Hockey lifer Jaime Bourbonnais is seeking PWHL postseason success

Jaime Bourbonnais’ New York Sirens may not have made the PWHL playoffs this season, but that didn’t stop the elite defender from taking in a lot of postseason action. You see, Bourbonnais’ girlfriend is Ottawa Charge forward Emily Clark and as Bourbonnais put it during a recent phone interview, for the entire Playoffs she “put on my girlfriend hat and to be supportive of Emily.”

The experience also gave Bourbonnais a taste of what’s in her playing future—and rightly feels like she and the Sirens didn’t miss by much this season. “The goal is to make the playoffs and win the Walter Cup, but it’s a little bit easier to walk away [when you finish strong],” Bourbonnais said, referencing a three-game stretch going in and out of Worlds break that saw the Sirens beat the Charge, Victoire and Frost in consecutive road games, the latter two by shutout. “If you look at the standings, we were right there. It’s a testament to the skill and talent in the league. That's what keeps it exciting. I’m proud of the year we had.”

For her part, the affable and entertaining Bourbonnais showed up for her teammates to the extreme, notching 7 points from the blueline while playing all 30 games and averaging more than 22 minutes of ice time in the process.

It was just the latest solid hockey year in a lifetime of them for this 26-year-old native of Mississauga, Ontario, who in her own telling was effectively born to play the sport. The legacy of her grandfather, Roger Bourbonnais, opens in a new tab, an International Hockey Hall of Famer who starred for Canada in the 1964 and ’68 Olympics, didn’t hurt. “My [biggest role models] were definitely my family,” Jaime shared. “From as young as I can remember I used to put books under my feet and pretend I was skating on them. My dad, brother and sister also played. My mom didn’t have that opportunity to play and yet, or because of that, she was the most passionate supporting me. At first she just wanted to put me in any sport—she had played softball and golf and her dad is a golf pro. But then she saw how much I loved hockey from a young age.”

That support helped propel Bourbonnais into the U.S. college hockey system, where she made an early commitment to Cornell—at just 14 years old. “They changed the rules after me and some other girls were committing so young and the NCAA felt like it was getting out of control,” she recalled. “No kid should have to make that kind of decision that young. But I loved Coach Doug Derraugh and I loved the team. Going to Cornell was the best decision of my life.”

Instagram @jaimebourb / via instagram.com, opens in a new tab

Her time in Ithaca, NY, opens in a new tab was certainly decorated: she was a two-time ECAC Best Defenseman, First Team All-American and a Patty Kazmaier nominee. The accolades and experience set the stage for a seamless transition to the professional game—which didn’t look quite as healthy a few years ago.

A multi-time Team Canada player, Bourbonnais was with a number of CWHL players in real time when that league folded in 2019. “My first World Championship with Canada was when the CWHL folded. We were in Finland, and I was sitting in a room with all the girls who played in the CWHL. It was heartbreaking. They weren’t getting the pay or the fans they deserved. In a way, seeing their heartbreak really fueled me.”

The best option for Bourbonnais when she left Cornell was the PWHPA, which she played in for three seasons and won the Secret Cup with Team Bauer in 2021.

What came next, of course, was the PWHL and for her, a stint in the New York area. “It’s amazing to help build this,” she said. “And it’s really exciting to see the league grow. Something really hard this year was seeing girls from last year not be able to play [with just six teams and limited rosters]. It will be great to see more girls get to live their dreams. And more fans get to watch us play.”

Bourbonnais, who was drafted ninth overall by New York in the inaugural PWHL draft, quickly emerged as a rock on the team's blue line. She also fell in love with the area. “I was in a great spot in Harrison (NJ), right by the PATH,” she said. “We got to go to New York a lot.”

For a bunch of reasons, Bourbonnais would like to remain a Siren. But she’s nothing if not pragmatic. “I love New York,” she emphasized. “I want to wear that logo. I want to make the playoffs and win a championship there.”

But she also knows what's coming to the league and is prepared for whatever happens. “[Being picked by an expansion team is] something you have to consider,” she said. “You really don’t know what’s gonna happen. I'll adjust. It’s all part of being a professional, which is a pretty special opportunity.”

In many ways, Bourbonnais perfectly embodies the current generation of female hockey players: grounded in tradition and driven by excellence while staying flexible and adaptable as the game grows with them.