Sioux Lookout’s Haylee Bouchard earns Rookie of the Year honours playing hockey south of the border

Tim Brody - Editor

Sioux Lookout’s Haylee Bouchard has been named 2023-2024 Rookie of the Year for the United Collegiate Hockey Conference UCHC.
Bouchard, who just finished her first season playing for the Wilkes University Colonels out of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, recorded a conference-high 37 points in 27 games, scoring 18 goals and recording 19 assists.
“It’s pretty cool to get an award like that,” Bouchard said. “Coming from a team that’s just starting to build their program up to be more competitive, winning this award really shows the other competitors that we’re here to play.”
Commenting on her spectacular season, Bouchard added, “It really helped being on the special teams, having strong linemates to help me put the puck in the back of the net and finish those passes.”
A product of the Sioux Lookout Minor Hockey Association and later the Sioux North High School Warriors girls hockey team, the Gull Bay First Nation band member credits her grandfather Eddie Bergman for a lot of her success. “He taught everything I know about how to play the game and I couldn’t be where I’m at without him!”
She added, “It’s been pretty great to show that someone from a small area is just as competitive as everyone else... It just goes to show that anything is possible.”