Sarah Fillier celebrating Canada's gold during the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship in Utica, USA.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Matt Zambonin
Sarah Fillier vividly remembers her first camp with the Canadian national women’s team.
The gifted forward was paired with Marie-Philip Poulin as roommates. Fillier learned the essence of being a leader from Poulin, arguably one of the best athletes to play the sport. It has paid off as Fillier, 24, now owns three IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship gold medals, as well as a gold medal from the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
“If you're in our locker room, you understand [Poulin’s] culture,” said the former Princeton captain, a three-time Patty Kazmaier Award finalist. “Everyone has a voice, can share that voice, and their opinions are respected. As soon as you step into that locker room, you are considered a leader no matter what and always feel super-valued.”
Starting with the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s U18 World Championship, Fillier has represented Canada on the international stage. Through those years, one thing has remained constant: staying true to her authentic self.
“I feel like this program has let me do just that, and my first kind of quad Olympic games, I had incredible leaders to look up to from our general leadership group,” she said.
The coming weeks will fly by for Fillier. After completing the Rivalry Series against the United States, the Georgetown, Ontario native will rejoin the New York Sirens to kickstart the second half of her PWHL season. She has excelled so far, vying for the league lead with five goals and 15 points. The elite level of competition also helps her prepare for the upcoming Women’s Worlds in Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.
The Rivalry Series, which Canada just won for the third year in a row, served as a measuring stick to see where the team is at competitively and to reflect on the areas where players such as Fillier need to improve over the next couple of months. Fillier finished with one goal in four Rivalry Series games.
“It's always good to take away some of our strengths and things we need to work on at these games,” Fillier said. “We always have a little bit of a shift in our group based on personnel, so it's a good chance to get more experience and for some girls to get their first experience with the team. It’s all about seeing what we need to get better.”
For the next couple of months before the Women’s Worlds, Fillier says not much will change when it comes to the preparations. There are a few areas of her game she wants to fine-tune, including focusing on her game and her continual adjustment to playing in the professional ranks.
“It's [PWHL] a bit more physical, fast, so I’m always trying to get better in those areas,” she says. “At this point, it's just trying to stay healthy. Injuries are pretty prevalent in this league with how physical it is, so it’s taking those extra steps to be healthy and to be able to get on that [Canadian] roster.”
Fillier hopes to help Canada defend its gold medal after the team defeated the United States 6-5 in overtime at the 2024 Women’s Worlds in Utica, New York. While the former Olympic and Women’s Worlds all-star is excited at the prospect of winning another gold, she is trying not to get ahead of herself, taking things one step at a time.
“It's awesome to win a gold medal for Canada, and definitely keep that in the back of our minds, but our motivation is that next gold medal all the time. It’s so cool to live that, but every Worlds is a new one. It's going to be a new test, so we're focused on what's ahead.”
As the Women’s Worlds indicates how much the game has grown, Fillier is in awe of the trajectory since she first represented Canada on the international circuit.
“It's been awesome. Since my U18 years, the European competition has grown tremendously. Each game at Worlds is getting closer in competition and even in the PWHL. You see European players on top-six lines and putting up a ton of points. It's exciting to see a great game grow throughout both continents.”
Amid her rookie season with the Sirens, the number one overall pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft says she experienced the highlight of her career just before the international break.
“We were at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto,” she recalled. “My first game as a pro hockey player in my hometown, in front of 20,000 fans in the rink that I used to go with my family to watch these games. It was a special moment, and it was cool to have all my friends and family out to that game [a 4-2 loss to the Sceptres on 25 January].”
Adjusting to the new chapter of her career has come with some challenges, mainly with the schedule.
“I'm used to a pretty routine college schedule with Friday, Saturday games, off-day Sundays, but in pro, you're on the road a lot, back-to-back games, flying here, flying there, travelling. It’s just getting used to the grind.”
Despite the challenges, Fillier says that the addition of Greg Fargo as head coach in June has been positive and impactful for the Sirens. The 41-year-old previously served as Colgate University’s head coach since 2012-13.
“He's implemented a ton of great things, and everyone's eager to win games this year,” Fillier said. “We’ve gone through a few highs and lows here, battled through some injuries, but the energy is high. We're excited for the season and want to make a big push for that Walter Cup.”
Soaring to new heights, Fillier is preparing to battle, whether it’s against the United States or any other team. Her pride in her country matches her passion for the sport, and that should shine through at April’s Women’s Worlds.
“Every time you get the chance to wear a Canadian jersey, it’s exciting.”
