Kelsey Webster got to bring the Clarkson Cup home to Duncan, but it cost her.
Booking the trophy in its massive trunk as baggage, Webster inquired if the airline would ship it for free.
“It says only the Stanley Cup or the Grey Cup,” said the employee.
“This is the Stanley Cup, but for women,” Webster countered, to no avail.
After five years in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League with the Calgary Inferno (known for the first two years as the Alberta Honeybadgers), Webster finally got her hands on the Holy Grail of women’s hockey on March 13, when the Inferno defeated the Montreal Canadiennes 8-3 in the Clarkson Cup final.
“It’s pretty cool,” Webster said. “It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been with the team the full five years, and we’ve come a long way.”
Webster played for the Canadian women’s team at two Winter Universiades, winning gold medals in China in 2009 and Turkey in 2011, but the Clarkson Cup win might be the biggest deal in her hockey career.
“Winning the professional women’s championship title is pretty important,” she said.
As it turned out, Webster, who captained the Inferno in the 2014-15 season, didn’t play in final game against Montreal.
“Some things don’t get to go your way all the time,” she said. “I look at it as a five-year journey with the team, all the time and effort I’ve put into it. The team really came together and supported me. They put in all their effort and won this for me. It was nice to know they had my back.”
Webster started playing peewee with boys in the Cowichan Valley, then moved on to girls house hockey at Fuller Lake before playing midget in Victoria and Nanaimo, which led to playing at York University.
Over her time as a hockey player, Webster has seen major changes in the sport.
“It has improved significantly,” she said. “There’s been growth outside of the actual sport on the ice, like people recognizing that the female game is a competitive game. And the growth from when I started in women’s hockey to the players I work with now at camps, to be fans of the game and so talented at a young age is so impressive.”
Webster has also seen crowds grow to between 200 and 400 fans per game today, from her first year in the CWHL when only players’ parents would be in the stands.
“The league is taking strides every single year,” she said. “I hope to have a role in the league in some capacity, nor right away, but some day. I want to be active in the growth of the sport in the future.”
About to enter her final year of nursing school at the University of Calgary, Webster is retiring from professional hockey, and it feels good to go out a champion. It is also a time to reflect on her journey as a hockey player.
“I look back at all the people who were involved in getting me to where I got, she said, noting all the coaches she has played for, including Dan Church at York University, who remains one of her biggest supporters, as well as her friends and family in Duncan.
Although she plans to continue playing recreationally, Webster knows there will be a few adjustments in retirement.
“The hardest part is going to be finding a way to identify myself as not a hockey player anymore,” she said.
Webster also hopes to inspire other young hockey players to pursue the sport to the top levels, with the dream of also bringing the Clarkson Cup to Duncan.
“Hopefully someday somebody else from the Cowichan Valley will have this one day.”
