Fisher is originally from Kingston, Ont., but he arrived in Winnipeg five years ago to work in programming with Canlan Ice Sports on Ellice Ave. While there, he got to know Jon Rempel, the head coach of the University of Manitoba Bisons women’ s program. Two years into his stint in Winnipeg, Rempel called Fisher and asked him to join the Bisons as an assistant coach.
With all the scouting he did for the Bisons, he came to know regional Boston Shamrocks scout Daren Jorgenson and Shamrocks team owner Bob Rotondo. When the Shamrocks head coaching position became available, Fisher jumped at the chance to move to Boston and take over an already thriving program in the heart of Hockey East and the ECAC.
This season he will not only have the responsibility of taking over a major elite prep program in Boston, but Fisher will also bring along 10 Manitoba players, including eight talented young players from various First Nations.
The First Nation players include Taylor Tom from Whitefish Nay First Nation in Ontario and the Manitoba National Aboriginal Hockey Championship gold medal team from 2017. Julie Albert from
Norway House First Nation. Trechelle Bunn, another member of Team Manitoba who originally hails from Birdtail Sioux First Nation in Warroad, Minn. Saige McKay, Shayna Moore and Carrigan Umpherville from Pimicikamak Cree Nation in Cross Lake. And twin sisters Keyanna and Keyara Lea from Berens River First Nation.
As well, two non-Treaty players will make the move to Boston – Ashlee Hodge from Stony Mountain and Mya Jorgenson from Winnipeg. It will be a wonderful opportunity for all the young women.
When they’ re in Boston, they will be tutored at the rink and they will live in a house with a couple whose daughter once played for the Shamrocks.
“ There aren’ t a lot of opportunities for us in Manitoba,” Umpherville, 16, a Grade 11 student, recently told CBC News.“ So we’ re taking this opportunity because it will help us get looked at from different colleges all over the United States and Canada.”
And they will indeed get a good look. As Jorgenson points out,“ There are five NCAA Division 1 women’ s hockey programs within a one-hour drive of the Boston Shamrocks home arena which is located in Wilmington, Mass., part of the Northern Boston Metro area.”
In fact, the Shamrocks play and work out in the old Boston Bruins training facility, which is just 20 minutes from NCAA Division 1 Merrimack College. However, the team will play and practice in the wheelhouse of Harvard University, Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern University and for the 2018-19 season, Holy Cross University.
In total, there are 17 NCAA Division 1 women’ s hockey programs within a threehour drive of the rink in Wilmington, which represents one half of all the NCAA Division 1 women’ s hockey programs.
“ The schedule we play is also important for the aboriginal players,” said Jorgenson.“ The Shamrock Season is done in March and the Manitoba players will return home until the end of July when they regroup for the Beantown Classic Tournament. So if you’ re playing for Dale Bear’ s MASRC Provincial Aboriginal Team, there will be no scheduling conflicts.
Shamrocks Coach Sean Fisher( Purple Shirt) coaching at the U of M
136 | GAME ON | SEPTEMBER 2017