Ann Renee Guillemette started playing women’s hockey when the sport was in its infancy as a member of the North Bay and District Girls Hockey Association participating from 1997 – 2003. Serving as team captain for the 1999-2000 season, the team attained a high level of success winning gold in over 75% of the events they competed in earning her the Coaches award for heart, perseverance and commitment. Her success continued into 2002-03 when her winning goal secured the OWHA provincial championship for her midget B team. Her play in the 2003-2004 season with the Sudbury Lady Wolves AA Intermediate team gained attention from universities in both Canada and the United States and she accepted a four-year scholarship to Yale. While Yale was not considered a women’s hockey powerhouse, during Guillemette’s four years at the school that standard rose immensely as they saw the team’s standing grow with a 16-win season, saw them defeat Harvard for the first time and saw the team reach the ECAC playoffs in each of her four years with the team. A stay at home defenceman, Ann-Renee was selected Team Captain by her teammates in her senior year and earned her the Bingham Cup in her senior year for outstanding team leadership. During her four years at Yale, her team won 53 games, second in team history, she played in 111 games and was an ECAC All Academic in her senior year 2008. As a pioneer in women’s hockey, Ann Renee created a path that many have followed. Skill combined with leadership ability are the hallmarks of what she brought to her team that allowed her to play a significant role in taking the Yale program to a new level. Ann Renee Guillemette was a pioneer in the growth of Women’s Hockey.
