Pictou County connections getting set for world women’s hockey championships

HALIFAX, N.S. – 
The world of women’s hockey will be knocking on Nova Scotia’s door in early spring.
And at least two people with Pictou County connections – Troy Ryan and Blayre Turnbull – will be expected to answer it.
Ryan coached the Junior A Crushers for five seasons starting in 2004, the team’s first year in existence. He has since coached two other Maritime Hockey League franchises – the old Metro Marauders and the Campbellton Tigers – and also had a brief stint at university hockey as a coach at St. Thomas and has performed other roles with Hockey Nova Scotia and Hockey Canada programs since his Campbellton days. 
“Coaching the women’s program – six years ago, that was not on my radar at all,” he said in an interview on Jan. 17, after he returned home from a mini-camp he conducted with his troops in Vaughan, Ont.
When he first joined the women’s program three years ago, he didn’t know anyone – except for Turnbull, a Stellarton native (they and Team Canada would lose in a shootout in the gold medal game at the 2018 Olympics). 
“It was nice to have a little bit of a connection (with someone from Pictou County) when I first got there,” he recalled. 
The 2020 IIHF Women’s World Championship will be held March 31 to April 10 in Halifax and Truro, and Ryan, who was named head coach of the national team earlier this month, will be able to share the experience (and hopefully capture a gold medal) with Turnbull and fellow Nova Scotian Jill Saulnier. 
“It’s awesome, having a world championship in my own backyard. And I think that would apply to Jill and Blayre as well,” said Ryan, who still keeps in touch with some of the friends he made in Pictou County.
Ryan said those two attended the 2004 world championship tournament, when it was held in Halifax. 
“There will be some young girls at the rink in March and they’ll see Jill and Blayre playing, and maybe they will see the possibilities – that it could happen for them, too.”
The U.S. is the five-time defending champion, while Canada last won a world title in 2012. Turnbull could not be reached for comment for this article.
SCOUTING REPORT:
Ryan was asked to provide a quick scouting report on Turnbull, who was named an assistant captain with the team.
• “She’s a powerful skater who doesn’t mind being physical. She competes hard and has a fairly high level of skill, a typical power forward.”
• “She plays with a bit of an edge and will speak her mind in the dressing room, doesn’t mind talking with the coaches. She’s a player.”