By / Kristi Patton
Next time Correne Bredin is going as the goaltender, well, maybe not. But, considering the Alberta born players’ track record at the 4 Nations Cup, it is always a possibility.
“This is the first-time I am there as a forward. I have been playing defence for the past ten years,” said Bredin of the five times she has been on the roster for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Cup, which was held early November in Sweden.
The change to a power forward looked good on Bredin, who helped Canada bring back their fourth-straight 4 Nations Cup win. Canada shutout the U.S. National Team 2-0 in the final. The only other Alberta-born player to make the team, Shannon Szabados, earned the shutout victory.
“I think everything went really well. This was an opportunity for us to take a look at the players as a team and the first time for me as the head coach,” said coach Peter Smith.
Bredin made her mark in the teams’ first outing, a 4-1 victory over Finland. Knotted at one goal a-piece in the second period Bredin took a pass from Valerie Chouinard to put Canada ahead.
“Bredin is a big, strong prescence on the ice that can use her physical ability to protect the puck,” said Smith of Bredin, who was one of 14 forwards that Canada took to the 4 Nations Cup.
Her Western Women’s Hockey League (WWHL), Strathmore Rockies coach Julie Healy, describes Bredin as a “quiet leader”.
“She speaks when she needs to but leads by example more than anything,” said Healy.
While she is still adjusting to life on the wing her physical play has deemed her a power forward that Healy describes as “Shoots hard and can drive outside the net making her a tough player to stop.”
Bredin has also logged time with the WWHL Edmonton Chimos and champion Calgary Oval X-Treme. The Rockies are enjoying success in their inaugural year in the WWHL.
“I wanted something a little different than the Oval program so I decided to come and play for (the Rockies). It is a different mentality and more of a challenge,” she said of playing with the Rockies over the consistent champion title holding X-Treme.
Growing up in Warburg, Alberta Bredin never really watched too much hockey but being a part of a hockey family she ended up playing and falling in love with the game.
“I didn’t watch it a lot and I never really went to NHL games. I just liked going to the rink and playing. I always thought that being on the national team would be cool,” said Bredin.
From small town Alberta, Bredin followed in her older sister’s footsteps to the NCAA Dartmouth Big Green women’s hockey team. It was her time on the ice there where she really started getting noticed.
Co-captain of the Big Green, Bredin was named NCAA Woman of the Year and won awards for her commitment to the community having been involved with volunteering in a reading program with elementary schools. During her time in the NCAA Bredin was named the top scoring defenceman, All-American, on the ECAC All-Rookie team, First ECAC team and to the First All-Ivy team.
“It was just an awesome experience there. I certainly can speak highly of going (to play college hockey). I was very lucky and had a great school academically and we did very well on the ice as well,” said Bredin who earned a Masters in Bio-medical technology and is currently working on a MBA at the University of Calgary.
But hockey life hasn’t been without its’ challenges. Bredin is still chasing the ultimate prize in women’s hockey, the Olympic dream.
The yellow brick road to the national team started at the Fall Festival in Prince George where Bredin shined picking up seven points (six goals, one assist). From there Hockey Canada chose the team for the 4 Nations Cup. The next step in the tryout process comes in January in Calgary then a team will be formed for the World Championships.
She was the last player cut on the 2002 Canadian Olympic women’s hockey team that defeated the United States for the title in Salt Lake City. Bredin was named to Canada’s 2003 IIHF World Women’s Championship roster, but the championship was subsequently cancelled.
“It is tough but the main thing is to have confidence in you,” said Bredin of being cut but continuing to come back each year for tryouts. “You have to ask yourself tough questions like why do you do it? I do this because I enjoy it, I want to make it and I want to reach my potential.” |