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The Lady Blues women's ice hockey team represent the University of Toronto and compete in the Ontario University Athletics conference.

History[]

On December 12, 1922, the Lady Blues joined the Ladies Ontario Hockey Associaton and paid dues of eleven dollars (six dollars association fee, five dollars one time fee). [1]The Lady Blues were the LOHA Provincial Champions in 1924.[2] In 1925, the Lady Blues withdrew from the LOHA, and the reason was certain unsatisfactory aspects of competition.[3] There were issues as to the acceptable definition of womanhood.  The team would take two extended hiatuses from 1936 to 1948 and 1951 to 1960.

In 1993, (although the Lady Blues won 13 of the last 15 provincial championships), a task force recommended that the University of Toronto cut the team for financial reasons.[4] Justine Blainey, a member of the team, organized a "Save the Team" night that raised over $8,000. She personally called 100 alumni during a one-week fundraising blitz. Blainey had previously earned national recognition as she endured five different court cases before finally having her case heard by the Supreme Court of Canada in 1986 because the Metro Toronto Hockey League denied her the opportunity to play hockey for them in 1981.[5]

Notable games[]

  • On February 11, 2000, the Ontario University Athletics women's ice hockey program saw its longest game take place. The University of Toronto's Rhonda Mitchell scored on a 35-foot slap shot. It was the 5:07 mark of the eighth period and the Varsity Blues defeated York University. Although the victory allowed the U of T to advance to the OUA gold medal game, it was the longest in the history of Canadian women's hockey. [6] The game lasted over five hours and ten minutes. York's player of the game was goaltender Debra Ferguson[7], as she valiantly made 63 saves over 125 minutes.

Year by year[]

OUA Women's[]

Season League GP W L T OL GF GA Pts Finish Tournament Nationals
1997-98 OUA-Women 15 12 1 2 - 61 14 26 1st Lost Final Silver Medal
1998-99 OUA-Women 20 16 2 2 - 79 23 34 1st 4th place Bronze Medal
1999-00 OUA-Women 20 14 4 2 - 66 27 30 1st Won Tournament 4th place
2000-01 OUA-Women 22 22 0 0 - 114 14 44 1st East Won Tournament National Champions
2001-02 OUA-Women 20 17 2 1 - 116 19 35 1st East Lost Final Bronze Medal
2002-03 OUA-Women 22 20 0 2 - 91 11 42 1st East Won Tournament Silver Medal
2003-04 OUA-Women 22 19 1 2 - 40 1st East Bronze Medal N/A
2004-05 OUA-Women 22 14 6 1 1 60 42 30 1st East Lost Final N/A
2005-06 OUA-Women 24 12 7 3 2 29 3rd Lost Final 5th place
2006-07 OUA-Women 24 15 5 3 1 34 2nd Bronze Medal N/A
Season League GP W OW L OL GF GA Pts Finish Tournament Nationals
2007-08 OUA-Women 27 20 - 5 1 97 37 42 2nd Lost Final N/A
2008-09 OUA-Women 27 16 - 10 1 75 60 33 3rd Lost Quarterfinals N/A
2009-10 OUA-Women 27 12 2 11 2 89 89 42 5th Lost Quarterfinals N/A
2010-11 OUA-Women 27 12 2 11 2 64 75 30 6th Lost Quarterfinals N/A
2011-12 OUA-Women 26 11 4 10 1 64 62 31 3rd Lost Quarterfinals N/A
2012-13 OUA-Women 26 8 7 8 3 71 66 33 5th Lost Quarterfinals 4th place
2013-14 OUA-Women 24 16 2 5 1 63 36 37 3rd Lost Semifinals N/A
2014-15 OUA-Women 24 16 - 5 3 58 42 35 4th Lost Semifinals N/A
2015-16 OUA-Women 24 12 4 4 4 63 44 48 2nd Lost Quarterfinals N/A
2016-17 OUA-Women 24 15 2 7 0 54 39 49 3rd Lost Semifinals N/A
2017-18 OUA-Women 24 13 0 9 2 56 47 41 6th Lost Quarterfinals N/A
2018-19 OUA-Women 24 13 2 6 3 66 47 46 3rd Lost Final 6th place
2019-20 OUA-Women 24 17 1 4 2 57 31 55 1st Won Tournament Event Cancelled after team lost quarterfinal game
2020-21 OUA-Women Season cancelled October 15th due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22 OUA-Women 16 12 2 0 2 48 17 42 1st East Lost Semifinals N/A

Awards and honors[]

Nicole Kesteris

Nicole Kesteris was named to the 2011 CIS All-Rookie Team

  • Nicole Kesteris, 2011 CIS All-Rookie Team[8]

All-OUA team[]

  • First Team 1981-82
Player   Position   School
Helen Murphy RW Toronto

[9]

Lady Blues in Olympic hockey[]

Player Position School Event Result
Lesley Reddon[10] Goaltender University of Toronto 1998 Winter Olympics Silver
Lori Dupuis Forward University of Toronto 1998 Winter Olympics Silver
Lori Dupuis Forward University of Toronto 2002 Winter Olympics Gold
Jayna Hefford Forward University of Toronto 1998 Winter Olympics Silver
Jayna Hefford Forward University of Toronto 2002 Winter Olympics Gold
Jayna Hefford Forward University of Toronto 2006 Winter Olympics Silver
Jayna Hefford Forward University of Toronto 2010 Winter Olympics Gold
Laura Schuler Forward University of Toronto 1998 Winter Olympics Silver
Vicky Sunohara Forward University of Toronto 1998 Winter Olympics Silver
Vicky Sunohara Forward University of Toronto 2002 Winter Olympics Gold

Lady Blues in professional hockey[]

Player Team League
Katie Dowdall Brampton Thunder CWHL
Jayna Hefford Brampton Thunder CWHL
Lesley Reddon Strathmore Rockies WWHL
Vicky Sunohara Brampton Thunder CWHL


Team Photos[]


See also[]


References[]

  1. Coast to Coast:Hockey in Canada to the Second World War, p.137, Edited by John Chi-Kit Wong, University of Toronto Press, 2009, ISBN 978-0-8020-9532-9
  2. Coast to Coast:Hockey in Canada to the Second World War, p.150, Edited by John Chi-Kit Wong, University of Toronto Press, 2009, ISBN 978-0-8020-9532-9
  3. Bruce Kidd, The Struggle for Canadian Sport, Toronto:University of Toronto Press, 1996, p.103
  4. http://webapps.utsc.utoronto.ca/ose/story.php?id=349
  5. http://www.dynamicchiropractic.ca/pdf_out/DynamicChiropractic.ca-The-Justine-Blainey-Story-1285010719.pdf
  6. Women's Hockey Archives. Ontario University Athletics. Retrieved on 10 April 2010.
  7. Saving Grace, THE LONGEST GAME IN HOCKEY HISTORY. York University, Profiles Online. Retrieved on 10 April 2010.
  8. http://www.varsityblues.ca/news/2011/3/9/WHOCKEY_0309115145.aspx
  9. OUA WOMEN'S HOCKEY HISTORY - ALL-STARS. Ontario University Association. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved on 14 April 2010.
  10. Lesley Reddon. Sports Reference.com. Retrieved on 10 April 2010.
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