VANCOUVER – Graduating women's hockey forward Cassandra Vilgrain has signed her first professional contract with Brynäs IF of the Swedish Women's Hockey League.
After transferring to UBC from the University of New Hampshire prior to the 2016-17 season, Vilgrain amassed 40 points in 49 regular season games with the Thunderbirds, more than any other player.
"Originally I wasn't entirely sure whether I wanted to continue playing hockey, but throughout the season I started thinking about it more and talking to (UBC head coach Graham Thomas) and my family," said Vilgrain who put out some feelers and Brynäs was one of several to respond. "What factored into my decision is I really wanted to still play some very competitive hockey and the SDHL is really known for that, they have Olympic and national team players so it's a pretty high level."
The 5'5" forward from Calgary led the Thunderbirds in scoring in her first season at UBC with 27 points and was named a Canada West first team All-Star and a U SPORTS second team All-Canadian.
"Going down to the States I got to play against really elite players in a competitive league which really developed me as a player," added Vilgrain. "Coming to UBC, the calibre was just as good and the culture and the people I was surrounded with really helped me grow as a person. I don't think I would have been able to be confident in my decision if I hadn't come to UBC and met everyone here and played hockey as a Thunderbird."
And now having played out her U SPORTS eligibility, Vilgrain is following in her father's footsteps by embarking on a pro career in Europe.
"My dad also played in Europe for seven years which made my decision easier, to follow in his footsteps," said Vilgrain of her father, former Vancouver Canuck and New Jersey Devil, Claude Vilgrain. "He always told me to just go in with an open mind, work hard and earn your position on the team, so I'm not really going in expecting anything. It definitely makes me more confident going to a foreign place with all of his experience."
Vilgrain will head to Gävle, Sweden at the end of August for Brynäs' training camp.
