By Noah Miller
A new face will join Danielle Goyette behind the bench of the University of Calgary Dinos women’s ice hockey team next season. Along with unveiling next year’s recruiting class last month, Goyette announced the addition of former teammate Kelly Bechard to the Dinos women’s hockey coaching staff.
Bechard has strong ties to the U of C. She played on the first Dinos women’s hockey team during the 1997-98 season where she won a spot on the Canadian Interuniversity Sport All-Canadian team and the U of C Award of Merit. She graduated from the U of C with a bachelor of commerce.
Bechard’s list of qualifications continues long after her ties to the university. Bechard went on to play multiple seasons in the Western Women’s Hockey League with Calgary Oval X-Treme and then the National Women’s Hockey League’s Brampton Thunder and Mississagua Aeros. Bechard also played with Goyette on the Canadian national team for several years through four world championships. Perhaps most impressively, she also formed part of the 2002 Salt Lake City women’s squad that took home gold in the Winter Olympics.
The Dinos’–and Bechard’s–season begins on the road when they face the University of Regina Cougars on Friday, October 8.