Kelly Bechard
| Kelly Bechard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born |
January 22, 1978 Sedley, Saskatchewan, Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 146 lb (66 kg; 10 st 6 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WWHL CIS team |
Calgary Oval X-Treme Univ. of Calgary Dinos | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team |
.svg.png){kind=small} Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1996–2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Kelly Paige Bechard (born January 22, 1978) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former player. She played for the Calgary Oval X-Treme, Brampton Thunder, and Mississauga Aeros. She won a gold medal with Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.[1]
Born in Sedley, Saskatchewan, Bechard was a provincial doubles badminton champion in High School. She played university hockey for the University of Calgary. In club hockey, she was a four-time Abby Hoffman Cup national champion, three times with Calgary and once with Brampton.
Playing career
College hockey
In 1998, she was named to the CIAU’s First All-Star team and was presented the Award of Merit.[2] After the Olympics, Bechard returned to the University of Calgary, where she played for the university’s hockey team, and pursued a degree in management.
Club career
Bechard played in the National Women's Hockey League and the Western Women's Hockey League. She scored a goal in the 2003 Women's National Hockey Championship to help Team Alberta win the Abby Hoffman Cup.[3]
International play
Bechard competed for Canada at the World Championships in 2000 and 2001.[4]
In the 2002 gold medal game, Bechard was called for a tripping penalty late in the third period, and this led to Karyn Bye of the United States scoring a goal.[5] The goal made the score 3-2 in Canada’s favour, as Bechard was part of the first Canadian Women's Hockey Gold Medal hockey team in Olympic history.
Coaching
From 2010-2014 she was assistant coach for the university of Calgary Dino’s, she took over head coach for the 2013-14 season. After that she left to be the assistant coach for the Calgary Inferno for their 2017-18 season. Bechard is now back as an assistant coach for the university of Calgary Dino’s [6]
Awards and honours
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Abby Hoffman Cup | 1998, 2001, 2003, 2006 |
| NWHL Championship | 2002-03, 2003-04 |
| WWHL Championship | 2004-05, 2007-08 |
| CIS All Canadian Team | 1997-98 |
| Dinos Hall of Fame | 2017[7] |
| Canada West Hall of Fame | 2022[8] |
References
- ^ "Kelly Bechard". Olympics. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
- ^ Canadian Gold 2002, p. 114, Andrew Podnieks, Fenn Publishing Company Ltd, Bolton, Ontario, Canada, 2002
- ^ "Esso Canadian National Championships 2003". Ontario Women's Hockey Association. March 16, 2003. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2010.
- ^ Canadian Gold 2002, p. 114, Andrew Podnieks, Fenn Publishing Company Ltd, Bolton, Ontario, Canada, 2002
- ^ Canadian Gold 2002, p. 114, Andrew Podnieks, Fenn Publishing Company Ltd, Bolton, Ontario, Canada, 2002
- ^ Canadian Gold 2002, p. 114, Andrew Podnieks, Fenn Publishing Company Ltd, Bolton, Ontario, Canada, 2002
- ^ "Dinos Hall of Fame". Retrieved 6 December 2025.
- ^ "Canada West Hall of Fame". Retrieved 6 December 2025.