Strathmore Rockies

Lore & Background

The Strathmore Rockies were founded by Samantha Holmes and Brigitte Lessard. The idea to start the team stemmed from the fact that there were many elite hockey players in Calgary, but not all of them had the opportunity to play for the Calgary Oval X-Treme. Holmes and Lessard founded the Strathmore Rockies so that elite level players in Alberta would have another team to compete for. Holmes handled the day-to-day tasks of running the Strathmore team, including player scouting, sponsorship and marketing campaigns. She was also captain of the Rockies and ran local skills clinics in Calgary for young women's players. In 2011, the Strathmore Rockies and Edmonton Chimos combined to form the new Team Alberta entry into the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL), which later became the Calgary Inferno.

Reader's Guide

The Strathmore Rockies were notable as a professional women's ice hockey team in the Western Women's Hockey League, providing an additional competitive outlet for elite female players in Alberta. The team's founding addressed a gap in opportunity for players who could not join the Calgary Oval X-Treme. The Rockies' founder and captain, Samantha Holmes, was instrumental in the team's operations, from scouting to marketing, and also contributed to youth development through skills clinics. The team's legacy continued when it merged with the Edmonton Chimos in 2011 to form Team Alberta in the Canadian Women's Hockey League, a precursor to the Calgary Inferno. This merger marked the end of the Rockies as a standalone franchise but extended its impact into the CWHL. The team's existence demonstrated grassroots efforts to expand women's hockey opportunities beyond established powerhouse teams.

Did You Know?

• The team played its home games at Strathmore Family Center Arena in Strathmore, Alberta.
• Samantha Holmes served as both captain and day-to-day operator of the team.
• In 2011, the Rockies merged with the Edmonton Chimos to form Team Alberta in the CWHL.