A family with hockey running through its veins
Jude Osmond
Caroline Sauvé and Nicholas St-Pierre, along with their daughters, Penelope and Stéphanie, aren't your typical family of four; they are the ultimate hockey family.
Ever since they were young, Penelope and her sister have excelled at hockey, displaying their natural athletic abilities from an early age. Penelope recounts how, by the time she was six, she was playing with older girls in the Novice division and dominating the competition. “I was scoring about five goals (or, I could say, a lot of goals) a game,” she said.
Both girls demonstrated such exceptional talent that they joined the boys’ league, where they thrived due to the calibre of the teams. They were able to play at the highest level and have success.
Their familiarity with many of their teammates and opponents made them feel more comfortable playing in this new environment. “When I switched to the guys, it was my dad's choice,” Penelope explained, “and it was probably the best choice he’s ever made.”
Penelope studies at the Northwood School, located in the United States, which boasts an elite girls’ hockey program. She has expressed that playing with male athletes has greatly contributed to her growth, particularly in the years leading up to her enrollment at Northwood.
She has committed to playing hockey for the 2027 season for the University of Colgate, which is ranked 15th in the country for women's hockey programs. Colgate is also a very academically strong school, which was a major factor in the decision.
Nicholas St-Pierre has coached both his daughters as they grew up, and he is the head coach of Stéphanie’s team, the Bantam AA Dragons of Outaouais. He was nominated twice for Coach of the Year at the Gala Excellence sportive Outaouais.
It’s a great bonding experience getting to coach both and seeing them set goals for themselves. It's awesome,” St-Pierre said.
Stéphanie mentioned that it is important to know how to separate her dad, the coach, and her dad, the father, when they are at the rink. On the ice, he’s her coach, but off the ice, he’s her father.
Both Stéphanie and Penelope represented the Outaouais region at the Jeux du Québec, with both winning gold – Penelope in 2024 and Stéphanie in 2026.
“I watched my sister win gold, and then, I had a chance. It was the greatest experience of my life; it’s like my mini-Olympics,” Stéphanie said.
Penelope was also a member of Team Québec at the Canadian Women’s Hockey Championship, which won gold for the first time in Quebec history.
Caroline and Nicholas expressed that allowing their daughters to play in high-level boys' teams presents challenges, such as dealing with negative comments from others who deem it too hard or dangerous. However, they felt confident it was the best decision for their children.
They received a lot of support from former coaches, including Karl Fredette, who coached the girls in Peewee AAA Relève; Lucas Byrne, who coached Penelope in Bantam AAA and also coached Stéphanie in training and specialized hockey camps; Eric Dagenais, who coached Penelope in Atom AA and Peewee AAA; Jason Guitard, who coached Stéphanie in Peewee BB and Bantam BB; and Simon Gagné, who coached Penelope in the Cadet division 1 with Intrépide and Quebec Games.
Stéphanie shared that she uses all the negative comments she hears while playing with the boys as motivation, driving her to step up and demonstrate she’s good enough.
While Penelope is serving as a model for her sister Stéphanie as their hockey careers progress, Stéphanie stated she wants to pave her own path in the future.
Both Stéphanie and Penelope have already earned multiple awards in their young careers, and they’ve demonstrated remarkable courage by competing alongside boys as they grew up.
Ultimately, hockey is more than a sport; it’s a community, and they consider themselves very lucky to have crossed paths with so many great people.