Blayre Turnbull

Blayre Turnbull (born July 15, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward and captain of Toronto of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). She made her debut with the Canada women's national ice hockey team at the 2014 4 Nations Cup.[1]

Blayre Turnbull
Turnbull with PWHL Toronto in 2024
Born (1993-07-15) July 15, 1993 (age 30)
Stellarton, Nova Scotia, Canada
Height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight159 lb (72 kg; 11 st 5 lb)
PositionForward
ShootsRight
PWHL team
Former teams
PWHL Toronto
Calgary Inferno
Wisconsin Badgers
National team Canada
Playing career2011–present
Websiteblayreturnbull.com
Medal record
Women's ice hockey
Representing  Canada
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place2022 BeijingTeam
Silver medal – second place2018 PyeongchangTeam
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2021 Canada
Gold medal – first place2022 Denmark
Gold medal – first place2024 United States
Silver medal – second place2016 Canada
Silver medal – second place2017 United States
Silver medal – second place2023 Canada
Bronze medal – third place2019 Finland

On September 6, 2023, Turnbull signed a three-year deal with the PWHL Toronto of the newly formed new Professional Women's Hockey League.[2]

Career

Turnbull attended Shattuck-St. Mary's, where she was a classmate of Nathan MacKinnon and played on the girls' hockey team. As a junior, she appeared in 52 contests while gaining 60 points (on 30 goals and 30 assists).[3] With the team, won two national championships in two years.

Turnbull with Wisconsin in 2013

NCAA

The 2011–12 Wisconsin Badgers season marked her first with the club. In a match versus the Lindenwood Lady Lions on September 25, 2011, she scored her first career NCAA goal. She holds various UW records and the NCAA record for shorthanded goals in a season. She was the captain of the Wisconsin Badgers in her junior and senior year and is an NCAA champion.[4] She played for the Badgers for a total of four seasons, identifying herself in her Twitter account as having graduated in 2015.[5][6]

CWHL

Turnbull helped the Calgary Inferno capture their first-ever Clarkson Cup championship in 2016. Contested at Ottawa's Canadian Tire Centre, she scored twice in an 8–3 victory over Les Canadiennes de Montreal.[7]

She would miss most of the 2017-18 CWHL season training with Team Canada for the Olympics but returned in time for the playoffs.[8] In 2019, Turnbull would win her second Clarkson Cup with Calgary.

In May 2019, Turnbull joined the PWHPA after the collapse of the CWHL.[9] She participated in the 2020 NHL All-Star Game with the Canadian All-Stars.[10]

International

Turnbull participated with Team Atlantic (alongside teammates such as Jillian Saulnier and Alex Normore) at the 2009 Canadian Under 19 nationals. She participated in the shootout for Team Atlantic in the quarterfinals versus Team Ontario Blue in a losing effort.[11] On two occasions, she attended training camp for the 2010 and 2011 IIHF World Women's under-18. For the 2011 camp, Turnbull was one of only two Nova Scotians who were invited. In 2016, she made the Canadian National Women's team and competed in the world championships in Kamloops, BC.[12] She also played for Canada in the 2017 and 2019 World Championships and was selected for the 2020 World Championships before they were cancelled due to the 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak.[13]

Turnbull was selected to the Canadian roster for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Korea. She would put up 3 points in 5 games, winning a silver medal.[14][15]

In 2021, Turnbull played for Canada at the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship, and suffered a broken fibula during the celebration after winning the gold medal.[16] She later called the incident her most embarrassing hockey moment.[17]

On January 11, 2022, Turnbull was named to Canada's 2022 Olympic team.[18][19][20] The team won the gold medal, defeating the United States in the final 3–2.

PWHL

Following the launch of the new Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), Turnbull was one of three players (alongside fellow Canadian Olympians Sarah Nurse and Renata Fast) signed within a pre-draft period to PWHL Toronto.[2]

Personal life

Turnbull married retired Canadian bobsledder Ryan Sommer in the summer of 2023.[21]

Turnbull has a Bachelor of Arts degree in legal studies. Her brother Brent played for the Québec Remparts in the QMJHL.[22]

Career statistics

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2009–10Shattuck-Saint Mary's SabresUSHS-MN5230306014
2010–11Shattuck-Saint Mary's SabresUSHS-MN4623305347
2011–12Wisconsin BadgersNCAA34771414
2012–13Wisconsin BadgersNCAA3535818
2013–14Wisconsin BadgersNCAA3818224012
2014-15Wisconsin BadgersNCAA3615213618
2015–16Calgary InfernoCWHL2279161633250
2016–17Calgary InfernoCWHL22991812
2017–18Calgary InfernoCWHL4000431010
2017–18Team CanadaAMHL152684
2018–19Calgary InfernoCWHL25129212441234
2020-21Team ScotiabankPWHPA43364
2022-23Team ScotiabankPWHPA209112014
CWHL totals7328275556105494
PWHPA totals2412142618

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2016CanadaWC 51232
2017CanadaWC 51012
2018CanadaOLY 50330
2019CanadaWC 64040
2021CanadaWC 70118
2022CanadaWC 73256
2022CanadaOLY 74378
2023CanadaWC 72466
2024CanadaWC 71232
Senior totals5616174334

Awards and honours

  • Blayre Turnbull, WCHA Rookie of the Week (Week of October 5, 2011)[23]
  • 2012 Wisconsin Badgers Rookie of the Year[24]

References