Jocelyne Larocque facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jocelyne Larocque
Larocque with PWHL Toronto in 2024
Born	(1988-05-19) May 19, 1988 (age 37) 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 Adidas Calgary Oval X-Treme Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs Manitoba Maple Leafs Calgary Inferno Markham Thunder Toronto Sceptres
National team	Canada
Playing career	2004–present
Medal record Women's ice hockey Representing  Canada Olympic Games Gold 2014 Sochi Team Gold 2022 Beijing Team Silver 2018 Pyeongchang Team World Championships Gold 2012 United States Gold 2021 Canada Gold 2022 Denmark Gold 2024 United States Silver 2011 Switzerland Silver 2013 Canada Silver 2015 Sweden Silver 2016 Canada Silver 2017 United States Silver 2023 Canada Bronze 2019 Finland

Jocelyne Dawn Marie Larocque (born May 19, 1988) is a talented Canadian professional ice hockey player. She plays as a defenceman for the Ottawa Charge in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). Jocelyne has played for many teams, including the Calgary Inferno and Markham Thunder. She is also a two-time champion in the NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Tournament.

Jocelyne is of Métis heritage. She made history as the first Indigenous athlete to play women's ice hockey at the Winter Olympics. She has won multiple Olympic medals for Canada.

Early Hockey Days

Jocelyne played both hockey and basketball in high school. From 2002 to 2004, she attended College Lorette Collegiate in Manitoba. In the 2003–04 season, she was the first girl to play in the Winnipeg High School Boys League.

Jocelyne also played for Manitoba's provincial team. 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. Even though her team finished fifth, Jocelyne was named the Top Defenceman. She also won the WWHL championship with the Calgary Oval X-Treme in 2005.

College Hockey Journey

Jocelyne played college hockey for the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). In March 2008, her team won their fourth NCAA national championship. They beat the University of Wisconsin 4–0.

She played alongside two other players from her small hometown of Ste. Anne, Manitoba. They were known as the “Ste. Anne Three.” In 2009, Jocelyne was the first defenceman from UMD to be named to the All-American first team. This is a big honour for college athletes.

After being cut from Team Canada's Olympic team in December 2009, Jocelyne decided to return to UMD. On March 22, 2010, she helped the Bulldogs win their fifth NCAA national championship. They had a thrilling 3–2 triple overtime victory against Cornell University.

Larocque with UMD in 2011

In 2011, Jocelyne became the first defenceman in UMD history to score 100 career points. She finished her college career as UMD's all-time leading defenceman in scoring. She had 105 points from 19 goals and 86 assists in 127 games. She also earned many awards, including WCHA Defensive Player of the Year. She graduated with honours in 2011.

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 Markham Thunder to win their first-ever 2018 Clarkson Cup. This is a major championship in women's hockey.

In 2023, Jocelyne was a top pick in the new PWHL draft. She was drafted second overall by PWHL Toronto. Later, in December 2024, she was traded to the Ottawa Charge.

Playing for Canada

Jocelyne has been a key player for the Canadian National Team. She won gold medals with the U22 team in the Air Canada Cup.

Her first Olympic appearance was at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. There, Team Canada won the gold medal! 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 quickly took off her silver medal. She later apologized, explaining that she was very disappointed with the loss. She said it was an honour to represent Canada and win a medal.

On January 11, 2022, Jocelyne was named to Canada's 2022 Olympic team. At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, she helped Canada win another gold medal! She has also won several gold and silver medals at the World Championships.

Personal Life

Jocelyne's cousin, Melanie Gagnon, also played college hockey. Jocelyne's sister, Chantal, is also a talented athlete. She has played for Canada in ball hockey at the ISBHF World Championships. Both sisters were once teammates on the Calgary Oval X-Treme.

Awards and Honours

Jocelyne Larocque has received many awards throughout her career:

• 2009 First Team All-America selection (NCAA)
• 2011 WCHA Defensive Player of the Year (NCAA)
• 2011 All-WCHA First Team (NCAA)
• 2014 Sochi Olympic Women's Hockey Gold Medal
• 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics Women's Silver Medal
• 2018 2018 Clarkson Cup champion
• 2022 Beijing Olympics Women's Gold Medal
• 2018 winner of the Tom Longboat Award (for Indigenous athletes)
• Manitoba Indigenous Female Athlete of the Decade (awarded January 2021)

Career Statistics

Career statistics are from USCHO.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database, or NCAA or the Team Canada Media Guide for 2022.

Regular season and playoffs

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2006	Canada U22	ACC			4	1	0	1	6
2007	Canada U22	ACC			5	0	0	0	2
2008	Canada U22	ACC			4	0	3	3	8
2008	Canada	4 Nations Cup			3	1	0	1	6
2009	Canada U22	MLP			5	1	0	1	2
2009	Canada	4 Nations Cup			2	0	0	0	0
2010	Canada U22	MLP			5	0	2	2	8
2010	Canada	4 Nations Cup			4	0	3	3	2
2011	Canada	WC			5	0	2	2	6
2011	Canada	4 Nations Cup			4	0	1	1	4
2012	Canada	WC			5	0	1	1	6
2013	Canada	WC			5	0	2	2	8
2013	Canada	4 Nations Cup			4	0	0	0	4
2014	Canada	OG			5	1	1	2	2
2014	Canada	4 Nations Cup			4	0	0	0	6
2015	Canada	WC			5	0	0	0	4
2016	Canada	WC			4	0	0	0	4
2016	Canada	4 Nations Cup			3	0	0	0	0
2017	Canada	WC			5	0	2	2	4
2017	Canada	4 Nations Cup			3	0	0	0	8
2018	Canada	OG			5	0	1	1	2
2018	Canada	4 Nations Cup			4	0	0	0	6
2019	Canada	WC			7	0	3	3	2
2021	Canada	WC			7	0	4	4	8
2022	Canada	OG			7	0	2	2	10
2022	Canada	WC			7	1	5	6	2
2024	Canada	WC			7	1	4	5	12
U22 totals					35	3	6	9	44
Senior totals					105	4	31	35	106