On March 28, four Yukon female hockey players who play Outside the territory gathered on a Zoom meeting to discuss their experiences playing at academies down south.

The conference call to promote awareness about female hockey players playing out of the territory was organized by Wynne Anderson-Lindsay – who currently plays goalie for Shawnigan Lake School in B.C.

Also speaking were Arnica Bulmer, a teammate of Anderson-Lindsay at Shawnigan, Ecko Kirk who attends Pilot Mound in Manitoba, and Maddie Nicholson, who is a Shawnigan alum committed to playing at Brock University in Ontario.

The topics included their daily routine, the benefits of playing down south, boarding life, academics, and why they opted for the schools they attend.

When asked why the players opted to attend an academy, the overarching theme was going Outside allowed for a better opportunity to develop their game.

“I wanted to go to an academy to develop as a player,” said Kirk. “I was tired of travelling between Haines Junction and Whitehorse. For females, there isn’t the opportunity in Yukon for girls hockey. If you are more serious about it, moving is the better choice.

“I wanted to develop in hopes of playing post-secondary.”

“As you get older you can play with the men,” said Nicholson. “Down south there are much more girls teams and academies to go develop. If serious about hockey, that is the route to take.”

Bulmer said she chose Shawnigan because she wanted to get better opportunities. She chose the school after meeting the coaches and team.

“I spoke to the coach and everyone seemed nice and the campus looked nice,” said Bulmer. “I came before school and everyone was super welcoming. The hockey was really great and that is what made me decide to go there.”

For goaltender Anderson-Lindsay, heading Outside was her best option to keep improving between the pipes.

“It was important for me deciding to leave was access to goalie coaching,” said Anderson-Lindsay. “Goalie coaching here is sporadic and wasn’t a good way for me to improve. I wanted to play more competitive against girls teams.”

When leaving the territory, the players said it was a scary transition.

“I was scared of leaving the Yukon being away from family and being away from everything I’ve known,” said Bulmer.

“It shocked me how welcoming everyone was. It helped me grow and learn about how important it is to be welcoming. The adjustment was so easy, but of course still tough because you miss home.”

“It is a hard transition moving away from home, it doesn’t matter what grade you are,” said Kirk. “For me, what made it easier was getting into the routine of things, making friends, branching out and the next thing you know it is Christmas. The benefits outweigh the challenges.”

“Being homesick is a big thing,” added Anderson-Lindsay. “At Shawnigan, it is hard to be homesick because you are always doing something. You are always active. There is always something to do.”

The players also touched on what their regular season is like.

“Last year was fairly normal, we got about 50 games in,” said Kirk.

“You’re always busy and travel on the bus. We would leave on Thursday and get back on Monday. We’d do a trip about once a month.

“This year we got five games in before COVID. We still get to practice every day which I’m grateful for because some don’t even get that anymore.”

“Last year, we played quite a few games and were travelling almost every weekend,” said Bulmer. “We had league games then also tournaments. It was super cool to see lots of different parts of Canada.

“This year, we haven’t played any games, which has been hard but we are just trying to stay positive that we get to practice every day.”

The topic of academics was also queried to the four young women. The theme in all their responses was to choose a school with a strong academic program to further your career goals along with hockey ambitions.

As the formal questions ended, the floor was open for questions from those watching. One thing is clear, the players still competing in the Yukon have great role models to seek advice and mentorship from.