Jocelyne Larocque facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jocelyne Larocque |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Larocque with PWHL Toronto in 2024
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 19, 1988 Ste. Anne, Manitoba, Canada |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 146 lb (66 kg; 10 st 6 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Defence | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shoots | Left | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PWHL team Former teams |
Ottawa Charge
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team |  Canada |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2004–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jocelyne Larocque, born on May 19, 1988, is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. She plays defence for the Ottawa Charge in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). Jocelyne has played for many teams throughout her career. These include the Toronto Sceptres, Calgary Inferno, and Markham Thunder. She also played for the Calgary Oval X-Treme and the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs.
Larocque is a Métis athlete. She was the first Indigenous woman to play ice hockey at the Winter Olympic Games. She has won two Olympic gold medals and many World Championship medals.
Contents
Early Life and Junior Hockey
Jocelyne grew up playing both hockey and basketball. From 2002 to 2004, she played at College Lorette Collegiate in Manitoba. In the 2003–04 season, she made history. She became the first girl to play in the Winnipeg High School Boys League.
Larocque also played for Team Manitoba. She competed in the 2003 Esso Women's Nationals. In 2005, she was part of the Manitoba team at the Canadian National Women's Under-18 Championship. Manitoba finished fifth, but Jocelyne was named the Top Defenceman. She also won the WWHL championship with the Calgary Oval X-Treme in 2005.
College Hockey Career
Jocelyne played college hockey for the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). In March 2008, she helped UMD win their fourth NCAA national championship. They beat the University of Wisconsin 4–0.
She was known as one of the "Ste. Anne Three." This group included two other players from her small hometown of Ste. Anne, Manitoba. In 2009, Larocque became the first UMD defenceman to be named to the All-American first team.
After not making the 2010 Olympic team, Jocelyne returned to UMD. On March 22, 2010, she helped the Bulldogs win their fifth NCAA national championship. They won a thrilling 3–2 game against Cornell University in triple overtime.
In February 2011, Larocque had a great game against the Ohio State Buckeyes. She scored one goal and had three assists. This made her UMD's all-time top-scoring defenceman. She also became the first defenceman to reach 100 career points for UMD.
For the 2010–11 season, she was the top-scoring defenceman in her league, the WCHA. She was also named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year. Jocelyne graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2011 with honours. She finished her college career with 105 points, a record for UMD defencemen.
Professional Hockey Career
Jocelyne started her professional career with the Calgary Inferno. In 2013, she was traded to the Brampton Thunder. She became the team captain for the Thunder. In 2018, she led the Thunder to win the 2018 Clarkson Cup. This was a big win for the team.
On September 18, 2023, Jocelyne was picked second overall in the 2023 PWHL Draft by PWHL Toronto. She played in the very first PWHL game on January 1, 2024.
On December 30, 2024, Toronto traded Larocque to the Ottawa Charge. She moved with her former teammate Victoria Bach. This was the first trade of the 2024–25 PWHL season.
International Play for Canada
Jocelyne has played for the Canadian National Team many times. She won gold medals at the Air Canada Cup in 2005–06 and 2006–07. She also won gold at the 2010 Four Nations Cup.
Her first time playing in the Olympics was at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Team Canada won the gold medal there. She also played in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Canada won a silver medal at those games. After the gold medal game, she was very disappointed. She quickly took off her silver medal. She later apologized, saying her emotions got the best of her. She said it was an honour to represent Canada.
On January 11, 2022, Larocque was chosen for Canada's 2022 Olympic team. She helped Canada win another gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. She also won gold medals with Canada at the IIHF World Women's Championships in 2012, 2021, 2022, and 2024.
Personal Life
Jocelyne has a cousin, Melanie Gagnon, who also played hockey. Her sister, Chantal, has also played for Canada in ball hockey. Both sisters were teammates on the Calgary Oval X-Treme.
Awards and Honours
College Awards
- 2009 First Team All-America selection
- 2011 WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year
- 2011 WCHA Defensive Player of the Year
- 2011 All-WCHA First Team
- 2011 First Team All-America selection
International Awards
- 2014 Sochi Olympic Women's Hockey Gold Medal
- 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics Women's Silver Medal
- 2022 Beijing Olympics Women's Gold Medal
Professional Awards
- 2018 Clarkson Cup champion
Other Awards
- 2018 winner of the Tom Longboat Award
- Manitoba Indigenous Female Athlete of the Decade (awarded January 2021)
