Written by Blake Hanlin
The historic PWHL Draft ensued this past September; on that day, 4 of the 90 draftees came from U SPORTS schools, specifically in the RESQ.
Amongst her peers, New York forward Jade Downie-Landry is at the forefront of production prowess in the leagues inaugural season.
Similarly to the other U SPORTS alumni in the league, Downie-Landry was born and played the majority of her hockey in Québec. This play came in the former Professional Hockey Federation (PHF) for the Montréal Force and at the U SPORTS level for the McGill Martlets.
Dominance is the best adjective to use for her time in U SPORTS, tallying 41 goals and 99 points in her four-year career at McGill.
In her debut season as a professional athlete, Downie-Landry was just under a point per game for the Force, racking up 23 points in 24 games.
Now playing for New York - in arguably one of the biggest hockey markets in North America - on the highest level in women’s hockey, Downie-Landry has continued to light the lamp as one of the best female hockey players in the world.
In just eight regular season games for PWHL New York , Downie-Landry has found the back of the net three times - all in a hat-trick performacne to lead New York to a 4-1 win over Boston back on January 20th.
Add in two assists, and the the former Marlet is leading all U SPORTS Alumni in the league with five points.
What’s more important, however, is that Downie-Landry is now a part of a new era of Women’s hockey.
The PWHL is receiving the platform, attention, and support that fans and players in the women’s hockey circle have long sought. In only it’s first month, the brand-new league has already broken barriers as nearly 3 million viewers tuned in to the inaugural PWHL game - which Downie-Landry played in - on New Year’s Day between Toronto and New York, at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Matamy Athletics Centre - the current home of TMU hockey, basketball, and volleyball.
Attendance is continuing to rise as well, as January saw the league average over 5,000 fans per game and numerous Women’s hockey single-game attendance records set in markets such as Minnesota, Ottawa, and Montréal.
Not alone in this early triumph, Downie-Landry only headlines a pool of former U SPORTS talent currently in the PWHL.
Her teammate, Alexandra Labelle - who played for the Montréal Carabins - has also played all eight games for New York.
Ann-Sophie Bettez, who donned the McGill red and white, and Catherine Dubios, an alumnus of the Carabins, have both sniped for PWHL Montréal.
Although Downie-Landry’s star is shining bright, she is not the only U SPORTS alum who is finding success on the most robust stage of professional women’s hockey.
The small minority in the league shows that present female players across U SPORTS are poised to taste some PWHL ice eventually. With Downie-Landry serving as the thriving example of the heights that hard work and dedication can take you in the realm of University sports in Canada.
