocelyne Larocque’s storied career a reflection of how far women’s hockey has come By: Mike McIntyre Posted: 4:15 PM CDT Friday, Jun. 13, 2025

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This article was published 13/06/2025 (416 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jocelyne Larocque has seen a lot of things during her decorated hockey career. But the 37-year-old from Ste. Anne admits the multiple plot twists she experienced this past season were a shock to the system.

A blockbuster trade. A thrilling run to the Professional Women’s Hockey League Final. A heartbreaking Walter Cup defeat. A stress-filled expansion process. The departure of four talented teammates. And, above all, the continued rise of her sport in North America.

It’s quite a story, one the two-time Olympic gold medallist shared with the Free Press during a phone chat this week as she finally had the chance to catch her breath.

“I feel so lucky and grateful to be part of this,” Larocque said of what she believes is a golden era in women’s hockey.

“You know, I have past teammates that are older than me, the same age as me, younger than me, that are like, ‘Man, we’re so jealous.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I would be too. Like, I get to experience what we fought for.’”

“When I was a kid, people would tell me that I couldn’t play professional hockey because I was a girl. Now, girls can.”–Jocelyne Larocque

Larocque started the year patrolling the blue line for the Toronto Sceptres, one of the original six teams of the PWHL, which began play a year ago. She finished it as a member of the Ottawa Charge, courtesy of a four-player deal that went down in late December between the clubs.

“I won’t lie — it was a shock. I assumed with my age I was going to retire in Toronto. When I got the call I was being traded, I was speechless,” she said.

Those initial emotions quickly turned into excitement.

“I was happy it was Ottawa. I like their style of play. They’re hard-working, try to make the other team’s life as hard as possible. They’re a physical team,” she said.

“I was happy to stay in Canada so I tried to look at the positives. For me, with my experiences in hockey and in life, I try to think when things are outside of my control, I just try to convince myself that they’re for my best interest. So even on the drive through Ottawa, I was like, ‘this is going to work out better for you.’ And the transition went better than I expected.”

With Larocque providing steady two-way play, the Charge lived up to their name. They finished third in the regular-season standings with a record of 14-12-4 — four points behind her old team in Toronto — but turned it on when the stakes got higher.

They upset the No. 1-ranked Montreal Victoire 3-1 in the opening best-of-five playoff series, with their only defeat being a quadruple-overtime classic. Then came a showdown with defending champion Minnesota, which had knocked off Toronto in the other semifinal.

All four games required overtime and ended 2-1. Ottawa took Game 1 but dropped the next three, including a triple-OT marathon in Game 3.

“It was so much fun,” said Larocque, who had four points (1G, 3A) in eight playoff games, adding onto her seven points (0G, 7A) in 30 regular-season games.

“I think back to when I was a kid and remember being on the outdoor rink, pretending you’re playing Game 7. Most of the championships I’ve played in the past, they’ve always been just one game. But to be in a series is so fun.”

Exhausting, too.

“My body hurt after it, but it was a blast,” she said.

“We were two shots away from winning a Walter Cup, and obviously it didn’t go our way. But with how close the games were, how competitive it was, it was a blast.”

Then came some additional pain. Larocque and her Ottawa teammates had grown close — a bond tested by the league’s aggressive expansion, which will add Vancouver and Seattle next season. They will be the seventh and eighth teams in the PWHL, which saw its average attendance jump 27 per cent to 7,230 per game compared to the inaugural campaign.

Each of the six existing teams was allowed to protect only three players, leaving the rest vulnerable in a draft. Larocque wasn’t protected, sparking some anxious moments as she waited to learn her fate.

“You’re just waiting for the unknown,” she said.

Ultimately, her name wasn’t called. But the Charge lost four major pieces: top defender Ashton Bell (another Manitoban and 2022 Olympic teammate) and starting goalie Emerance Maschmeyer went to Vancouver; forward Danielle Serdachny and defender Aneta Tejralová to Seattle.

“After our final game, everybody was bawling. And it was for that reason — we knew this wasn’t even going to be close to what the Charge would look like next year,” said Larocque.

“All four players that are leaving, it’s gut-wrenching. There weren’t four players I would have been okay with leaving, but the ones that did, oh man. I don’t know if I’ve even fully processed that they’re not going to be on the team next year.”

The other five teams were decimated, too, which has led to some pundits suggesting the expansion rules should have been tweaked. Larocque sees both sides of the coin, recognizing it’s important to have a competitive league which brings out the best in everyone.

“You know, on one hand you’re happy that there’s more jobs for tremendous women hockey players. With the calibre of play, there could be probably double the teams,” she said.

“So you want it to expand, but yeah, it’s tough. I’m happy that they didn’t do this expansion in, like, September. It’s nice that we know now (to process).”

Speaking of expansion, Larocque continues to hold out hope that Winnipeg will one day be in the mix, provided a potential owner steps forward to express interest.

“I can’t see why they wouldn’t be,” she said. “Winnipeg is such a great hockey city, a central location. I totally see it in the future.”

Larocque isn’t sure if she’ll still be playing when that happens — “we’re all getting older, right?” — but she also isn’t thinking about hanging up her skates any time soon. Along with preparing for her third PWHL season, she also has her eye on what she hopes will be a fourth straight stint on the Canadian Olympic team, this time in Milan in February.

“I don’t focus on my age,” said Larocque, who was the first female to ever play in the Winnipeg High School Boys league back in 2003 and went on to play four years with the University of Minnesota-Duluth before graduating and turning pro in 2011.

“I mean, it does take work — eating properly, staying in shape, all those things. And I might be a little more sore after games. But I actually think I’m getting better every year.”

She notes luck has also been on her side in terms of avoiding any serious injuries during her career, along with a serious dose of love for what she does.

“An Olympic year is always super exciting. A lot of their decisions will be based on what happens in the PWHL. So, for me, it’s just ensuring I have a really good off-season and work hard to be a part of that team,” said Larocque.

“When I was a kid, people would tell me that I couldn’t play professional hockey because I was a girl. Now, girls can. I feel lucky and I feel grateful. It gives me a lot of joy.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg