At 5’4”, assistant captain Lindsay Vine is one of the smaller players on the Burlington Barracudas. But the 28-year-old league veteran is not a small presence.

She’s a grinder, a playmaker and an encourager on the Barracudas, using positive talk to motivate her teammates. She steps up with effort and attitude when her team is down.

Pat Cocklin, the Barracuda’s head coach, says that Vine sets the tone for the rest of the team. “She is a great leader who plays on both sides and has great offensive skills,” says Cocklin.

“She is a very important part of the puzzle. She leads by example, doesn't miss practices, works hard and plays within the system.”

Vine has grown into her leadership style. She’s always been a valuable member of her team; in the 1999-2000 season, Vine played for the Mississauga Chiefs (NWHL) and was awarded Rookie of the Year. The following year she was offered a scholarship at Niagara University, where she continued to grow as a player.

Along the way, Vine learned valuable lessons. For one thing, she learned that when other players look up to you, you can speak up and generate energy for the team. As a natural playmaker, she also had to learn to pull the trigger.

“When I was younger, often times I would give up the shot to pass the puck. As I have gotten older, I’ve realized that I need to take my opportunities and shoot to score,” she says.

Battling on the boards and coming out with the puck is another strength Vine brings to the Barracudas — and she may have learned it playing boy’s hockey growing up. In her hometown of Kirkland Lake, Ontario, minor hockey numbers were small. Vine’s father’s friend Jacques Lajeunesse was lacking players on his Junior Tyke team. Vine’s father suggested that his daughters join the team to boost numbers. So Vine, her older sister, Carla and twin sister, Morgan all strapped on skates and joined the team. She was only four years old that year but she attributes much of her love of the game and early skill development to her first coach, Lajeunesse.

Vine continued to play with the boys until her Midget year. Women’s hockey wasn’t a possibility for her until she was 17 and a local Senior A team started. Now, she’s grateful that there’s a women’s league to be proud of.

“It's an honor to be in the CWHL,” says Vine. “The teams are filled with the best players in women's hockey and I consider myself lucky to still be able to play with and against the best.”

 
"What’s underneath the equipment" is a weekly profile of a CWHL athlete written by Anne Douglas (www.herhockeyonline.com).