Vancouver Griffins

Lore & Background

The Vancouver Griffins were established in January 2000 by local businessman Phillip DeGrandpre and were voted into the NWHL in May 2000. Their first head coach was Sylvain Leone. The club's inaugural roster was selected at a training camp in August 2000 in Abbotsford, British Columbia. During the 2000–01 season, the team played 18 exhibition games against CIAU teams, provincial women's teams, and NWHL teams. The only players not from British Columbia that season were goaltender Krista Cloutier of Pickardville, Alberta, and forward Julia Berg of the Norway women's national ice hockey team.

For the 2001–02 season, the team was owned by British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame inductee Diane Nelson, with head coach Nancy Wilson. Olympians Nancy Drolet (Canada), Cammi Granato and Shelley Looney (both United States) joined the Griffins. The roster also included 18-year-old Natashia Pellatt of Burnaby and 15-year-old Courtney Unrah. The team played 31 exhibition games. A highlight was a 7–1 victory over Hayley Wickenheiser's Edmonton Chimos, with Drolet scoring a hat trick and Granato scoring the other four goals.

In the 2002–03 season, the Griffins joined the Calgary Oval X-Treme and Edmonton Chimos as a fully scheduled three-team division in the NWHL. The Griffins disbanded at the end of that season.

Reader's Guide

The Vancouver Griffins hold significance as the NWHL's first expansion team outside Ontario and Quebec, marking a geographic broadening of the league. Their brief existence from 2000 to 2003 saw the team play exhibition-heavy schedules before joining a formal three-team division in their final season. The Griffins attracted notable Olympians such as Nancy Drolet, Cammi Granato, and Shelley Looney, raising the profile of women's hockey in British Columbia. The team's 7–1 victory over Hayley Wickenheiser's Edmonton Chimos in 2001–02 stands as a notable achievement. The Griffins' legacy includes providing a professional platform for both veteran international stars and local young players like Natashia Pellatt and Courtney Unrah. Their disbandment after the 2002–03 season ended a short but impactful chapter in the development of women's professional hockey in Canada.

Did You Know?

• The Vancouver Griffins were the first expansion team for the NWHL outside Ontario and Quebec.
• In 2001–02, the team defeated Hayley Wickenheiser's Edmonton Chimos 7–1, with Nancy Drolet scoring a hat trick and Cammi Granato scoring four goals.
• The Griffins' inaugural roster included only two players not from British Columbia: Krista Cloutier and Julia Berg.