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Historic Announcement Concerning Young Goaltender Rhyah Stewart
The QMJHL draft took place a few weeks ago, and as with each year, several young people came out disappointed as they did not hear their name called. However, QMJHL teams are allowed to distribute a certain number of training camp invitations to free agent players in the hope of finding a hidden gem who can step in and help fill a necessary role.
The GM of the Cape Breton Eagles, Sylvain Couturier, has exercised this privilege and invited five players to participate in his next training camp. Among these players, goaltender Rhyah Stewart will get a chance to prove that girls can indeed play in the QMJHL.
The organization has been clear. This is not a publicity stunt or a way to gain sympathy. Stewart fully deserves this invitation because of her impressive performance on the ice.
"Firstly, let's be clear, she is invited to the camp because she deserves it. She is quick and rivals every shot. You do not receive an offer from the University of Wisconsin for nothing, and an invitation to Hockey Canada if you are just average. She is special."
Rhyah Stewart, 17, is indeed one of the best goaltenders in Canada. She was the only female to play U-18 'AAA' in Nova Scotia last season, with boys, which is the highest level of competition in this age group in Nova Scotia.
Last season, Stewart faced over 771 shots and made more saves (693) than any other goaltender in the U-18 'AAA' league. In 21 games, she posted a save percentage of .899, which earned her eighth place in the overall league ranking in this regard.
The young goaltender has recently made her decision in the NCAA by committing to play Division I hockey for the NCAA's reigning national champions, the Wisconsin Badgers. She still has another year of school in Canada before making the jump to Wisconsin.
It will be interesting to see if Stewart can follow in the footsteps of Ève Gascon, who was able to play two regular season games with the Gatineau Olympiques in the 2021-2022 season.
She, too, might make history.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 8 | 379 ANSWERS Historic Announcement Concerning Young Goaltender Rhyah Stewart Do you think we will see another female goaltender in the NHL someday? | ||
| Yes | 130 | 34.3 % |
| No | 249 | 65.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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