The Boston Blades have traded goaltender Genevieve Lacasse to the Calgary Inferno to fulfill the trade that sent Tara Watchorn to Boston.
"It made the most sense to fulfill that trade, especially because they are pretty much players of equal caliber, they’re both [on the] national team, so that just kind of made the most sense," Blades general manager Krista Patronick said.
The trade leaves the Inferno with arguably the two best goaltenders in the CWHL, in Lacasse and the recently drafted Emmerance Maschmeyer. The pair will join Delayne Brian, who played in 20 games last season and led Calgary to a Clarkson Cup.
"The benefits of having three goalies of this talent level doesn't just make it tougher for the opposition but also for our players in practice, and that will only result in our offense getting stronger too," Inferno general manager Jeff Stevenson said.
Lacasse was the backbone for a struggling Blades team last season and stopped 1,023 shots. She finished with a .904 save percentage. The Blades added two goaltenders -- Lauren Dahm and Amanda Fontaine -- in the draft.
"You want to go with whoever’s going to give you the best chance to win," Patronick said. "And if not, [if we have a] really strong tandem, then we go with a really strong tandem and then they split time. Or maybe it’s a different combination. I’m not really sure; it’s going to depend on selection camp and it’s gonna depend on the talent that we see there."
Patronick said Lacasse approached her at the end of the season saying that she had a job opportunity and wanted to work, which she could not do in the United States.
"I think everyone on the team obviously will miss her," Patronick said. "She was such a big part of our team, especially in the tough season; she really was the glue that held this team together, there’s no denying that. But I think her teammates understand the situation she was in and that’s a big part of it too. Everyone on this end certainly wishes her the best."
Stevenson said the Blades approached the Inferno about two months before the draft and the trade was finalized just after the draft.
"Due to the CWHL's commitment to making sure players can earn a living outside of hockey, we became her preferred location based on her job opportunity and proximity to family," Stevenson said.
