At the age of 16, a young lady has created hockey history, and she will undoubtedly be the talk of the Ontario Hockey League for at least the next few days.
When the Sarnia Sting drafted goaltender Taya Currie 267th overall on Saturday, she became the first woman ever drafted into the OHL. Currie spent her early years in hockey with the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs AAA boys team and was a highly regarded goalie prospect entering the draught, despite the fact that she may not play in the OHL.
Currie has already expressed interest in playing in the NCAA, a route that her older sister Tristan has previously taken and which would be closed to her if she choose to continue her career in the OHL. Obviously, the temptation of playing alongside her sister would appeal to both Currie and her family moving forward, so despite having been drafted, I believe this is the path she will take in the future.
Some fans have jumped to the conclusion that she could be a future NHL player, and while I appreciate the excitement given her early career achievements, I believe it is highly improbable. For obvious reasons, the NHL has steadily shifted toward larger goaltenders in front of the net, and Currie is not that type of goalie. She relies far more on her quickness and athleticism to make saves in front of the net at 5'7 tall and 143 lbs, and she is unlikely to grow up to the stature of a modern NHL goaltender.
