Canada's Rhyah Stewart #1 looks on prior to Quarterfinal Round action against Switzerland at the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship at Arena Zug on January 11, 2024 in Zug, Switzerland.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Andrea Leigh Cardin
Rhyah Stewart had a memorable start in goal with the Maritime Junior Hockey League's West Kent Steamers in September. Facing Junior A male competition, the trailblazing 17-year-old Canadian goaltender stopped 39 shots, earning her first shutout in a 3-0 win over Grand Falls Rapids.
“It was an incredible experience,” Stewart said. “Playing junior hockey was a goal of mine, kind of going out through my career. Getting the opportunity to play and have the result that happened was something I was excited for.”
When the Steamers signed Stewart in late August, the team already knew what the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship bronze medalist was capable of. Having also scouted her at tournaments like the Monctonian last fall and Ice Jam this past January, they saw something special in her.
“Rhyah is a smaller-sized goalie, but she reads the play so well,” said Steamers GM and head coach Olivier Filion. “She's so athletic and quick that her size doesn’t matter. She's a gamer. She wants to go out there and prove to people that she belongs there. She wants to get better every day. How quick she is and how much she battles makes her a good goalie in our league.”
“It was an incredible experience,” Stewart said. “Playing junior hockey was a goal of mine, kind of going out through my career. Getting the opportunity to play and have the result that happened was something I was excited for.”
When the Steamers signed Stewart in late August, the team already knew what the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship bronze medalist was capable of. Having also scouted her at tournaments like the Monctonian last fall and Ice Jam this past January, they saw something special in her.
“Rhyah is a smaller-sized goalie, but she reads the play so well,” said Steamers GM and head coach Olivier Filion. “She's so athletic and quick that her size doesn’t matter. She's a gamer. She wants to go out there and prove to people that she belongs there. She wants to get better every day. How quick she is and how much she battles makes her a good goalie in our league.”
Rhyah Stewart posts a 29-save shutout in her MHL debut as @WKSteamers beat @GFRapidshockey 3-0. Stewart becomes the second female to play in the league, after goaltender Lisa Herritt with the Dartmouth Oland Exports in 1995-96, and was the game's first star. pic.twitter.com/wDZY8eQWNM
— The MHL (@THEMHL) September 22, 2024
Stewart is only the second female goalie to play in league history. It is not the first time the 171-cm netminder from Antigonish, Nova Scotia has broken barriers.
In 2023, Stewart became the first female athlete to play for the QMJHL's Cape Breton Screaming Eagles when she suited up for a pre-season game while attending the main camp. She is one of only five women to ever play in the Canadian Hockey League. In that game, Stewart played 30 minutes and stopped all 24 shots she faced against the Moncton Wildcats in a 5-3 loss.
Recently, the goaltender played another pre-season game with the Eagles during rookie camp, helping to defeat the Halifax Mooseheads.
“Getting to play in the second game, I felt a little bit more comfortable,” she said. “I had a feel for the league from last year, and then everyone on the ice and the fan base is always incredible.”
In 2023, Stewart became the first female athlete to play for the QMJHL's Cape Breton Screaming Eagles when she suited up for a pre-season game while attending the main camp. She is one of only five women to ever play in the Canadian Hockey League. In that game, Stewart played 30 minutes and stopped all 24 shots she faced against the Moncton Wildcats in a 5-3 loss.
Recently, the goaltender played another pre-season game with the Eagles during rookie camp, helping to defeat the Halifax Mooseheads.
“Getting to play in the second game, I felt a little bit more comfortable,” she said. “I had a feel for the league from last year, and then everyone on the ice and the fan base is always incredible.”
Stewart learned much from that experience that she hopes to carry that with her in this new hockey chapter.
“Getting to have that experience is pretty incredible for my development,” she said. “I got to see at a very high level how they train, how practices are, how to play at that level. To get that experience helps me grow as a player and pushes me."
Before joining the Steamers in Bouctouche, New Brunswick, Stewart played with the Cape Breton West Islanders of the Nova Scotia U18 Major Hockey League. Last season, she was named a league second-team all-star. In 18 games, she posted a 2.88 GAA and a .913 save percentage. Stewart had a 2.79 GAA and a 93.0 savepercentage in 10 playoff games.
Having played in three leagues, Stewart sees some differences in the various levels of competition.
“They're comparable, but each year and each level you go up, everyone gets a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger,” she said. “Plays happen a little quicker, and they shoot harder at each level. They're all building blocks towards the next level. Any chance you get to go higher, you get experience that helps you become a better player.”
Playing with the boys is something Stewart has done her entire career. The goaltender has thrived in that environment because of support from those teams.
“It is what I'm used to growing up,” she said. “I've always played on the male side. Throughout the years, I've been very grateful to have the teammates and staff I've had. They've all been very welcoming. They make me feel like I'm any other player on the team."
“Getting to have that experience is pretty incredible for my development,” she said. “I got to see at a very high level how they train, how practices are, how to play at that level. To get that experience helps me grow as a player and pushes me."
