By the time that Alexie Olivier arrives in Guelph in September of 2022, more than ready to begin her freshman season with the Gryphons vaunted women’s hockey team, the Hanmer native will be more than a little accustomed to living away from home.

In her second year of bantam hockey (2019-2020), Olivier played in the Midget AA ranks with the Etobicoke Dolphins. And though little in the way of game competition was hosted last year, Olivier had signed on with the Mississauga Hurricanes of the PWHL, the same team that she has already begun practicing with this month.

“This league (PWHL) helps prepare me for post-secondary; it’s the second fastest paced league before going to college or university,” she said recently. “And it has a full hockey schedule, with games during the week, which is going to help me learn to manage hockey and school before going to Guelph.”

In fact, the travel theme is somewhat recurring in follow the hockey journey of the 17 year-old smooth skating forward. While her early years with a Nickel City boys team and subsequently the Sudbury Lady Wolves found her quickly hitting her stride, Olivier believes that some off-season opportunities certainly helped move her along.

“I think it was 2016 when I started to play summer hockey; that’s when I started to think that I might be able to make it somewhere,” she said. “It really boosted my confidence.”

At least as important was the nudge that it provided in terms of complementing her on-ice practice regimen with a more well-rounded approach to her hockey career. “That’s when I really started concentrating on my off-ice development,” said Olivier, who swears by personal trainer Rick Kilganon, committed to her workout routines.

“It really helped with my strength, but also my mindset about how good I could be.”

It was clear that the young woman who had first taken to the ice like so many Canadian children had come a long way. “I really remember, when I was young, watching my brother (Sebastien) play,” she said. “He’s three years older than me and played competitive hockey his whole life.”

“That’s what really got me into hockey. I remember thinking that I just couldn’t skate without having a stick in my hands. We have a big backyard, so my dad made an outdoor rink for me and my brother. We would play for several hours, every week.”

Originally a defenseman while playing in the coed ranks, Olivier made the move to the middle of the ice as soon as she joined the girls in her second year at novice. “They switched me to centre and I found that I could really use my speed to my advantage,” said the 5’2” prospect.

“But I really did take a lot from playing defense in my early ages. When I switched to centre, in my own zone, I would play very defensive and not very offensive at all – which is good, in a way.”

“The coaches would switch me to defense on the power play, because I knew the basics. That helped me become a more complete player.”

If there is a second critical element to her game, especially as she prepares for the rigours of OUA hockey, it is the tenacity that has been in-bred to the manner in which Olivier competes, a bi-product of knowing that she is likely to be giving up size in most battles for the puck.

“I have to put myself out there as though I’m six feet tall,” she stated. “That’s what I always tell myself. I think I developed some of my speed just because of the mindset that I was going to get crushed if I didn’t move. I have to use my speed to get out of situations.”

“And even though I’m a smaller player, I tend to be very aggressive,” Olivier added. “I don’t take stuff from anyone, just because they’re tall and think they can push me around.”

While Olivier certainly looked into options south of the border, the effects of the pandemic kicked in, most notably in the form of NCAA juniors and seniors returning for one extra year of eligibility, effectively eliminating some of the scholarship opportunities that might normally be available.

In the end, committing to a school that captured the U Sport championship in 2018-2019 (Lively native Karli Shell was a key member of that team) and enjoys a very strong reputation in the classroom has Olivier excited at the possibilities.

“To me, Guelph is the best Canadian school out there, with hockey and academics,” she said. “I think this is the best fit for me.”

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With post-secondary hockey resuming in 2021-2022, a number of Sudbury products find themselves picking up where they left off, anxious to hit the ice. Following is a list compiled based on the best information that we were able to gather (if anyone has been missed, kindly email Randy Pascal at info@sudburysports.com and I will correct the oversight):

Tayler Murphy (forward) – York Lions (OUA) – after having a trip to nationals cut short in March of 2020, the graduate of St Charles College looks to add to her point total (28 pts) accumulated her 69 varsity games played to date

Kailey Lapensee (defense) – York Lions (OUA) – after spending four years with the Ottawa Gee Gees, the resilient blueliner will join Murphy both with the Lions, as well as pursuing their Masters of Business Analytics this year

Carley Olivier (defense) - Waterloo Warriors (OUA) - with both NCAA (Connecticut) and OUA (Laurentian) experience under her belt, this local defenceman will look to help lift Waterloo back into a playoff spot this year

Mylene Lefebvre (forward) – Montreal Carabins (RSEQ) – after scoring her first post-secondary versus Ottawa in 2019-2020, the avid outdoorswoman matched that total with a playoff marker as well in her freshman year

Lauren Hancock (forward) – University of Toronto Blues (OUA) – back for a second (official) year after getting a taste (2019-2020) during a season in which the Blues captured the conference banner, the 5’11” power forward is looking to build on that experience

Mireille Kingsley (goalie) - Providence Friars (NCAA) – sophomore who made her debut versus Northeastern last January

Madisyn Papineau (forward) – RPI Engineers (NCAA) – with RPI backing away from the 2019-2020 season altogether, the College Notre-Dame graduate will get her first taste of NCAA action this fall

Madison Laberge (defense) – Nipissing Lakers (OUA) – the offensively-gifted defenseman netted her first university goal against Laurier in January of 2020 and should add to that total in 2021-2022

Jenna Miller (forward) – Mount Allison Mounties (AUS) – picked up two goals and an assist as a rookie (2019-2020) and will be looking to pick up where she left off in Nova Scotia

Vanessa McKinnon (forward) – Moncton Aigles Blues (AUS) – after having her freshman season cancelled due to the pandemic, the graduate of CND is looking forward more than most to the Moncton season opener on October 8th vs St Thomas

Taylor Scott (forward) – Ottawa Gee Gees (RSEQ) – her next game with Ottawa will be the first of her university career, forced to the sidelines as the world dealt with COVID last year

Jaiden Duncan (defense) - Laurier Golden Hawks (OUA) - yet another player who was forced to delay her varsity debut by a year, this gritty defender is looking to build off the experience of a national silver medal performance in her final year of midget hockey

Joelle Gagnon (forward) - Bishop's Gaitors (RSEQ) - the arrival of the graduate of College Notre-Dame in Lennoxville (PQ) coincides with the entry of the Gaitors into the RSEQ, facing the likes of McGill, Montreal and Concordia

Kelsey Dunn (forward) – Queen’s Gaels (OUA) – finishing off her minor hockey career with the Durham West Jr Lightning (PWHL) in 2019-2020, the talented playmaker will join a squad with plenty of turnover in Kingston

Katie Chomiak (forward) – Nipissing Lakers (OUA) – originally committed to the Laurentian Voyageurs, this natural goal scorer makes the move to North Bay as the LU program folds