Manitobans ready to take on the world

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This article was published 29/03/2024 (902 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Kristen Campbell’s first five games of pro hockey didn’t go as planned.

Since beginning the season with four losses and a sub .900 save percentage, the 26-year-old Brandonite has been superb in net, posting 11 wins in 12 starts, a .968 save percentage and a 1.57 goals-against average while leading Toronto to the top of the Professional Women’s Hockey League standings.

“It’s really the type of situation I wanted to be in,” said Campbell, earlier this week from Kingston, Ont., where she is preparing for the upcoming Women’s World Hockey Championship with her Team Canada teammates.

“Being able to play and get a lot of reps and live as a starter again — it’s been a lot of fun getting to do that and having that regular-season schedule and consistency and going up against the best players in the world. The parity in the league is so incredible — every game is a battle and anyone can win.”

Team Canada blue-liner Jocelyne Larocque of Ste. Anne, one of her Toronto teammates, saw how personally Campbell took those early defeats.

“She is such a team player and she wore a lot those losses that we had at the start of the year all on her shoulders,” said Larocque, who is also joined by fellow Manitoban Ashton Bell on the Canadian roster. “She wore it pretty heavy and she basically took 100 per cent onus on it, and myself and I’m sure the coaches and different players talked to her and said, ‘We’re a team.’

“The other thing was we couldn’t score (in those early games) and you can’t win when you don’t score. I think she shifted her perspective — on not as much on wins and losses — and she just didn’t put as much pressure on herself, which I think has allowed her to play more free.”

Getting into games had been a struggle for Campbell ever since she was named tournament MVP while leading Wisconsin to a NCAA title at the 2020 Women’s Frozen Four. Since graduating from university that spring, she’d only played a handful of Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association tour games.

Now, after serving as Team Canada’s No. 3 goaltender for the past three world championships, Campbell is hoping her recent body of work will finally result in playing time at the upcoming championship, beginning Thursday in Utica, N.Y.

Ann-Renee Desbiens and Emerance Maschmeyer have been firmly established Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, on Canada’s goaltending depth chart.

“They are the three top goalies in the league,” said the 35-year-old Larocque, who will be playing in her 11th worlds. “So, it makes it tough for our coaching staff. We have no idea (who will play) but the lucky thing for us players is that it doesn’t matter who’s in net.

“We can we can win with anybody and there’s no way that any other country feels like that with all three of their goaltenders. We are insanely fortunate to have the three best goalies, probably at the tournament, on our team.”

Does Campbell have an insiders perspective on how playing time will be distributed at the worlds?

“I have no idea, but all I can do is control what I can and know that when called upon I’m ready to step in and make an impact,” she said. “But that’s up to the coaching staff. I’m just focusing on myself and focusing on getting better each day.”

While the PWHL takes a three-week break to make way for the worlds, the excitement has been building for Deloraine’s Bell, who is back in Canada’s lineup after being left off the roster a year ago.

An excellent pro debut — the 24-year-old blue-liner has a goal and five points in 19 games with PWHL Ottawa so far — has paved the way for her return to the national team lineup.

“When I got the news last year I was very disappointed but I think it kind of put things in perspective for me and I was able to reflect on it,” said Bell, who has won gold with Canada at the 2022 Olympics and the 2021 and 2022 worlds.

“Just being able to be a part of this new pro league and play every day has definitely helped me get to make the squad this year. It’s a such an honour — as always — whenever you get to represent your country (and) I’m excited to be back here with the girls.”

Bell’s creative ability put her in the spotlight when she contributed two key goals during Canada’s Rivalry Series victory over the U.S. earlier this year. She said an attitude adjustment has helped put the offensive mojo back in her game.

“Through the league play so far, I’ve been able to kind of gain that confidence back and belief in my game and play my style and contribute more offensively,” said Bell. “I’m just hoping that translates on the world stage. I thought overall I had a pretty good Rivalry Series and was able to be more offensive.”

Bell plans to continue that style of play at the world championship. Canada, which plays a pre-tournament exhibition against Finland in Kingston Saturday, opens the worlds against the Finns Thursday.

“I want to be able to get more shots from the point, get more shots on net and then contribute offensively and help produce some offence from the back end,” said Bell. “Our goal as a (defensive) collective is to try to get our shots through and create chaos in front of the net for our forwards to put pucks away.”

Bell, who graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth in the spring of 2023, believes she’s adjusted well to the PWHL grind.

“I’ve probably been most surprised by the physicality,” said Bell. “I knew it was always going to be quite physical but I didn’t expect (the officials) to let this much go without it being called. But it’s definitely been kind of nice for someone my size. I get to kind of take advantage of it.”

A crucial talking point prior to the worlds has been the standard of officiating and the likely variation between how the game is called in the PWHL and what it will be at an International Ice Hockey Federation event.

“I think it’s gonna be probably quite different here at worlds,” said Bell. “They don’t allow too much hitting and they’re pretty quick with their whistles. So, I think it might be a bit of adjustment for us, just being more aware of our bodies and how we’re going into checks.”

Larocque, the cagey veteran, will be monitoring the situation closely.

“How I approach it is for the first five minutes of every game, I’m just not gonna be as physical as I would like to be and just feel out how the refs are going to be,” she said. “Because whether it’s IIHF or it’s PWHL (officiating), there’s still some inconsistencies of what is body checking and what is boarding. It’s still not clear.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca