Meet Nicole Blowes!

Tell us about yourself!

Hi, my name is Nicole Blowes. I am 25 years old and from Stratford, ON, Canada.

Hockey has been a major part of my life. I have been lacing them up since the age of five. I started playing with boys and continued to do so up until my first year of Bantam. I made the full switch to girls’ hockey in bantam and fully immersed myself in the culture of it. I played for a small association in Milverton, ON before deciding to challenge myself and try out at the AA level in midget for the Stratford Aces.

After my minor hockey career came to an end, I decided to scale back when I headed off to post-secondary. Currently, I still play senior women’s hockey with a lot of the same girls I went through the minor hockey system with, which makes it that much more enjoyable. The highlight of my love affair with hockey so far would have to be medaling at OWHA provincials this year and finally bringing home the provincial medal I have been chasing my entire hockey career.

I had two really amazing female non-parent coaches in my last year of midget hockey who inspired me to give back myself. They were amazing role models and I loved having them on the bench to make my last season an enjoyable one. As soon I graduated midget level, I took my trainer’s course, followed by my NCCP coaching certification and I have been actively coaching within the Stratford Aces association for the last seven seasons and have been volunteering at a board level position as well. Coaching has given me so much and I love being able to give back to a hockey community that has brought so much positivity into my life!

What made you want to be a WHL Brand Ambassador?

I came across WHL on twitter a few months ago while reading about the CWHL disbanding. I was reading Kyla Lane’s tweets and decided to look into the website further… I had never really heard of it and once I clicked on the website link for the first time I was hooked!

I love everything about Women’s Hockey Life! I love how there has been a platform created for female hockey players, coaches and parents to share their hockey stories and promote women’s hockey!

What are you most looking forward to as a #WHLAMBASSADOR?

I look forward to using my voice in a positive way to promote this amazing sport! I can’t wait to get to know some like-minded women who have the same passion and fire as I do for women’s hockey.

What’s something not a lot of people know about you?

I secretly love Metallica. I put Ketchup on just about anything and anything to do with Harry Potter, I am obsessed.

If you could sit down and have dinner with one female hockey player, who would it be and why?

Hayley Wickenheiser – she is incredible. I feel like if I met her in person I would be in complete awe. I remember watching her as a kid and thinking “I want to be just like her” on and off the ice. She embodies what it is to be an ambassador for women in the hockey world. I also think it’s pretty cool that she has a career within the Toronto Maple Leafs association on the player development side. She just proves that there are no gender boundaries and is smashing stereotypes within the hockey world.  She is a class act.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given in hockey or in life?

My two midget coaches Aitch & Pars said this to us in the room one day when we were away at a road game and I think about this saying quite a bit and try to apply it to my everyday life. It is also something I try to instill in the girls that I coach: “It doesn’t matter how many games we win, lose or how many points you get. What matters is what we can take away from the game and apply it in our everyday lives to become good people.”

What’s your dream for women’s hockey?

My dream for women’s hockey is that it someday receives the same support and recognition that men’s hockey does. I want it to promote itself and encourage young players that no dream is too big and if you want to play hockey professionally that you can do it and make a sustainable living from it.

Have a passion for women’s hockey? We want you on our #WHLAmbassador team!

Apply here!