Bendus an ambassador

By STEPHEN SWEET, SPECIAL TO QMI AGENCY

Posted 10 months ago

Even with her college career now in the books, Vicki Bendus isn't done leading the way.

The Wasaga Beach native and former alternate captain at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa., is in Europe right now, courtesy of Hockey Canada.

She was one of eight players sent over to Slovakia to try and help close the gap between nations in women's hockey.

"It's an IIHF development camp," Bendus said. "It's a new initiative they're putting on to help develop women's hockey."

The North American powerhouse programs sent over a number of trainers, managers and players, including Bendus, to help the developing countries in women's hockey improve.

It's one of a number of programs the IIHF is undertaking in an attempt to increase parity in the women's game.

"The goal of the camp is to give the European and Asian countries a chance to see how the North American countries run their hockey programs," Bendus said. "It will help them better develop their own ones."

For Bendus, who played for Canada's senior squad at the Four Nations Cup last year, it's also a chance to travel somewhere new.

"I've never been to Slovakia," Bendus said. "Everyone (beforehand) was telling me that it's pretty nice.

"I have been to Switzerland and Germany a few times before and those places were pretty nice, so my hope is that Slovakia will be the same."

It's a nice way to end off a hockey season that had a couple of disappointments along the way.

Things started when a promising season at Mercyhurst, where she played alongside national team mainstay Meghan Agosta, ended prematurely.

"We made the (national quarter-finals), but we got put out before the Frozen Four," said Bendus of a 4-2 loss to Boston University.

"It was a pretty disappointing way to end our year," she said

From there, she went on to the Canadian national team's tryout camp for the world championships, where, even though she had played for them previously in November, Bendus wasn't guaranteed a spot.

"Before every tournament, everyone goes back into the same pool and you have to try out again," Bendus said. "I made the November team, but not the one in April."

Still, she is getting to represent her country in Europe, and is happy to have received the opportunities she did in college.

"It's harder to appreciate it when it's going on and you don't realize it as much when you're actually living it, but in a few years I'll appreciate it even more," Bendus said.

Her career at Mercyhurst is one filled with accolades, including winning the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as college hockey's best player, as well as being the lone woman in the sport to make College Hockey America All-Academic Team in consecutive years.

Not that Bendus is one to really get caught up in those achievements.

"There were a couple of different teams that you get named to and I think I might have made them, but I'm not too big on that kind of stuff," Bendus said.

Next season, she'll be looking to compete a little closer to home, in the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL).

She will go into a draft for the three teams in the Greater Toronto Area, and will find out her fate later this month.

"I don't really know what to expect (of the league) just yet," Bendus said.

"Playing college hockey is a pretty high level, but the CWHL has done a great job of getting national players from Canada and the U.S. to make it a high-level, competitive league."

And being able to play in a strong circuit should help Bendus to try and get back to the national squad, full-time.

"I'm looking forward to playing in the league and hope that it will help me get better and develop more," Bendus said.

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