Gina Kingsbury has a hockey resume chock full of international and domestic victories.
She has played the game, been behind the bench, constructed teams and has had success at every level.
Currently she is the general manager of both Canada’s national women’s team and the Toronto Sceptres of the PWHL.
We grabbed some phone time with Kingsbury as she was getting ready to head to the first game of the Canada/US Rivalry Series, all while getting ready for the Sceptres training camp, which opens Nov. 12.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORY OF PWHL YEAR 1?
“There were so many for various reasons. I think I’m going to say what most people would say just because it’s the first thing that comes to mind and because it brings up a lot of emotion and that would be that first game. To be able to host that first game, to have Billie Jean King in the building and to meet her. That was the first time I got a chance to meet her. The emotion from the people in the stands, the emotion I had in the pit of my stomach, just knowing how long it has taken to get to this point and what it meant not only to the players on the ice, but for past players, fans that always dreamt of this happening. It was just one of those surreal moments and to be a very small part of that was incredible.”
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WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE GAME IN YOUR OWN HOCKEY HISTORY?
“That one I just mentioned might have been it, to be quite honest. Second to that for me from my playing days would be (the Olympic gold medal game in Vancouver) in 2010. It was really special for me. It was my last competitive game as an athlete against the U.S. and winning gold on home soil was pretty memorable. Having my friends and family in the stands and sharing that with the Canadian public was really an absolutely amazing moment for me. But I still might put that first PWHL game up there. I didn’t like the result (New York defeated Toronto) so maybe for that reason it might get docked. But those are both two big moments I was fortunate and grateful to be a part of. It fuelled my passion for the women’s game when I was able to be part of some key moments in women’s history.
IN AS FEW WORDS AS POSSIBLE, DESCRIBE THE CHEMISTRY ON THE CURRENT CANADIAN NATIONAL WOMEN’S TEAM
“I think there is an incredibly deep connection. I think that is how I would describe it. I think we are so inter-connected in a way that there is a strong feeling about everyone that is a part of that group. We are really, really tight.”
WHAT IS ONE THING YOU WOULD CHANGE ABOUT THE PWHL?
“I’m really looking forward to the day when (all teams) have a full system. You know, we all have a farm system and we have the ability to bring athletes up and down and to truly to put our development hats on. I know it’s not a development league, but the day we can actually start strategizing what the future is and start positioning ourselves to be sustainably successful for years to come, I think is what I might be looking forward to the most. I know it wasn’t possible to happen in Year 1. It’s not a criticism. I just know that will be a game-changer when we can actually start having a pipeline for our Toronto Sceptres.”
WHAT WAS THE BEST DECISION YOU AND YOUR STAFF MADE IN THE FIRST YEAR?
“I would say the signing of those three free agents (Sarah Nurse, Renata Fast and Blayre Turnbull). Right off the bat. We went with character and leadership and they have been carrying the ship. I couldn’t be happier with that group.”
BUIILD THE BEST HOCKEY PLAYER FROM ANYONE YOU HAVE PLAYED WITH
“I’m going to do this sticking with just Canadian players just because I know them best. I would take Marie-Philip Poulin’s hockey instincts. I would take Jayna Hefford’s speed. I would take Blayre Turnbull’s grit. I would take Renata Fast’s athleticism. As for the shot, I would have to say Pou again. For leadership, I would take Vicky Sunohara. That would make up a pretty darn good hockey player.”
THE BEST ARENA OR ICE YOU HAVE EVER PLAYED ON?
“Probably for what it represented and what it meant to me, I would probably say Rogers Arena in Vancouver (previously known as General Motors Place). I think the whole atmosphere there in 2010, that made it pretty special.”
WHAT WAS THE TOUGHEST CAREER CHANGE YOU MADE IN GOING FROM THE ICE TO BEHIND THE BENCH TO THE FRONT OFFICE?
“I think they were all somewhat challenging in their own way, but I think the transition from player to coach was difficult, not because of the role necessarily because I think there is a lot of transferrable knowledge and skill. It was probably just more difficult in not having that athletic endeavour in it. You’re still competing, but in a different capacity. When you retire as an athlete, there is a definite lull and a little bit of an identity crisis, if you will, where you identify as an athlete your whole life and then suddenly to not have that on a day to day basis where you are pushed and challenged physically can be a little bit challenging.
OTHER THAN THE FIRST GAME, WHAT WAS THE KEY MOMENT FOR THE LEAGUE LAST YEAR?
