Vancouver Griffins


The Vancouver Griffins were a professional women's ice hockey team in the National Women's Hockey League. The team played its home games in Queen's Park Arena, in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada.

History

The team was established in January 2000 by local businessman Phillip DeGrandpre. The Griffins were voted in by the NWHL in May 2000. The Griffins would become the first expansion team for the NWHL outside their traditional Ontario and Quebec base.
In 2000-01, the Vancouver Griffins played 18 exhibition games against Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union teams, British Columbia and Alberta provincial women's teams, and NWHL teams. The first head coach of the Griffins was Sylvain Leone. The club’s first roster was selected at a training camp in August 2000 in Abbotsford, British Columbia. In the 2000-01 season, the only players that were not from British Columbia were goalie Krista Cloutier of Pickardville, Alberta, and forward Julia Berg, a member of the Norway women's national ice hockey team.
For the Griffins' 2001–02 season, the team was owned by British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame inductee Diane Nelson. The head coach was Nancy Wilson. Olympians Nancy Drolet of Canada women's national ice hockey team, Cammi Granato) and Shelley Looney of the United States women's national ice hockey team joined Vancouver Griffins. The Griffins' roster also included Burnaby's own 18-year-old Natashia Pellatt, a graduate of Moscrop Secondary School. Other younger players included 15-year-old Courtney Unrah. The team played 31 exhibition games against local, CIAU, British Columbia and Alberta provincial women's teams, and NWHL teams. One of the highlights of the 2001-02 season was a victory over Hayley Wickenheiser and her Edmonton Chimos club by a 7-1 score. Nancy Drolet had a hat trick and Cammi Granato scored the other four goals against Edmonton.
The Griffins joined the Calgary Oval X-Treme and Edmonton Chimos as a fully scheduled three team division in the NWHL for the 2002-03 season. The Griffins disbanded at the end of that season.

Season-by-season

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points.

Season standings

YearRegular SeasonPlayoffs
2000-01Exhibition games only
2001-02Exhibition games only
2002-032rd, Western Divisionno participation to playoff

Inaugural Roster (2000-01)

PlayerHometown
Krista CloutierPickardville, Alberta
Chantal CottonVancouver, British Columbia
Jennifer PriceVictoria, British Columbia

PlayerHometown
Debbie BeaudoinSurrey, British Columbia
Michelle McLearyNorth Vancouver, British Columbia
Julia BergRandaberg, Norway
Natalie ChristensenAbbotsford, British Columbia
Alana GrayCoquitlam, British Columbia
Danielle GrundyKelowna, British Columbia
Caroline HallVictoria, British Columbia
Glenda OlsonAbbotsford, British Columbia
Sherri PitreNorth Vancouver, British Columbia
Sherri SchmidtLillooet, British Columbia
Sonya SneydWhistler, British Columbia
Kelli Stephens
Elaine TopolniskyLogan Lake, British Columbia
Samantha WongVancouver, British Columbia