Latest news with #ChanreetBassi
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
10 U Sports Women's Hockey Players To Watch In 2025-26
U Sports continues to develop as a league and bring better talent. Each year programs like British Columbia and Concordia are producing pro level players, and other school's are catching up in their development. This year Chanreet Bassi from the University of British Columbia became the third U Sports player ever to hear her name called at the PWHL Draft. Here's a look at a group of U Sports players ahead of the 2025-26 season who could challenge for recognition in the PWHL Draft, or emerge as standouts with eligibility remaining. 1. Grace Elliott, F, British Columbia Coming off a season where she led the nation in scoring, the reigning U Sports Player of the Year and First Team All-Canadian is a dominant force. Standing 6-foot-1, Elliott is a force who UBC relies on both offensively and in a defensive role. She's a legitimate PWHL prospect. 2. Emilie Lussier, F, Concordia The Concordia star and First Team All-Canadian is only entering her third season in U Sports, and she continues to get stronger and more dominant. Lussier had 18 goals and 31 points in 20 games last season. The former Canadian U-18 national team member also scored two points per game for Canada at the FISU Winter Games. 3. Aliya Jomha, F, Mount Royal At worst, Jomha is a player who can step into a European league and thrive given her puck skills and vision. A consistent scorer through four seasons. 4. Jaylyn Morris, D, British Columbia One of the best puck moving blueliners in U Sports, Morris sees the ice well and distributes well. She was Canada West's Defender of the Year. 5. Gabrielle Santerre, F, Bishop's The 2024 U Sports Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, Santerre saw a drop in production this year, but the result was no different. She's an impact player, and Bishop's won a national title. 6. Carly Orth, F, Waterloo Orth exploded onto the scene this year on a strong Waterloo Warriors team. She had her best offensive season and the 5-foot-10 forward 7. Kara Mark, G, Waterloo Another member of Waterloo's strong team, Mark combines size at 5-foot-11, and has been a model of consistent netminding. 8. Abbey Lunny, F, Concordia 9. Grace Beer, G, Dalhousie 10. Katelyn Scott, F, New Brunswick Honourable Mention Mackenzie Keenan, D, New Brunswick; Ashley Delahey, F, Toronto; Mackenzie Lothian, D, St. FX; Clara Chisholm, F, Wilfrid Laurier; Grace Glover, G, Alberta; Noemie Fontaine, F, Bishop's; Naomi Morin, F, Ottawa; Sydney Hood, D, Brock; Sam Morrison, F, St. FX; Katina Duscio, D, Waterloo; Ashlyn Kroes, F, Waterloo.
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Grace Elliott Could Be U Sports First Direct-To-The-PWHL Star
Grace Elliott is one of women's hockey's truly unique prospects. When she wraps up her U Sports women's hockey career at the University of British Columbia, she could be U Sports' first direct-to-the-PWHL star. Yes, there were multiple U Sports players who made the jump last year. Emmy Fecteau was a selection of the New York Sirens and signed a three-year-deal to stay with the team. The Concordia alumni had only one goal, her lone point in 30 games. Rylind MacKinnon, another University of British Columbia alum earned a spot on the Toronto Sceptres out of training camp and this offseason signed as a free agent with the Boston Fleet. Kelly Ann Nadeau also got a cup of tea with the Montreal Victoire after a long career with the University of Montreal. None however, are players with star potential for the league, although they can all put in long and productive PWHL careers as solid contributors. Another UBC product, Chanreet Bassi will look to put a dent in this trend this season with PWHL Vancouver, and she could be a surprise for many in the league. Still, it's unlikely she makes a sizeable impact immediately. The first direct-to-PWHL star could be UBC's Grace Elliott, a towering forward who was the best player in Canadian university women's hockey this year, being named the U Sports Player of the Year. Elliott is a unique prospect for the 2026 PWHL Draft, and could become the highest U Sports selection ever. What sets Grace Elliott apart? Grace Elliott led U Sports women's hockey in goals and points this season scoring 22 goals and 42 points in 28 games. Both were new British Columbia program records. For her efforts, Elliott was the U Sports Player of the Year and a First Team All-Canadian. While that's amazing, it's Elliott's physical attributes that truly set her apart as a prospect. Elliott stands 6-foot-2, and uses every inch of her reach and every ounce of her power to make an impact on the ice. 