Player of the month for February
Abigail Waters named as an ‘inspirational’ hockey player
By Laureen Sweeney

The Westmount Minor Hockey Association has named Abigail Waters from its Wings U/M9-4 girls’ team as its player of the month for February. At 8 years old, “Abigail is an inspirational player,” said Andrew Maislin, operations manager for the city’s Sports and Recreation department. In announcing the selection, he said it was not often that an association comes across someone “who inspires others to want to play hockey at this young age.” And Maislin witnessed it first hand, he told the Independent last week. “This past weekend, my 7-year-old daughter who wants nothing to do with hockey went to a Wings-versus-Côte St Luc Canucks game to cheer on a few of her friends on the Canucks team. After the game when she came home, I asked her what she thought about the game and the first words out of her mouth were, ‘I want to be like number 16 on your team.’ “I asked ‘Why number 16?’ and her response was so simple and profound. She responded by telling me that every time she saw number 16 on the ice, she was smiling and she looked like she was having so much fun. ‘I want to be just like her.’” Maislin said that Abigail had assisted numerous teams this season when they have been short players. “She has often
played multiple games in a day without hesitation. Abigail has demonstrated true Wings spirit, not just on her team but the teams that she has supported.” Amazing shot She has no fear on the ice, he added. “She has an amazing shot and is always quick to get up when she falls. She has a great hockey sense and is always in the right spot.” While Abigail may be quiet in the room and on the bench, her presence is well noticed on the ice through her consistent performances, he explained. “I look forward to having Abigail in our program for years to come.” The player-of-the-month recognition program was initiated in November 2019 “to acknowledge how, through hockey and sports as a whole, children are able to develop sportsmanship, teamwork and discipline, which they can then transfer into other areas of their lives.”