Dave Leaderhouse
Special to the Herald
“Why not you?”
Those three words were said to Jennifer Botterill by her parents when she was just 15 years old and inspired her to become one of Canada’s most decorated female hockey players.
“I was sitting with my parents having lunch when I was 15 and I told them ‘I want to play in the Olympics,’” Botterill told a large gathering during a polished and inspiring presentation to kick off the 25th anniversary of the Prince Albert Foxes female hockey tournament on Thursday. “But I was not sure it was possible. My parents were quiet for a moment and then they said, ‘Why not you?’”
Three years later Botterill made the national women’s hockey team and would go on to win three Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, five world championships, a pair of Abby Hoffman Cups as National Women’s Hockey League champion and the Patty Kazmaier Award on two separate occasions as the top collegiate player while attending Harvard University.
“We can pursue excellence, but always remember there will be ups and downs,” said Botterill. “Hopefully at the end of the day you’ve made the right choices.”
“You have to trust yourself and have a constant belief in yourself,” added Botterill.
The native of Winnipeg grew up in a time when female hockey was almost non-existent. In fact, she started out playing ringette before she followed her brother Jason into the hockey arena and from there she credits support and inspiration from family and friends for overcoming numerous obstacles and guiding her down the path she would eventually chose.
“Don’t be scared to try something new,” stated Botterill as she referenced her appearance on a reality show called “Battle of the Blades” as an example of how she overcame some doubts and parlayed it into a memorable experience.
Having been one of a handful of female players while playing minor hockey, she came into her own when she was with her peers in college. In 113 games at Harvard she amassed 319 points including one game where she registered 10 points.
In 2007 a new venture was started with the formation of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League and in that inaugural campaign Botterill led all scorers with 61 points to capture the Angela James Bowl while playing for the Mississauga Chiefs.
Her time with the national team lasted 12 years and ended when she assisted on Marie-Philip Poulin’s gold-medal goal at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. Her professional career concluded one year later when her Toronto Furies lost to the Montreal Stars in the CWHL’s Clarkson Cup final.
Since then she has become a lead analyst on Hockey Night in Canada while also doing some colour commentary work for television south of the border and just two months ago she was bestowed with the honour of being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame for her accomplishments on and off the ice.
Botterill says that there are three things everyone has to be aware of and that is choices, action and behaviour. She added that these three traits will benefit not just yourself, but those that are around you.
“You have to recognize your role on the team and how important everybody else is,” explained Botterill. “Don’t just go through the motions – be there to be the best you can be.”
“Friendships and relationships you build from playing hockey will last a lifetime,” she added.
Botterill finished the night by taking questions from the crowd and it was obvious from the number of excited young girls wanting to pick her brain that her message and passion had been well received.
