Concordia Stinger Emmy Fecteau is Hockey Canada’s female player of the year
Driven by her love for hockey and making a difference, Emmy Fecteau’s hard work is paying off. The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team captain and BEd in English as a Second Language student was recently named the Isobel Gathorne-Hardy female player of the year by Hockey Canada.
The national hockey organization also tapped Fecteau as one of eight athletes to participate in the Creating Coaches initiative. The collaboration with U SPORTS and the Hockey Canada Foundation provides mentorship, coach education, professional development and an honorarium to aspiring coaches.
Fecteau was captain of the gold-medal-winning Canadian women’s hockey team at the 2023 World University Games, held in Lake Placid, New York, in January. She was also named the Stingers’ 2023 Female Athlete of the Year and recipient of the Denise Beaudet Award in recognition of her academic, athletic and community service.
It’s been amazing, four of the best years of my life
When did you start playing hockey and what first drew you to the sport?
Emmy Fecteau: I started playing when I was six. My parents wanted me to do a winter sport so I tried ringette, but I didn’t like it. Then I tried figure skating but I really wanted to play hockey like my friends.
What has your experience with the Stingers been like?
EF: It’s been amazing, four of the best years of my life. We have such an amazing group and awesome coaches and we’re so lucky to be Stingers. I grew a lot as a person and as a player, and I improve every day. I love it.
Our best moment was when we won the national championship in 2022. It was an amazing feeling. It was the beginning of COVID the year before, so we had been waiting for so long and we had worked so hard as a team. We had an amazing group of girls playing.
How does your recent win of the Isobel Gathorne-Hardy prize make you feel?
EF: I was really honoured. I was very surprised when I received the call from Hockey Canada saying that I had won the prize. I was really happy and proud, and it’s nice to be recognized for who you are as a person. I’m proud to represent my team with this prize as well as my family and where I’m from.
Can you tell me a little about the community work you do?
EF: With Concordia, we do a lot of work in the community. I’ve done a lot of things over the years, such as volunteering, helping at a food bank, serving food at Concordia for Leucan (the association for children with cancer), etcetera.
I’m also in charge of the hockey school program at Concordia on Wednesdays. We have two groups of 40 kids, boys and girls, and we have a lot of fun. I ran a hockey practice in Kahnawake (Kanien’kehà:ka) with a group of young girls. I also ran a practice in Beauce, where I’m from, with 40 little girls who play hockey.
Do you have any advice for girls interested in pursuing hockey or other sports at university?
EF: The most important thing is to work hard. I think when you work hard, good things happen. When you have fun while working, it shows on the ice.
Other than hockey, what are some of your Concordia highlights?
EF: I’m studying English as a second language. I’ve done two internships so far, one in elementary school and one in high school, and with that I was able to share my passion with younger people. I brought Julie Chu, the Stingers’ head coach, into the classroom so that she could share her experience with the kids too. The kids came to one of our games after, which was a major highlight for us.
Where do you see yourself career-wise in the future?
EF: For sure I would like to play in a professional league. That’s my goal for the next few years. But when I stop playing hockey, I hope to be a teacher and a coach. This winter, I will be coaching with the M13 AAA Lac St-Louis team.
Catch the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey home opener versus the McGill Martlets on October 12, or other games.
