Former Fillies Leicht and Vedress hit the ice with the Klippers in SJFHL

For many young women with a strong interest in hockey and a youth career in the sport, their playing landscape has been bleak after they age out of the 18U program. While there are recreational opportunities in some communities, the competitive brand of hockey they’d been accustomed to was only available through university or college affiliated programs.  

Now, a fledgling Saskatchewan Hockey League has emerged to fill that void. The Saskatchewan Junior Female Hockey League (SJFHL) is a network of six hockey teams set to compete this season at the Junior A level. Teams include Lumsden Lynx, Outlook Mainline Ice Hawks, Regina Rebels, Southwest Impact, Saskatoon Prairie Blaze and Western Prairie Junior Klippers. 

Two alumnae from the highly successful East Central Fillies program, Bridgette Vedress and Kiana Leicht, have found a home with the Klippers who play out of Kindersley. The two university of Saskatchewan students tried out for another team in the league but got a call from Klippers coach Dale Jackson to head out west.  

For Vedress, a native of St. Brieux, the situation is ideal. She’s been into hockey since playing on mainly boys' teams as a youth, and she was there for the initial stages of the Fillies. 

“They decided to get some of us girls from the Humboldt, St. Brieux and LeRoy areas together, and we started initially practicing in LeRoy in Atom hockey (10U). We got to play in a couple of tournaments, and as the years went on, a couple more girls teams popped up in the province, like Tisdale and Nipawin. Eventually, we made it to a midget B league when we were only Bantam age.” 

For Vedress, the Fillies was an incredible experience given that the same group grew in skills and in friendship as they hit the successive age rungs of their decade-long hockey journey together. In fact, Vedress and teammate Kiana Leicht were at ground zero of the development of provincial female hockey as it exists today.  

With no Junior opportunities on the horizon, the girls went their separate ways. That departure had an impact on Leicht and her former teammates.  

“It was kind of heart shattering since we didn’t get to play our last year of minor hockey due to COVID,” Kiana shared. “It was unexpected, and we probably would have come out pretty successful in our last year. So being able to play competitive hockey again while still going to school or work is really nice, and having this opportunity, I’m really grateful for.” 

Bridgette and Kiana "back in the day"

Some of the Fillies have wound up with competing squads in the new league, so Vedress and Leicht will be facing off against their old linemates. They’ll also bond with a new group of women, many of whom they’ve faced as opposition over the years. The timing couldn’t be better for the league’s formation given where many of the players are at.  

“Approximately a year ago, Hockey Saskatchewan had been surveying minor hockey and female players about the need a want for a league,” explained League President Blaine Stork. “The surveys came back obviously overwhelmingly in favour, so Hockey Sask put a motion in place to get going with an application process. We now have six communities who are the founders of the league.” 

Kindersley and surrounding communities have been a hotbed for female hockey, and the new Klippers team is a welcome addition on the regional and provincial scene, says Chris Omness, voice of the Kindersley Klippers on Bolt FM's sister stations in Kindersley. Omness will be broadcasting some of the SJHFL home games this season. 

“With the Western Prairie Thunder, the U13 AA team was amazing – they lost only a game last year. They’ve done really well and been the talk of the town. That really garnered interest in the thought of female hockey.” 

What’s interesting about the league is that it perfectly fills the gap between aging out of U18 and participating in college or university hockey. Where franchise teams have popped up in female hockey havens, many of the players have remained with their hometown squads, and that’s another positive for the players, says Omness. 

For two former Fillies who are now studying in Saskatoon, the Western Prairie Junior Klippers are a great opportunity with their proximity and their strong support of female hockey. Last Sunday was the opening game for the Klippers, so Leicht and Vedress are back on the ice, in the sport they love, once again blazing a trail for women’s hockey in the province. 

To keep up with the Western Prairie Klippers and the broadcast schedule, head to our sister station’s site, West Central Online.  

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