TORONTO, Ontario – Canadian hockey legend Tessa Bonhomme woke up “stoked” on the first day of 2024 surrounded by her sister, her cousin, and all three of their daughters. The morning unfolded as it often did, with a round of mini sticks.

As the group exchanged pucks and laughs, Bonhomme, 38, couldn’t help but think of her own childhood shooting sessions. Her dad would present her with a choice: Do the dishes or shoot some pucks. When she’d opt for the pucks, she’d fine-tune her game to model her idol, fellow small, spunky defenceman Darius Kasparaitis. She’d fantasize about scoring on Kelly Hrudey.

“I was a young kid growing up thinking I was going to get drafted and play in the NHL,” she told EP Rinkside ahead of the NHL All-Star game in Toronto. “I was going to be on a line with Mario Lemi