Getting to know Sarah Fillier:
Binge TV show: The Wire
Music: Country
Three things to bring to a desert island: Her phone, a book series, and her dog
Dream travel estination: Fiji
Favourite road-trip snack: Skinny Pop Popcorn
Superpower of choice: To fly
The gifted forward was paired with Marie-Philip Poulin as roommates. Fillier learned the essence of being a leader from Poulin, arguably one of the best athletes to play the sport. It has paid off as Fillier, 24, now owns three IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship gold medals, as well as a gold medal from the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
“If you're in our locker room, you understand [Poulin’s] culture,” said the former Princeton captain, a three-time Patty Kazmaier Award finalist. “Everyone has a voice, can share that voice, and their opinions are respected. As soon as you step into that locker room, you are considered a leader no matter what and always feel super-valued.”
Starting with the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s U18 World Championship, Fillier has represented Canada on the international stage. Through those years, one thing has remained constant: staying true to her authentic self.
“I feel like this program has let me do just that, and my first kind of quad Olympic games, I had incredible leaders to look up to from our general leadership group,” she said.
The coming weeks will fly by for Fillier. After completing the Rivalry Series against the United States, the Georgetown, Ontario native will rejoin the New York Sirens to kickstart the second half of her PWHL season. She has excelled so far, vying for the league lead with five goals and 15 points. The elite level of competition also helps her prepare for the upcoming Women’s Worlds in Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.
The Rivalry Series, which Canada just won for the third year in a row, served as a measuring stick to see where the team is at competitively and to reflect on the areas where players such as Fillier need to improve over the next couple of months. Fillier finished with one goal in four Rivalry Series games.
“It's always good to take away some of our strengths and things we need to work on at these games,” Fillier said. “We always have a little bit of a shift in our group based on personnel, so it's a good chance to get more experience and for some girls to get their first experience with the team. It’s all about seeing what we need to get better.”
For the next couple of months before the Women’s Worlds, Fillier says not much will change when it comes to the preparations. There are a few areas of her game she wants to fine-tune, including focusing on her game and her continual adjustment to playing in the professional ranks.
“It's [PWHL] a bit more physical, fast, so I’m always trying to get better in those areas,” she says. “At this point, it's just trying to stay healthy. Injuries are pretty prevalent in this league with how physical it is, so it’s taking those extra steps to be healthy and to be able to get on that [Canadian] roster.”
Fillier hopes to help Canada defend its gold medal after the team defeated the United States 6-5 in overtime at the 2024 Women’s Worlds in Utica, New York. While the former Olympic and Women’s Worlds all-star is excited at the prospect of winning another gold, she is trying not to get ahead of herself, taking things one step at a time.
“It's awesome to win a gold medal for Canada, and definitely keep that in the back of our minds, but our motivation is that next gold medal all the time. It’s so cool to live that, but every Worlds is a new one. It's going to be a new test, so we're focused on what's ahead.”
As the Women’s Worlds indicates how much the game has grown, Fillier is in awe of the trajectory since she first represented Canada on the international circuit.
“It's been awesome. Since my U18 years, the European competition has grown tremendously. Each game at Worlds is getting closer in competition and even in the PWHL. You see European players on top-six lines and putting up a ton of points. It's exciting to see a great game grow throughout both continents.”
Amid her rookie season with the Sirens, the number one overall pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft says she experienced the highlight of her career just before the international break.
“We were at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto,” she recalled. “My first game as a pro hockey player in my hometown, in front of 20,000 fans in the rink that I used to go with my family to watch these games. It was a special moment, and it was cool to have all my friends and family out to that game [a 4-2 loss to the Sceptres on 25 January].”
Adjusting to the new chapter of her career has come with some challenges, mainly with the schedule.
“I'm used to a pretty routine college schedule with Friday, Saturday games, off-day Sundays, but in pro, you're on the road a lot, back-to-back games, flying here, flying there, travelling. It’s just getting used to the grind.”
Despite the challenges, Fillier says that the addition of Greg Fargo as head coach in June has been positive and impactful for the Sirens. The 41-year-old previously served as Colgate University’s head coach since 2012-13.
“He's implemented a ton of great things, and everyone's eager to win games this year,” Fillier said. “We’ve gone through a few highs and lows here, battled through some injuries, but the energy is high. We're excited for the season and want to make a big push for that Walter Cup.”
Soaring to new heights, Fillier is preparing to battle, whether it’s against the United States or any other team. Her pride in her country matches her passion for the sport, and that should shine through at April’s Women’s Worlds.
“Every time you get the chance to wear a Canadian jersey, it’s exciting.”
Getting to know Sarah Fillier:
Binge TV show: The Wire
Music: Country
Three things to bring to a desert island: Her phone, a book series, and her dog
Dream travel estination: Fiji
Favourite road-trip snack: Skinny Pop Popcorn
Superpower of choice: To fly