Before joining the Steamers in Bouctouche, New Brunswick, Stewart played with the Cape Breton West Islanders of the Nova Scotia U18 Major Hockey League. Last season, she was named a league second-team all-star. In 18 games, she posted a 2.88 GAA and a .913 save percentage. Stewart had a 2.79 GAA and a 93.0 savepercentage in 10 playoff games.
Having played in three leagues, Stewart sees some differences in the various levels of competition.
“They're comparable, but each year and each level you go up, everyone gets a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger,” she said. “Plays happen a little quicker, and they shoot harder at each level. They're all building blocks towards the next level. Any chance you get to go higher, you get experience that helps you become a better player.”
Playing with the boys is something Stewart has done her entire career. The goaltender has thrived in that environment because of support from those teams.
“It is what I'm used to growing up,” she said. “I've always played on the male side. Throughout the years, I've been very grateful to have the teammates and staff I've had. They've all been very welcoming. They make me feel like I'm any other player on the team."
Stewart's mark in the women's game
While she has enjoyed success playing against boys, Stewart has also made her mark in the women’s game. Last year, the goaltender led Nova Scotia to their first-ever medal at the Canada Winter Games (silver). And of course, she'll never forget her U18 Women's Worlds debut in Zug, Switzerland, even though Canada was disappointed to finish third. She had a 0.67 GAA and 95.0 save percentage in three games, including the 8-1 bronze-medal clincher against Finland.“That experience is one of my highlights, pretty much in my life,” she said. “Anytime you get to represent your country, you're playing for something a lot bigger than yourself. You're playing for the whole country, the team, your family, and everyone it represents. It's always a pretty special opportunity when you get to throw the jersey on, and it’s something I'm grateful for.”
Representing her country is something Stewart hopes to do again multiple times in her career. She looks up to the Canadian Olympic team, mainly the goaltenders and local veteran Blayre Turnbull.
“What they've done for the game over the last number of years has been pretty impactful for the next generation,” she said.
Stewart’s career and playing style has gotten some early comparisons to Charline Labonte, who won three Olympic gold medals, two World Championships, and six silver medals in IIHF competition.
“Getting compared to someone that played at that high of a caliber is a big compliment,” she said. “She's helped grow the game, played on the male and the international side. So to be compared to a name like hers is pretty awesome.”
Filion is familiar with Labonte. They grew up in the same town, played against each other at the minor hockey level, and were also teammates, playing for the QMJHL’s Acadie-Bathurst Titans.
When the GM was on the verge of signing Stewart, he remembered when he joined the Titans and how many felt bringing Labonte on board was just a marketing ploy.
“I was telling them, 'No, Charline is ready to play here,” he said. “Charline was great. The biggest thing was fitting into a male dressing room, team, and league. When I had the opportunity to sign Rhyah, I thought about how everything went down when Charline came. I was more prepared and ready to talk to our group, the leaders, and explain why Rhyah was coming here.”
While Labonte and Stewart may have similar mindsets, Filion says that Stewart is quicker and more prepared to play at the junior level.
“They have the same mindset of being the best goalie out there,” he said. “It doesn't matter if they're females playing male hockey. For them, there was zero difference. There are similarities in their game approach, practice habits, and getting into a group of boys at the end.”
Stewart's future and legacy
Following in Turnbull’s footsteps, Stewart will move on to the NCAA's University of Wisconsin Badgers in 2025-26. It seems like a perfect fit. Wisconsin has also featured superstars like Ann-Renee Desbiens, Sarah Nurse, and Hilary Knight in recent years.“When I was talking to them, I got to see the winning culture and everything they bring to the table,” she said. “It' has great people and it’s a great place. The tour of the campus was beautiful.”
Right now, having a successful season with the Steamers is her focus. According to Filion, the plan is for Stewart to play at least 20 games.
“Hopefully, we can come out with a victory at the end and just progress and get more comfortable game by game,” she said of her current goals.
However, Filion envisions even greater things for her in the future.
“The way she's been handling all these different situations, I see her being a goalie for the Olympic team, for Team Canada. I see her being able to play in the PWHL if she decides to go on the female route, and I think she will because women's hockey is so big, and her best way of getting prepared is playing the best hockey possible.”
Looking ahead to the future, Stewart knows the legacy she is already creating, paving the way for other girls and women to have more opportunities. It is something the goaltender has dreamed about since she was a kid, skating on ponds with her family.
“I always wanted to play at the highest level, and not being on the male side, it comes with breaking some barriers,” Stewart said. “I hope just to show anyone that you can do whatever you put your mind to. You have to work hard, but you can dream big. You can set goals that some people might think are a little crazy, but if that's what you want, go for it. You can achieve whatever you desire.”
Stewart's excellent play and passion for hockey has made Filion optimistic that his 11-year-old daughter can one day also aspire to dream big and have more opportunities to play hockey as a goaltender.
“For her, seeing Rhyah interacting with the boys, being in practice with our boys, jumping on the ice, and seeing her getting a shutout, my daughter is like, “'Oh, maybe one day I can play junior hockey in my town.'”
For Rhyah Stewart, too, the journey is just getting started.