'The work Grace has put in and how she competes, every shift she wants to score and she wants to be the best every time she touches the ice and that's special,' said UBC head coach Graham Thomas. Multiple PWHL teams including PWHL Seattle and the Toronto Sceptres brought in a number of bigger players this year. It's a trend that's going to continue in the physical PWHL. Where smaller, lighter players could once thrive in elite women's hockey, the element of size in the PWHL's style of play is important. The White Rock, British Columbia product led Canada West with a +28 rating and 15 power play points. She also tied for the conference lead with seven power play goals and six game winning goals. As a net front presence, it's obvious why Elliott has thrived with the player advantage. But she's more than just a big player. Elliott is an offensive talent. The power forward has done it through a combination of skill and on ice awareness, multiplied by her unique size. It any player is going to step directly from U Sports to the PWHL and turn heads with her on ice performance, the University of British Columbia's sizeable talent, Grace Elliott, is the player who can do it.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hometown Hero Chanreet Bassi Is Ready To Start Her Journey With PWHL Vancouver
Her-story was made on June 24, 2025, as PWHL Vancouver made their fifth and final selection of the 2025 PWHL Draft, taking BC-local and long-tenured UBC Thunderbird Chanreet Bassi. The forward is the first South Asian player to be selected in the PWHL Draft and will be joining her hometown team after an entire playing career spent in BC.
CTV News
27-06-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
‘Making history': PWHL Vancouver drafts first South Asian player
UBC forward Chanreet Bassi will be playing professional hockey with her hometown team next year. The Professional Women's Hockey League has selected its first South Asian player, and it happens to be a rising B.C. athlete. Chanreet Bassi secured her spot Tuesday evening during the league's 2025 draft in Ottawa for its new, Vancouver team. 'It was a shock,' she said. 'Definitely blacked out. I think especially going into a draft, you're not really sure what's going to happen. But, (I'm) super ecstatic to be drafted by Vancouver.' Not only will Bassi be the first South Asian player in the PWHL, she's also the first UBC Thunderbird athlete to be drafted. Graham Thomas, the head coach of the UBC Women's Hockey Team, said it's a very exciting moment for the sport. 'Making history, so I mean it's an inspiration,' he said. 'So many accolades' Thomas said when Bassi joined the team, she made an impact right away – ending her six-year university career as a four-time Canada West All-Star. 'She's tied with Tatiana Rafter for all-time career points as a Thunderbird,' he said. 'She's had so many accolades. So many accomplishments.' At 23 years old, Bassi is making groundbreaking strides in her career. It's a moment she's been preparing for, applying the same hard work on and off the ice. During her teenage years, she grew on her family's farm in the Okanagan, planting hundreds of cherry trees on the five-acre property. 'That was just what we did day-to day, every day for our family and for each other,' she said. 'There's a pathway' Bassi started playing hockey when she was three years old, following in her older brother's footsteps. The path she's paving didn't exist when she was young. 'There wasn't really a route for us to go,' she said. 'We just played because it was fun.' Thomas echoed that sentiment, adding the league's expansion to Vancouver provides more opportunities to aspiring professional athletes. 'This is now showing that there's a pathway,' he said. 'It's not only a great place to go to school and get a great education and play your university hockey.' Bassi said she doesn't take the responsibility lightly. 'I think it's super cool for girls to have someone to look up to, which is something we never experienced,' she said. 'It kind of brings that community together, especially younger girls dreaming to play in the PWHL one day. That's what the sport's for.' Fans will be able to follow Bassi's journey when the season gets underway in November.
