Prince Albert hockey player Brooke Hobson shares a laugh with a young camper at the North Female Hockey Camp

By Jeff D'Andrea

Former Bears coming back to give back

Inspiring the next generation of female hockey players

Aug 23, 2019 | 9:00 AM

Whether they realize it or not, the Prince Albert Bears are a huge inspiration for young girls taking up hockey in the province.

One of those is Prince Albert’s Brooke Hobson, a standout defender that played five seasons for the Bears from 2012-17. She captained the Bears to a provincial championship in 2017 and their first Esso Cup national championship berth that year as well.

She’s recently returned from a Hockey Canada development camp and finished up her second year of NCAA with the Northeastern Huskies in Boston.

Olivia Trann, a 10-year-old hockey player from Prince Albert, had a chance to skate with Hobson and other Bears alumni like Jessica Vance, Kaitlin and Morgan Willoughby, Abby Shirley of the University of Saskatchewan and two-time Olympic gold winning Sami Jo Small at the North Female Hockey Program camp at the Art Hauser Centre from Monday to Wednesday.

“It’s pretty cool to be in the same rink as my favourite hockey player,” Trann said of skating with Hobson. “She’s hard working. You always know that you can do your best, be strong and never give up.”

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Although Hobson and the rest of the star-studded coaching lineup were to inspire the campers, the opposite was true for Hobson.

“It’s inspiring seeing how many young girls are out here playing hockey, there definitely wasn’t this many when I was this age. Just seeing the passion that these girls have, it’s amazing,” Hobson said. “When you see them improve and be really engaged, it’s a pretty rewarding feeling knowing that you’re helping the next generation of hockey players.”

Just last week, Hobson was being coached herself at the international level with Hockey Canada. It was Canada’s development camp, in which they played three games against the United States on Aug. 14, 15 and 17. Canada won the last one, while the States prevailed in the first two games.

“It was an amazing experience. You’re playing with and against the best girls in North America. It’s definitely a high level of hockey,” Hobson said. “We had some great coaches, some great players. Every time you’re at the rink, you’re learning from one of the players or one of the coaches. There’s so much that I took away from it.”

Prince Albert will be home to the Esso Cup national female midget hockey tournament in April. Although Hobson won’t get the opportunity to play in this one, she did play in the 2017-edition in Morden, Manitoba.

“It’s definitely exciting. I got to play in one Esso Cup in my Grade 12 year here, and it was an experience of a lifetime. I know Prince Albert’s a hockey city. All the girls here know it and they’re going to be coming and watching some of the best midget girls play right here in Prince Albert. I know they’ll be inspired by the talent those girls have. It couldn’t be hosted in a better city.”

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW