Chris Sinclair

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Hockey Writer and Podcaster

Chris Sinclair covers the Ottawa Charge for The Hockey News and hosts Rinkside Rundown, a podcast featuring in-depth interviews with women’s hockey players from around the world, highlighting the stories shaping the game.

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Ottawa Charge Set To Begin New Chapter At The Canadian Tire Centre

Women's Hockey Roundtable

Australia To Host Second World Para Ice Hockey Championships

23h

Women's Hockey Roundtable

PWHL Detroit Inks Top Two Draft Picks Andrea Brändli And Casey Borgiel To Contracts

Aug 14

Women's Hockey Roundtable

Sanni Ahola Will Sharpen Her Game With Team Finland At The Women's Euro Hockey Tour

Aug 11

Women's Hockey Roundtable

Sara Stewart on Community, Leadership and Inspiring the Next Generation of East Coast Hockey Players

Long before she was inspiring the next generation of female hockey players more broadly, and East Coast girls more specifically, Sara Stewart was just a young girl who looked forward to getting home after school because it meant being able to go outside and play street hockey with her brothers and neighbours. And snow days, where school would be cancelled? Those were the best days. Our full conversation is also available on YouTube here. “The local rink was a five-minute walk from my house, and it would stay open,” Stewart said. “So we’d make the trek down and just play hockey all day on the ice. Whoever could make it there was welcome to do so. I feel like those little experiences drew me into the sport.” That’s exactly what made the sport so much fun for Stewart: it was about connecting with her community and sharing in those very experiences, no matter how big or how small they may have been. Community is a through line that comes up often in Stewart’s story because, you see, hockey is something that’s embedded in the Antigonish community. They stand behind you, support and encourage you, and are always looking out for what’s best for you. That makes for an incredibly powerful motivator and serves as a fountain of inspiration and pride for Stewart. “I feel like there’s so many talented players that just took a while for people to get their looks on the East Coast,” she said. “Being a part of that group of hardworking players is something to be super proud of.” Stewart played her early hockey career alongside boys in the Nova Scotia U15 Major Hockey League before switching to join the Northern Selects, where she finally had the chance to play with girls. “It was my first time entering playing female hockey,” she said. “I felt a sense of community and found a new home. I feel like it made me gain a ton of confidence being so close with those around me.” In her final junior season with the Selects, Stewart would see her point total more than double to 26 goals and 44 points, showcasing the offensive abilities that lay right below the surface of an otherwise very strong defensive-minded forward. That time with the Selects stands out on Stewart’s resume not only because of an impressive stat line, but also as an opportunity to grow into the leader that she is today. “I feel like being in the leadership group with the (Northern) Selects definitely prepped me for jumping into the leadership role at the next level,” Stewart said. “I’m someone who always tries to lead by example, and being put into that leadership role forced me into a position to find my voice in the locker room.” That growth and development helped her navigate the balancing act of being best friends with her teammates while also looking out for the team's best interests. Valuable lessons as she would take on a leadership role with Colgate University. During her four-year collegiate career with Colgate, a place she described as a “second home where people cared about me as a player but also as a person,” Stewart remained impactful offensively, putting up 75 points in 155 games, while also pursuing a Biology degree and receiving ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team honours in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. And over those four years, which all too often feel like they flew by, I remained certain of one thing in particular: “My career here at Colgate has been everything that I could have asked for and more than I could have asked for.” Community comes up again when she reflects on her time with the program, whether it’s with the Rising Raiders program, where she’s able to connect with young girls and serve as a role model, or her Learn to Skate sessions with neurodiverse individuals. “I think Colgate really gives you that ability to open your eyes and connect with so many people around you.” Since our conversation prior to the 2026 PWHL Draft, Stewart signed her first professional contract, a one-year deal with MoDo Hockey in the SDHL. “Following the draft, I was looking for somewhere that would help me to develop the most in my hockey journey,” Sara told me. “MoDo ended up being the perfect fit. I know it’ll help my development to play in a professional league which is physical and fast.” From growing up on the East Coast of Canada to the experiences at Colgate University, which will last a lifetime, Sara Stewart never lost sight of her roots, the importance of community, and always striving to leave the sport better than she found it. She now embarks on an exciting next chapter, one which will undoubtedly leave young girls back home inspired and driven more than ever. Our full conversation is also available on YouTube here.3w

Women's Hockey Roundtable

Ottawa Charge Host Second Summer Youth Development Camp

Jul 29

Women's Hockey Roundtable

Zoe Uens On Family, Growth At Quinnipiac And Her Journey To The PWHL

Jul 26

Women's Hockey Roundtable

Jocelyne Larocque Named To University Of Minnesota-Duluth Hall Of Fame Class of 2026

Jul 23

Women's Hockey Roundtable

Depth Down The Middle Will Be Ottawa's Secret Weapon In 2026-27 Season

Jul 20

Women's Hockey Roundtable

Five Ottawa Charge Players Due For A Breakout 2026-27 Season

Jul 12

Women's Hockey Roundtable

Nunavut Ukpiit Hockey Association Marks Continued Growth Of Girls' And Women's Hockey In Northern Canada