“I think when we started selling out buildings, I think that sent a strong message. Especially the back-to-back sellouts. We sold out Scotiabank (Arena) and we were ‘Ah, that’s Toronto.’ But then to see the Bell Centre sell out in 20 minutes, people were like ‘OK, we’re not joking. This is here to stay.’ People are here for it, they want it and I think that was probably the best proof that there was a lot of momentum behind the league and behind women’s hockey and that made us feel really confident that we were headed in the right direction.”
WHAT IS YOUR GOLDEN RULE WHEN DEALING WITH YOUR PLAYERS?
“Complete transparency and honesty. I am the biggest open-book person. That might bite me in the butt at some point, but I definitely speak my mind, I share everything I know. I don’t hold any cards tight. I think it’s important that there is complete transparency. I think most players appreciate that but that would be my golden rule for sure.”
THE BIGGEST SURPRISE PLAYER FOR YOU IN THE PWHL IN YEAR 1?
“I don’t know if I would say surprise, but the first player that comes to mind is Ella Shelton (of the New York Sirens). I think she made some pretty incredible strides here these past two or three years and I think this past year she really showed her impact on the blue line. She was definitely someone I appreciated watching play and really thought she had a good season.”
WHO IS THE NEWCOMER ON HER WAY INTO THE LEAGUE YOU ARE MOST CURIOUS ABOUT?
“I think my curiosity will definitely be more about the Europeans coming in. I’m probably less familiar with them than I am the top North Americans coming in. I’m curious to see how Ronja (Savolainen) does in Ottawa. I think there is a lot of potential there, but how does she adapt to the North American game. That’s one, but most of the Europeans to be honest. Just to see how that play translates. And, to be quite honest, I’m curious to see some of the top North Americans coming out the NCAA and how they transition and adapt to the style of play in this league. I’m curious too to see how the level of play increases tremendously in Year 2 and how people will adapt to this style of play that we will see.”
IF THEY ASKED YOU WHERE THEY SHOULD PLAY THE FIRST OUTDOOR GAME IN PWHL HISTORY, WHERE WOULD YOU SEND THEM?
“Well, I’m from Quebec, so I think a Montreal outdoor game would be pretty special. I live in Calgary, so coming back home would be a good spot for me too. But I don’t know why Montreal or somewhere in Quebec came to my mind first. I guess it’s because I grew up skating on ponds in Northern Quebec and there’s something to be said about Quebec winters. It might bring me back to my childhood.”
THE HOLIDAY DESTINATION THAT REMAINS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST?
“I just came back from Greece and I would go back there every summer. I wouldn’t even have to go anywhere else. I really loved it. But I absolutely love Europe. For me, any beach in Europe, I am in. There is an incredible charm to Europe. The lifestyle is a little bit quieter than North American, it’s geared towards food, the food is always a notch above so anywhere warm in Europe — Portugal, Greece, Southern France — I’m in.”
MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU LEARNED IN YEAR 1?
“I think maybe one of the things I will take from Year 1 and I thought we did a pretty good job of it, is not getting too high or not getting too low. When we started the way we did last year, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t internally having a lot of dialogue with myself. It was just a small window of time, but when you are not used to being in a full schedule league and you are only used to short-term competition, it’s challenging to say ‘OK, the season is long.’ If you get too high early you are going to get caught not being as consistent as you want to be. but you can’t get too low and panic. either. You can go through a slow start and then have an 11-game winning streak and then in the end not win the Walter Cup. There’s no guarantees and it’s just a matter of staying consistent and focus on the process just like we have always done. But I would say it’s a little different approach than short-term competition. You have to ride the highs and lows at a consistent pace and not get too caught up in (either).”
YOU ARE OFFICALLY THE SCEPTRES. GIVEN THE CHOICE WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE NAMED YOUR TORONTO FRANCHISE?
“To be honest, I don’t really have an answer. To me, if you look at any name in pro sports, they all (mostly) start at a name that is meaningful in some ways, but some are not meaningful (initially) and they become what the group makes it. I think we would make whatever name we got feel like it represents who we are and it will take on the identity of the players we have and the staff we have, how we carry ourselves and how we are in the community and how we compete. We could be called the Raccoons and make it great. I really believe that. To me the name becomes whatever it becomes. It’s like when you name your kid. You kid grows into that name and makes that name special.”