This week's column features an interview with Madison Brunet. Madison is currently a freshman (woman) playing at Norwich University in Vermont as a goaltender with the NCAA club. I had a chance to talk a little with Madison over the Christmas holidays and she agreed to an interview here at TimminsToday.
For background, Madison is a 5'3”, 2004 birthdate goaltender. Madison is the daughter of Ricky and Chantal and brother to Carson. Born in Timmins, she began playing in the Daystar clinic as a player from 2006-08. In 2008-09 she moved up to play Schumacher Timbits alongside brother Carson, with Ricky coaching and Chantal as manager. Ricky and Chantal would continue to be involved in coaching and or managing Madison's teams in different capacities until she started playing Midget.
A breakdown of her career so far is:
- 2009-10 season brought a decision in Timbits to play goal and the tending bug bit big.
- 2010-11 Madison played for Timmins North Stars Novice A boys and led her team to a NEOHA title.
- 2011-12 saw her in net again with the North Stars.
- 2012-13 saw her and her AA North Stars Novice team win both the NOHA and NEOHA championships. She would also play with Don's Pizzeria Atom girls winning an OWHA gold.
- 2013-15 saw her once again playing boys hockey at the Atom A then AA level.
- 2015- 2016 brought the Peewee A boys North Stars as well as the Timmins Falcons Peewee girls, an OWHA bronze medalist.
- 2016-2017 she was with the North Stars Peewee Boys AA NOHA Champs.
- 2017-18 was Madison's final year with the boys and she played Bantam AA.
- 2018-19 Madison made the change to girls-only hockey with the Falcons Bantams.
- 2019-20 she left to play with the Sudbury Lady Wolves Midget AA team.
- 2021-20 during the COVID she was at home to play with the Falcons Midgets.
- 2021-22 found her with the Whitby Jr. Wolves and this season with Norwich.
Playing on a strong Norwich club, Madison has shown sharp goaltending and a keen desire to continue her progression as a goaltender and has quickly become an important piece for her team as they try to nail down a conference title.
A bubbly, outgoing personality, a maturity beyond her years and a keen and dedicated approach to her craft make her a coach's dream.
Even though she has a hectic schedule juggling school and hockey, she found the time to thoughtfully answer all the questions I put forth.
Thanks, Madison.
Here's a look at the interview.
What made you decide to become a goalie?
I only remember when playing Timbits, everyone takes their turn as goalie and I always wanted to be in net. During one game I was a player but wanted to be in net, but another player wanted his turn so I had to play out. I was taking a faceoff and the ref stopped, looked at the coach (my dad) and told him that I was crying, and he said “yes, it's ok she wants to be in net and it's someone else's turn.” At the end of that season, we left the rink, I got in the truck, and I told my parents "Next year I want to be goalie all year with all the equipment." They agreed but the only thing was I had to do all the skating drills with my equipment on like all the other players. Since then, I have always been a goalie.
As a teenager, you left home to play in Sudbury. What were some of the challenges to playing in a new place and away from home that you had to overcome?
There were two main challenges that I face with moving away: adapting to a new school and being away from family. The only people I knew were my billets as they are my parents’ friends.
School was probably the most challenging as I had to adapt to a new environment, make new friends all while trying to juggle hockey and schoolwork. It took me about two months before I finally felt comfortable in the new school.
Being away from my family was also challenging as I had never been away from then for more than a week and now, I had to become more independent. I got comfortable from being away relatively fast, although my parents and brother would come up every other weekend to watch my home games.
Same went for when I moved to Whitby last year however school was a little more difficult as I switched to English school. I did not know my billets but didn't take long for me to be comfortable with them.
I am very thankful I had great billets in both Sudbury and Whitby.
Most difficult shot for you as a goalie to handle? Slap shot, wrist shot, snap shot or backhand?
I wouldn’t say there is a certain shot that is most difficult to handle, I would say it’s more of a situation that makes the shot more difficult to handle.
Since NCAA hockey is mostly a weekend game league, tell us what a typical week between games is like.