Jul 11

Women's Hockey Roundtable

Ottawa Charge Sign Forward Sarah Wozniewicz To Three-Year Contract

Jul 10

Women's Hockey Roundtable

Ottawa Charge Will Officially Call Canadian Tire Centre Home

Jul 9

Women's Hockey Roundtable

Ottawa Charge Sign Fanuza Kadirova To Two-Year Contract

Jul 8

Women's Hockey Roundtable

Rebecca Leslie Signs One-Year Extension With Hometown Charge

Jul 7

Women's Hockey Roundtable

Margot Page on Representing Canada, Transitioning from Player to Coach, and the Growth of Women's Hockey

Margot Page enjoyed a playing career that saw her bring home gold medals while playing alongside many of the game’s most recognizable names, and a coaching career that has spanned nearly thirty years. And it’s through the lessons learned during her playing days that she has gained perspective as she swapped the skates for the coach’s whistle. It’s a story that starts as many Canadian hockey players’ stories do: on a frozen lake, in the cold depths of winter, inspired by the passion of a sibling. “We’d walk down to the lake, clear it off and play,” said Page. “And it was my brother and myself and my older sister. My brother played the game, and I would follow him into the rink, and I’d just sit there. I sat and watched and absolutely loved it, and I wanted to play. That was probably when I was seven, eight or nine years old.” But it was the transition from playing on the outdoor rink to playing in a league that led Page to encounter her first hurdle. At that time, girls just didn’t play hockey; they weren’t allowed to. So that forced Page to enrol in gymnastics, track and field, and other sports that, sure, she enjoyed, but it just wasn’t the same as hockey. But that all changed when, at around the age of 11, Page’s dad, who was a bank manager, came home and informed her that the family was moving, something they’d done many times before. “I was pretty upset because I had friends and everything like that there,” she said. “But then he told me that he had done some research, and where we were moving to, there are some girls’ hockey teams I could join.” It didn’t take any more convincing at that point for Page to be on board. This is where she got her first taste of being part of a team with the Tiverton Big Reds. And as Page put it, “That was sort of the beginning, and I haven’t stopped since.” Page would go on to have a playing career defined by the colour gold. As a member of the Canadian National women’s ice hockey team from 1989 to 1994, Page would win three gold medals at the IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championships (1990, 1992, 1994). And those experiences, and the lessons learned while playing alongside players like Angela James, Geraldine Heaney and Hayley Wickenheiser, helped provide perspective on what it takes to win, both on and off the ice. One of those was the importance of being humble. “You might think you’re a great hockey player, and then you go in there, and you’re a fourth-line player, and you still have to be there for your teammates,” she said. “I get it because I was one of those players, so you can feel for them as to what they’re going through.” And those valuable insights and discoveries from her playing career, along with a background and passion for teaching, helped Page make the successful transition from the ice to the bench. Her first coaching position was with Niagara University's Purple Eagles women’s ice hockey program, where she was named the first coach and spent 10 seasons. During that time, she also led the National Women’s Under-22 team to gold medals at the 2003 and 2004 Air Canada Cup and 2010 MLP Cup. Page would also help lead the women’s national team to gold at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy, as an assistant coach. Additionally, Page spent four years with Switzerland’s Under-18 national team, serving as an assistant coach. Throughout her coaching career, Page has been uniquely positioned to witness firsthand the growth of women’s hockey, particularly at the USPORTS level. “That first national team in 1990, we had to pay to try out for our national team,” she said. “So it’s come a long way, which is really neat. And I’m excited to see where it is now.” And with that growth comes the understanding that, to be sustainable in the long term, systems are needed to develop players at all levels. As it stands, the PWHL is primarily “fed” through the NCAA, with only some exceptions made for the SDHL, and even fewer still through USPORTS. “I would just like to see some sort of link between them,” Page said, “so that more people who still want to be competitive coming out of the NCAA or USPORTS can still look to develop.” While that work will be crucial to ensuring the success of professional women’s hockey, Page knows that the passion is there, the funding opportunities continue to grow, and the sky is the limit for what can be achieved. From first lacing up her skates on the frozen lakes back home to joining her first team to being a part of Canada’s gold medal-winning legacy, Margot Page is a name that’s synonymous with women’s hockey and is a story that has, and will continue to be, an inspiration for so many young girls who will continue to grow the sport.1mo

Women's Hockey Roundtable

Charge GM Mike Hirshfeld On 2026 Draft, Adding Jenna Buglioni, And Free Agency

Jun 27

Women's Hockey Roundtable

Charge Re-Sign Sanni Ahola, Vita Poniatovskaia To One-Year Contracts

Jun 25

Women's Hockey Roundtable

Montreal's Marie-Philip Poulin To Have Surgery On Lingering Knee Injury

Jun 25

Women's Hockey Roundtable

Ottawa Charge Search For New Captain Following Brianne Jenner's Departure

Jun 24

Women's Hockey Roundtable