By Jason Hills

Autumn MacDougall stepped onto the ice at MacLauchlan Arena last March in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island for warmups in the Pandas bronze medal game against the University of McGill in front of 30 family members.

For the product of Cole Harbour, NS, the chance to play in a national championship so close to home in front of her family was a moment she always envisioned since joining the Pandas program in 2015.

But not this way. After tearing her AC joint in the Canada West semifinal against the Saskatchewan Huskies just three weeks previous, MacDougall’s season was over.

However, Pandas head coach Howie Draper dressed MacDougall for the bronze medal, so she could be a pillar of support for her teammates.

“Family means so much to me, and the coaches dressed me for the game so my family could see me on the ice. It was emotional for me and my family,” said MacDougall.

“I just tried to stay positive with it. I still wanted to be someone they could lean on for support and advice. I’d give feedback and try to come up with some plays during intermission.”

It shows the respect MacDougall has amongst her teammates and the Pandas coaching staff to have her dress in the bronze medal game, despite her injury.

Draper recalled his former Golden Bears teammate Syd Cranston being in the same situation during the 1986 national championship for the Bears and how much it inspired him and his teammates to a national championship win.

“He was everyone's biggest supporter. He pushed us and supported us and it helped us win a national championship and I saw that with Dougie (MacDougall). She deserved that opportunity,” said Draper.

“It was very tough for her. It was tough for all of us. Not only knowing we would be more successful with her in the lineup, but we all care about her and we all felt it. She really decided she was going to make an impact to help the team have success.”

Entering the 2019/20 season healthy, MacDougall hasn’t missed a beat. She leads Canada West with nine points through six games.

This season, she became the 12th Panda to record 100 career points. She also has a Canada West scoring title on her resume, along with being a two-time Canada West and U SPORTS All-Star, and the 2018 Pandas team MVP.

“I think she’s brought a level of creativity and understanding of the offensive side of the game that we hadn’t had in awhile,” said Draper.

“She really connected with Alex Poznikoff. They’re like our Wayne Gretzky and Jarri Kurri, and teams have had to take notice. They know there’s a strong chance they'll get hurt on the power play if they take penalties and they can’t push us around.”

It’s fitting that in finding and recruiting MacDougall to the Pandas program, he tapped into the home of two of the National Hockey League’s most prolific scorers in Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon.

The small Maritime province is producing more and more elite level hockey talent, and MacDougall is proud of her bluenose roots.

“People know of Cole Harbour because of Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon, and they’ve been instrumental in helping grow the game back home. I’m proud to represent my town and province for the Pandas,” said MacDougall.

While Crosby, MacKinnon and other Nova Scotia homegrown talents like Brad Marchand have been role models for young boys in Nova Scotia to play hockey, women’s hockey in Nova Scotia is continuing to grow and MacDougall has had the likes of Blayre Turnbull and Jillian Saulnier, two members of Canada’s senior women’s national team to look up to and learn from.

MacDougall spends her summers back in Cole Harbour working with Turnbull and Saulnier at girls’ hockey camps.

She wants to do her part in helping grow the women’s game as much as she can in her home province.

“Outside of my family, they’ve been two of my biggest mentors,” said MacDougall.

“As a young kid, you always have big dreams, and sometimes you think to yourself, is this really realistic, but one thing I’ve learned from Jill and Blayre is that it doesn’t matter where you’re from, you can still achieve your dreams.”

She isn’t very well known coming out of Nova Scotia, but she’s become one of the best Canadian University players.

“I’ve grown so much as a person and as a hockey player being part of the Pandas program, and I’m grateful,” said MacDougall.

“I have to give a lot of credit to the coaching staff. When I came to the Pandas, I was this young five-foot kid, who barely weighed 100 lbs and I didn’t talk much at all. Howie trusted me from the moment I stepped on the ice.

“Moving away from home, you never know what that experience would be like. I never expected to love it this much. I was home sick at times, but I’m proud to call this my second home.”

MacDougall worked hard in the off-season to fully recover from her injury. She’s returned for her final year with only one goal in mind.

She helped the Pandas win a national championship in 2017. Last year, the Pandas won their 13th Canada West championship.

But she wants more. A Canada West title and national championship in the same year, in fact.

MacDougall will be more motivated than ever as the 2020 national championship is back in Charlottetown again.

“That was a big thing for me last year. It was a big thing for me to be able to play in front of my family and friends and I had that taken away from me,” said MacDougall.

“I’m very grateful that I have one more chance to get there. I feel like myself and my team have some unfinished business. I want to end my Pandas career on a high note. It’s time to do both this year, and I’m ready for the challenge.”