So most games as you said are on weekends but we do have quite a few games on Tuesdays as well. A typical week that we have games on Tuesday would look similar to this;
Monday I would have classes from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. Then I go lift from 2-3 p.m. and get ready for my 4:30 p.m. practice.
Tuesdays this semester I don’t have any classes which is good for catching up on schoolwork that I may have missed the previous Friday or do some assignments that are due. Depending on if the game is home or away I would either get ready to hop on the bus or go to the rink and get ready for the game. On weeks where we don’t have Tuesday games we have goalie ice from 4-5 p.m.
Wednesdays are usually pretty busy. I have classes from 8 a.m -1 p.m. and then a lab from 3-5 p.m. and have to head straight to lift at 5 p.m.. Lift is followed by an hour-and-a-half-long practice.
Thursdays I have classes from 8 a.m. to noon and then practice at 4:30 p.m.
If we have a home game on Fridays I don’t usually miss classes but if we’re on the road I usually have to miss my two last classes of the day. If we don’t have any games on that Friday we have practices at 3 p.m.
Saturday we usually have games.
Sunday is usually our only day off and I use it to do homework and hangout with teammates.
Goalie ice on weeks where we do have games differ based off of our goalie coaches’ schedule as well as ours.
As a freshman (woman) what are your main goals for this year? Also, what difference(s) stands out at this level as opposed to previous levels?
As a freshman, my main goal is to develop and try to compete for that top spot next year.
Why did you choose Norwich?
I chose Norwich because I really liked the arena as well as the small campus. Our rink is definitely one of the nicest ones for D3 hockey and I was really drawn to the environment during the home games. I also enjoy the small campus and classes. As a student athlete you miss quite a few days of school and the small classrooms allow you more one on one with your teacher to ensure that you’re all caught up once you get back. When talking with coach Sophie, I had a great feel for the coach and team. Also knowing who the goalie coach was a bonus since I attended his goalie camps a couple of times and really like him.
As of this interview your team is 14-5-1 overall and 12-1-1 in your conference. That includes a stellar 8-1-0 home record. Do you think you have a chance to win a championship this year?
Yes, I feel like we can compete with anyone in the country. We have a strong offense and good defensive habits. We are in the race just need to play hard and not give up! I definitely feel confident that we can advance to our conference finals and hopefully make it to the NCAA championships.
On Jan. 14 you recorded your first NCAA shutout vs JWU Providence. Tell us a little about that and how you felt.
So coming into that game it was my fourth start of the season, I was feeling more confident starting with this team in front of me. I was feeling good, excited and a lot less nervous than the previous games. I had a good feeling about this game and the team was ready to play from the first drop of the puck. Once that final buzzer went off it was a relief to finally get that first shutout. The girls were excited for me which made it 10 times better!
How important do you feel mental preparation is to your success?
To me, hockey is a lot about mental preparation. Looking back to games where I did not prepare myself mentally in previous years there is definitely a pattern of lack of focus and falling apart after one goal. Mental preparation for me includes things such as having confidence, staying focused, maintaining a positive attitude, and being able to bounce back from mistakes. It is important for me to have a strong mental game because as a goalie I often have to make split-second decisions and react to shots in high-pressure situations. It allows me to perform at my best, stay composed, and make key saves to help the team win when I prepare mentally.
Do you have any regular habits or superstitions you use to prepare before a game?
I used to not have any superstitions but I’d say in the last two years I’ve developed quite a few pre-game habits.
I’ll walk you through what a pre-game looks like for me;
I usually like to arrive at the rink about three hours before puck drop. I like to get my warmup clothes on and head to the athletic trainer’s room if I need any treatment that day. After that, I like to take my time to tape my stick while listening to some music. Then I usually play some soccer with one of my teammates for about 30-45 minutes followed by an off-ice warm-up led by our strength and conditioning coach. That usually takes about 30 minutes. After that, it’s time to get dressed and one of my superstitions would have to be that my right skate has to go on first then the left, same thing with my pads. Once dressed we go out for warmups then come back in the room wait for coaches and then get ready for puck drop.
