Olympian Caroline Ouellette joins Concordia staff
Head coach Les Lawton is pleased to announce Caroline Ouellette, one of the most accomplished players in the history of women's hockey, will join the Concordia Stingers as an assistant coach.
"I am thrilled," said Lawton, who is now in his 31st season behind the women's hockey bench. "She is a perfect addition for our team. Caroline is a great role model. She's a great person. She's someone our players and recruits will identify with and respect. Also she's well connected in the hockey community and she's going to help us recruit."
Ouellette, 33, has been a member of the Canadian National Women's Ice Hockey Team since 1999. With Team Canada she has won gold medals at three Winter Olympic Games, including 2002, 2006 and 2010. She has also competed in several International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) women's world championships winning five gold medals and four silver medals.
The Montreal native played university hockey with the Stingers in 2002 before transferring to the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She played three seasons with the Bulldogs and served as an assistant coach at Minnesota-Duluth after she graduated.
Upon her return to Quebec, she joined the Montreal Stars of the Canadian Women's Hockey League. She was a member of the Stars when they won the inaugural Clarkson Cup championship in 2009.
At Concordia, Ouellette will use her extensive experience to help with individual skill development.
"I was really honored when Les asked me to join the coaching staff," said Ouellette. "It was an honor to play at Concordia and I have a real appreciation for the program. There's a great group of players here. I really look forward to working with them and helping them."
Ouellette will continue her commitments to Team Canada while adding to her coaching résumé.
The Stingers women's hockey team opens training camp on Monday, Sept. 4. The first home game for Concordia is Saturday, Sept. 22 at 2:30 p.m. when the team hosts the University of Waterloo in exhibition action.
