On November 12, 2024, Mt. A alumna, Kenzie Lalonde made NHL history becoming the first female play-by-play announcer for a Canadian NHL Team. Millions of fans tuned in to the Ottawa Senators versus the Toronto Maple Leafs, to watch the riveting game. Ultimately the Senators came out on top with a 3–0 win, but many fans are focusing on Lalonde’s performance in the game.
Lalonde graduated from Mt. A in 2016 with a Bachelor of Commerce in marketing and management, and played on the Mount Allison Women’s Hockey team for five years. The ex-captain played forward for the Mounties, and was a standout player. Her love for the game began young, as she began to play hockey at age five, and her passion for hockey only grew when she transitioned into the women’s hockey league at 10. She found her love of broadcasting at Mt. A, where the university’s sports director at the time, Pierre Arsenault, encouraged her to cover school athletics.
While there have been a few female commentators in the NHL, Lalonde was the first to do a play-play announcement. The play-by-play announcers must describe the action of the game as it happens, while other commentators, known as color commentators, provide other information about the game and athletes. This role requires special attention and knowledge of the game. Lalonde elaborated on how being a play-by-play commentator truly allowed her to connect with the game again, stating in an interview with CBC, “I feel like I’m a player again. I’m in the thick of it. I’m with the players. You’re part of the moments in real time, and I think that’s why I gravitate toward it.”
There have been numerous female trailblazers in the sports entertainment industry. In a world heavily dominated by men, women such as Leah Hextall have managed to begin occupying these spaces. Hextall was the first woman to call an NHL game and on March 8, 2020 she took part in the NHL’s first all female broadcast to celebrate International Women’s Day. Other notable female voices on this particular broadcast include Cassie Campbell-Pascal, a retired hockey player and Olympian-turned-broadcaster.
Moving forward, it is clear we need more women in sports and sports entertainment. For so long, women have faced barriers to pursuing a career in this male-dominated field, such as inaccurate claims that they are unqualified. Lalonde is a role model for all young women wanting to pursue a career in the sports industry. Speaking to CBC’s Sam Farley, Lalonde expressed that she was excited for the future had in store for her: “I think there’s so many layers to this. And that was just one game of many. I’ve got 11 more on the season so I’m looking forward to it.” Women continue to break barriers and pursue careers in male dominated fields. Many women such as Kenzie Lalonde, are proving that women deserve to occupy all spaces, whether it be medicine, law, or an NHL booth.