Do you find a big difference living in Vermont?
It is obviously pretty far so my parents can't come and visit as often as when I was in Sudbury or Whitby but Vermont is beautiful and I really like it here. The weather is a little similar to Timmins. It's a very small town so not much around but we also don't have much time.
Who is your favourite goaltender and why?
I have a couple of favourite goalies: Marc-Andre Fleury for his athleticism and mental toughness, and Carey Price as he is also one of the best goalies in the world. He has won several awards and I love his style of play.
What do you feel are your strengths as a tender?
I’d say that one of my strengths is my athleticism. Having good agility allows me to move quickly in the crease making it easier to get into position to make the easy save.
Your team has a brilliant 8-1 record at home. Can you tell us how important that college home crowd vibe is?
The community of Northfield is great, it is a small town, but we definitely have lots of support from them.
Do you have anyone who you feel was a big influence on you hockey-wise and why?
My parents and my brother always supported me and encouraged me. Although we do not have any goalie training facilities in Timmins, my parents managed to get some training for me. We had a SGS goalie training from North Bay come to Timmins and run some goalie camps as we had nothing. Then we had Cedric Bradette run some goalie camps and some one-on-one training. I also did a few trips to RHP with Mackenzie Savard in Sudbury. I am also fortunate for Matt Tremblay and Kevin Walker who would ask me to go on for their skill sessions with high-level players. Matt Tremblay gave me an amazing opportunity to run some goalie sessions with young goalies. I hope that I can continue helping young goalies develop. There are many coaches that have helped me throughout my hockey years, and I am very thankful for them. I wouldn't be where I am today without them all.
Best piece of advice someone has given you as it relates to hockey?
Never give up. Keep your head up high. The only shot you have to worry about is the next one!
In the same vein, do you have any advice you would like to share with younger hockey players?
My advice would be to keep working hard and being persistent on and off the ice. By staying determined and keeping a positive attitude you’ll be able to reach your full potential and achieve success.
What kind of pads and gloves do you use ? (The answer is not goalie!)
I currently use Bauer Hyperlights glove and pad. I got them at the start of this season and have loved them since.
After graduation, what would you like to do?
After graduation I plan on coming back to Timmins and try to find a job within the field of environmental sciences.
Favourite pre-game meal?
I don’t really have a favourite pre-game meal but some of the top ones include chicken, rice and veggies.
If it's an early game, I like to have some eggs and a yogurt with some granola in it
And finally, what do you do in the off-season to stay sharp and in shape?
I make sure to stay consistent with my workouts. I like to lift four to five times a week and do cardio or some other type of outdoor workout twice a week. I also make sure that I am eating good to stay healthy for when the season comes. The last thing that I find is probably one of the most important is recovery after workouts and making sure I’m stretching every day to not get injured.
I don't know how many interviews Madison has done, but this one sure is a keeper. I'm sure as she continues at Norwich there will be a lot more forthcoming. Hopefully, this one made good practice. The environmental sciences major makes for a good interview. I hope readers enjoyed learning about Madison and her hockey experience.
Wayne Bozzer shared on the Timmins Sports Heritage Hall of Fame Facebook page a terrific article by Ronnie Shuker from The Hockey News. Shuker was in Timmins to interview Wayne, myself, Kevin Vincent and referenced a few others from here in a very well-written piece. Paired with some great pictures, Shuker's article follows the Barilko/Hudson story from its inception until today. You can find it in the Rookie edition with Matty Beniers on the cover.
I want to make note of one slight error in the article. It's stated that just before we left the crash site, I nailed a puck to a tree below the memorial sign. Using my axe, Tom Laughren actually nailed the puck up. I was a helper to that but it was Tom that drove it home. Just wanted to make sure it was he, not I, that the gesture was attributed to. Just a mix up from a long interview I'm sure.
Step 1 complete. I now have the paperwork in hand to begin the process of filing for a historical site designation for the Mac.
Later, Skater!
