Brampton Thunder

Team history

While the CWHL team was formed in 2007, its roster was actually built from the old Brampton Thunder team from the disbanded National Women's Hockey League. The Brampton Thunder was a significant contributor to the roster of the Canadian national women's hockey team at the 2006 Winter Olympics, with three players (Vicky Sunohara, Jayna Hefford, and Gillian Ferrari) all contributing to Canada's gold medal win. Brampton Thunder player Kathleen Kauth also participated in the 2006 Winter Olympics, playing for the bronze medal-winning American national women's hockey team. A fifth Brampton Thunder player, goaltender Cindy Eadie, also participated in the Olympics, in 2004, with the Canadian softball team.

The Brampton Thunder won the first NWHL Championship Cup in 1998-99. The Thunder subsequently made it to the NWHL Championship Cup game three times, but were defeated each time; first by the Beatrice Aeros in 2002, then by the Calgary Oval X-Treme in 2004, and finally by the Montreal Axion in 2006. They also played in the Esso Women's Nationals and were victorious in 2006, defeating the Montreal Axion to claim the national title.

The Thunder also had the distinction of having their home arena serve as the site of all NWHL Championship Cup games.

In 2007, the NWHL suspended operations. Players from the seven disbanded NWHL teams joined seven corresponding teams in the new Canadian Women's Hockey League. Players from the NWHL Brampton Thunder joined the CWHL Brampton Canadettes-Thunder. On January 18, 2011, the Thunder competed against the Montreal Stars at the Invista Centre in Kingston, Ontario - team captain Jayna Hefford’s hometown. Her number 15 was raised to the rafters of the Invista Centre on behalf of the Kingston Area Minor Hockey Association. As of 2012, no sweaters bearing Hefford’s number will be used in Kingston Minor Hockey. On November 2, 2011, Jesse Scanzano appeared in one game for the Brampton Thunder, on loan from the Toronto Aeros.. The game was an exhibition contest versus her alma mater, the Mercyhurst Lakers. In the second period of said contest, Scanzano scored the game-winning goal as the Thunder defeated the Lakers 3-1.

In the championship game of the 2012 Clarkson Cup, Brampton fell to the Montreal Stars 4-2. In the second period, Jayna Hefford found the puck alone in front of the Stars net, but was stopped by netminder Jenny Lavigne. In the third period, the Thunder were down by a 3-0 tally. Courtney Birchard started the scoring for Brampton (assisted by Vicki Bendus and Andrea Ironside) and with two minutes left in the game, Cherie Piper scored an unassisted goal to cut the lead to 4-2 (which would remain the final tally). Two Thunder players earned awards for their play in the Clarkson Cup. The Outstanding Defender award was given to Molly Engstrom, and netminder Liz Knox was given the Outstanding Goaltender award.

At the 3rd CWHL All-Star Game, Jess Jones of the Thunder, along with Jillian Saulnier both scored a hat trick, becoming the first competitors in CWHL All-Star Game history to achieve the feat.

CWHL Draft Picks

Season-by-season

in National Women's Hockey League (NWHL):

in Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL):

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

Current roster 2015–16

Updated January 4, 2016.

Coaching staff 2016–17

Reference

Awards and honors

Notable players