Growing up in the small town of Birtle, Man., there wasn’t much for Tatum Amy to do but play hockey — not that she had any problem with that.
“We’ve got a gas station, a school and a rink. The easiest thing to do for my parents was to just put me in skates and throw me on the ice.”
The small town of about 700 people has birthed three men who went on to play in the NHL, and now, Birtle residents can add “hometown of the best player in women’s university hockey in Western Canada” to their resume.
The 23-year-old forward for the Mount Royal Cougars in Calgary was named the Canada West Player of the Year Thursday after leading the conference in scoring with 31 points in 26 games.
But in true hockey fashion, Amy was quick to deflect praise.
“It means a lot to be recognized individually, for sure,” Amy explained.
“I told my teammates that hockey is a team sport, that’s why I love it so much. I definitely couldn’t have done it without any of them being involved.”
The fifth-year player is also the captain of the team, leading the Cougars to a third-place finish in the conference and a first-round playoff win over Trinity Western last weekend. They face Alberta in a best-of-three semifinal series this weekend.
Amy was also the winner of the Sportsmanship and Ability Award as well as the Student-Athlete Community Service Award in her final year as a Cougar.
“I like to think that I lead by example. I always strive to be the hardest-working player on the ice, in the gym, in the classroom, in the community. I really like to keep busy and I like to be involved in as many things as possible,” Amy said.
“I think that I know how much I love hockey and how playing hockey makes me feel, so being able to give others the feeling that I get when I play a sport, it just makes me feel good. It’s kind of addictive in that way.”
Amy donates her time to six different non-profit organizations in the Calgary area as she pursues a major in physical literacy and a minor in sport and recreation management.
After her university career comes to a close, she wants to keep playing, whether that’s in Europe or in North America.
But wherever she winds up, she knows that whenever she goes home to Birtle, she’ll have no shortage of fans waiting to chat her up.
“This past Christmas, I worked at our little store in town for a couple of shifts. Everyone that came in, we sat and talked for at least a couple of minutes while I was checking them out at the till. Everyone in my hometown, I am very grateful for because I know they are all following me, always.”
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