Hockey inspiration at Charlottetown summer camp

Even though it's the off-season, hockey has taken over the Bell Aliant Centre at UPEI, with the annual Atlantic Hockey Showcase and Female Prospect camps underway.

Run by Island company Andrews Hockey Growth Programs, the camps feature some of the very best hockey players from around the world, as they show their skills to scouts from universities and upper level hockey leagues in North America.

This year, the players at the female camp are getting a little extra inspiration from a graduate of the program, Team Canada member Jillian Saulnier from Nova Scotia, who is acting as a guest coach and instructor.

She stopped by CBC Radio's Mainstreet to chat with Angela Walker, along with Allan Andrews, president of the program, who had nothing but praise for the way his former student has progressed.

"Her biggest asset is her work ethic, and because of her work ethic, she developed a lot of skill at high speed," said Andrews. "To me, she's the hardest worker and the most effective forward that the national team had in the last tournament."

It's a mutual fan club, as Saulnier credits Andrews with helping her fulfil many of her hockey dreams.

"Oh my god, yes," she exclaimed. "Everything's a stepping stone, right? So as a young girl, when I was five years old, I knew I wasn't going to the NHL, there was no NHL for girls, but it was to make the female national team, and wear that Maple Leaf. Having the opportunity to come to camps like these and have that exposure were all stepping stones."

Hockey dreams came true

It was in Charlottetown where Saulnier was scouted, and approached by Cornell University to come study and play on their campus.

"How it works is you have a number of different schools who come and watch the girls and the guys as well," she explained.

"They're scouting, they're looking for what they want on their team, and you can approach them and have that conversation and that meeting, and they speak right back and tell you about the school and what they're looking for in a player, and that's how the week works."

It can also be a lot of pressure on young people, something else Saulnier can help them with from her own experience.

"You always had that little bit of pressure with people watching you in the stands, but that's something at a young age you have to learn to mentally block out, just so you can remember to play that game," she explained.

"As a young female player, as an under-18 and under-15 aged girl, it was a lot of pressure, but very important and we're so blessed as females that we have people like Allan who put so much effort into the female game. There's not a lot of it out there."

Saulnier a role model

Andrews said having Saulnier at the camp is an inspiration for the young players.

"She's going to speak later on to parents and kids," he said. "We're just so privileged to have her, and to have her here physically and to be motivating the girls on the bench and just to know she's here. I think it's a yard stick for other girls to follow. She's here, she's human, she made it, and maybe I can make it."

Saulnier said she just repeats her main message to the players. "It's doable, it's doable. To reach those dreams, and make them higher. I'm living proof that a little girl, a small town girl from Nova Scotia can make her dreams happen."

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