First Nation player returns to TMU lineup following knee injury

By Sam Laskaris

TORONTO – The start of Ava Assinewai’s university hockey career was put on hold for a few months.

But Assinewai, a member of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island, is back on the ice and playing games for the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s hockey team.

Assinewai, a rookie forward with the Bold, was expected to play a huge role with the team this season. Unfortunately, those plans were put on hold as she tore the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) in her right knee during a mid-September exhibition contest.

Assinewai missed the first 16 matches of TMU’s regular season. She returned to action in early January.

“A girl fell on me while I was in stride and it just [went],” Assinewai said of her injury, following TMU’s 1-0 home loss against the Wilfred Laurier University Golden Hawks on Jan. 16.

For Assinewai, that game was her third since returning to the Bold lineup. While recuperating, she missed almost four months of action.

Fortunately, surgery was not required.

“The MCL repairs itself,” Assinewai said. “So, it’s slowly repairing itself now. It’s almost 100 per cent. It’s around, like, 90. So, it’s okay enough to play.”

Assinewai joined TMU after starring for the North York Storm Under 22 squad the year before. After graduating from high school, she opted to focus on her hockey and took a gap year from her studies.

Her Storm coach had connections with TMU and told her to go take a tour of the school.

“I loved it,” Assinewai said. “The facility is great. There’s a lot of support for academics and all that kind of stuff. And I was sold.”

The Bold play their home contests at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, located at the historical site of Maple Leaf Gardens.

Missing a good chunk of the season has put Assinewai a bit behind.

“I’m definitely still trying to catch up a bit,” she said. “I feel behind, like, mentally, because it’s a fast game. So, it’s hard to get back into that after being four months out.”

While rehabilitating her knee, Assinewai was still very much a part of the Bold club, attending practices and games, even on the road when she did not have a school conflict.

Assinewai is currently taking medical physics. She’s hoping to transfer into TMU’s biomedical program next year.

So how is she able to juggle her hockey with a strenuous academic workload?

“I’m still trying to figure that out currently,” she said. “But it’s all right. It’s definitely very hectic. But you learn to just cram your days in one and then let it be free at the end.”

Assinewai took five classes last semester. And she’s taking four courses this semester.

TMU head coach Lisa Haley has welcomed Assinewai’s return to the club’s lineup.

“She brings a lot of size, a lot of strength, and she can play multiple positions,” she said. “We’ve even had her practice a few reps on D as well. We know she did that in junior. So, she’s just such a versatile player and [has] really great instincts and IQ.”

Haley said Assinewai will need a bit more time to get used to the rigours of the Ontario women’s university league.

“The players are a little bit older and more physical,” she said. “And there’s a little bit more structure in the games.”

Haley is confident Assinewai will play a key role in the second half of the team’s season.

“She’s only going to get better,” she said. “And she’s already been a welcome addition back this second half. She’s worked so hard to recover from her injury. And honestly, physically, she’s probably more ready now than she was in September. [With] just a few more touches, a couple more games, I think she’s going to be a huge momentum swing for us in the second half.”

Haley also praised Assinewai for her work in the classroom.

“For any student athlete to be in a STEM program, they have to commit a lot of hours to their academics,” she said. “And Ava works very hard for her grades as well. She holds such high standards in everything that she’s doing.”

Haley is thrilled that Assinewai will be a part of the Bold future for several years.

“She has great natural leadership as well, such a capacity not just to lead by example but calm poise with others, knowing how to talk to others,” Haley added. “And even though she’s young, she’s got a really good feel and empathy for some others as well. You can just see that she’s got a lot of great natural leadership abilities…We’re super excited that she’s committed to TMU. We’re definitely looking forward to having her here for the long haul.”