Former player returns to coach hockey team

Northern Capitals alumnus Sage Desjardins is coming back to her roots – after six years away she’s rejoining the girls’ hockey team, but now as the team’s newest assistant coach.

Originally from Terrace, Desjardins first moved to Prince George to pursue her hockey career where she played for the Northern B.C. team for three years prior to attending the University of Calgary and joining the Dinos. She’s now back in northern B.C. with the U18 AAA team to develop the team as an assistant coach.

For Desjardins, coaching is a family legacy, as her father Mario Desjardins coached her all through her major midget career and was the head coach of the Northern Capitals for the past few years.

“We’ve both been involved in the program, even when I was away at university. So now that I’m back home, and I’m moved back to Prince George, it’s kind of exciting to get the chance to assistant coach with them again,” said Desjardins.

However, she noted that this year will be a bit of an adjustment as it’s the first year she won’t be lacing up skates as a player having finished her time with the Dinos where she was coached by Danielle Goyette, and Carla MacLeod, both Olympic gold medalists in women’s hockey.

“I have no doubt come September, when I’m not putting on my gear to play an actual game, it’s going to feel a little weird,” said Desjardins. “But definitely, I want to make that step into coaching. I didn’t get to where I did in hockey without so much support from people in this organization and beyond it, and so just to come back and give back and help these girls try and get to where I got to go is really the end goal for me.”

Desjardins says she sees herself staying involved in hockey throughout her career. She is also starting the education program at the University of Northern British Columbia and plans to continue to coach and teach kids in both capacities.

She’s also a big advocate for encouraging girls to become involved with sports.

“I remember when I started hockey when I was like five years old, and you step on the ice and you’re with a bunch of boys, it can be so intimidating,” she said. “I think the biggest thing with females especially is don’t get discouraged. It’s so easy to lose your confidence so fast, and it takes months to build it back up. Try not to let that happen. If you’re where you’re at, you should be there.”