Tessa Bonhomme (born July 23, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and is a television sports reporter for The Sports Network (TSN). She was an Olympic gold medallist as a member of the Canadian national women's hockey team and played for the Toronto Furies in the Canadian Women's Hockey League. She was also co-captain of the Ohio State Buckeyes women's ice hockey team in the NCAA.

Tessa Bonhomme
Born (1985-07-23) July 23, 1985 (age 39)
Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight 140 lb (64 kg; 10 st 0 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Left
Played for Ohio State
Mississauga Chiefs
Toronto Furies
National team  Canada
Playing career 2004–2014
Medal record
Representing  Canada
Women's ice hockey
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2010 Vancouver Tournament
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2007 Canada Tournament
Gold medal – first place 2012 United States Tournament
Silver medal – second place 2009 Finland Tournament
Silver medal – second place 2011 Switzerland Tournament
Silver medal – second place 2013 Canada Tournament
Canada Cup
Silver medal – second place 2009 Canada Tournament
Women's 4 Nations Cup
Gold medal – first place 2004 United States Tournament
Gold medal – first place 2005 Finland Tournament
Gold medal – first place 2006 Canada Tournament
Gold medal – first place 2009 Finland Tournament
Gold medal – first place 2010 Canada Tournament
Silver medal – second place 2008 United States Tournament
Silver medal – second place 2012 Finland Tournament
Air Canada Cup
Gold medal – first place 2005 Germany Tournament
Gold medal – first place 2006 Germany Tournament
Gold medal – first place 2007 Germany Tournament

Playing career

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Bonhomme with the Calgary Oval X-Treme in 2009

Bonhomme was a member of the Sudbury Lady Wolves from 1998 to 2003 and served as a captain in 2003. During that same time she competed for the Lasalle Secondary School hockey team from 1999 to 2003 and was the captain in 2003. She was the leading scorer at Lasalle and the league leader for three consecutive years (2001–2003). In 2001, she led Lasalle to a second-place finish in its league and a city championship title in 2001.[1]

Ohio State Buckeyes

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The 2003–04 season marked Bonhomme's freshman year with the Buckeyes. She played in 34 of 35 games and her 20 points (5 goals, 15 assists) led the Buckeye freshman class and tied for third on the squad. In WCHA conference games, Bonhomme tied for fifth among freshmen and seventh among defencemen with 13 points. Her 107 shots paced the freshman class and was third on the team while her four power play goals tied for first on the team.

On October 17, 2003, she registered her first career assist versus Minnesota. Versus Wisconsin (on November 1), Bonhomme scored her first career goal. Said goal was also the game-winning goal. From October 25 to November 15, she had a five-game point streak. November 22 marked the first multi point game of her career. She had two assists versus Bemidji State.

Heading into her sophomore season (2004–05), Bonhomme appeared in 30 of 37 games. Her 27 points ranked third on the team while her 20 assists were second. Of her seven goals, three were scored on the power play. For the season, she was the only Buckeye to finish with positive rating at plus-3. On December 11, 2004, Bonhomme scored two goals against North Dakota in a 3–1 win. In a 5–4 win against the Yale Bulldogs (on January 14), Bonhomme registered three assists. During the season, she had a five-game point streak that began on January 21 and ended on February 4. In a WCHA tournament game (March 4), she had two assists vs. Minnesota State. Of note, she was the first Buckeye to compete for the Canadian women's national ice hockey team when she was one of 20 Canadian players selected to participate in the 4 Nations Cup from November 10–14.

Bonhomme returned to the Buckeyes in 2006 after redshirting the 2005–06 season while taking part in the Canadian Centralization Program in association with the women's national team. Through two seasons, the two-time letterwinner already ranked fourth all-time in defencemen scoring with 47 points. She was co-captain of the team along with Amber Bowman, Katie Maroney and Lacey Schultz.

In her first series back with Ohio State (October 6–7, 2006), Bonhomme had two goals and five assists in a series sweep of Northeastern. In the October 6 contest, Bonhomme scored a career-high four points (two goals and two assists). She attained a career high in points with 36 (14 goals and 22 assists). On the power play, she contributed 17 points (6 goals, 11 assists). Her four game-winning goals led the Buckeyes. Her 1.09 points per game ranked fourth in the NCAA among defenders. During the season, Bonhomme had nine multi-point, three multi-goal and three multi-assist games. Her 137 shots on goal led all Buckeyes players. In WCHA conference play, Bonhomme tallied 23 points 24 conference games. Against WCHA opponents, she scored five power play goals and three game-winning goals. On January 19, she had a career high nine shots on goal against St. Cloud State. From December 30 to January 26, Bonhomme had a seven-game point streak. The February 16–17 series against Minnesota State was the only series where she was held without a point.[1]

Hockey Canada

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Bonhomme participated at Canada's National Under-22 Team Development and Selection Camp from August 15 to 21, 2004 in Waterloo, Ontario. From August 25 to 28, 2004, she took part in a three-game series with Canada's Under 22 team vs. the US National Under-22 Team in Lake Placid, New York, and Burlington, Vermont. In 2005–06, Bonhomme redshirted her season with Ohio State to take part in the Canadian Centralization Program in preparation for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Bonhomme was one of 27 players selected to centralize but was one of two players to miss the final cut for the Canadian Olympic roster. In addition, she was a member of the 2005–06 Canadian Under-22 team. She captained the squad to a 3–1 record in an international round-robin tournament in Germany. She attended the Canadian National Women's Team Conditioning Camp from June 10 to 18, 2006. In autumn 2006, Bonhomme was named to the Canada's National Women's Under-22 Team for the third time in her career. From August 24 to 27, 2007, she participated with the U-22 team in an exhibition series vs. the US National Under-22 team. Bonhomme also participated in the Canadian National Women's Team Fall Festival, from August 31 to September 9, 2007 in Prince George, British Columbia. In the first game of the 2011 IIHF Eight Nations Tournament, Bonhomme scored two goals in a 16–0 victory over Switzerland.[2]

2010 Olympic Games

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Bonhomme scored Canada's second goal in their first game of the tournament, 3 minutes and 6 seconds into the first period[3] and was awarded an Olympic Gold Medal in women's hockey at the 2010 games in Vancouver.

CWHL

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In the 2010 CWHL Draft, Bonhomme was the first overall selection.[4] She appeared with the Toronto Furies in the championship game of the 2011 Clarkson Cup, and would help the club win the 2014 Clarkson Cup. With the Cup victory, she became the twelfth woman in hockey history to win IIHF World Gold, Olympic Gold and the Clarkson Cup.

Career stats

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Career statistics are from the Team Canada Media Guide for 2012-13.[5] or USCHO.com, or Eliteprospects.com.

Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2003–04 OSU WCHA 31 3 14 17 30 3 2 1 3 4
2004–05 OSU WCHA 27 7 18 25 58 3 0 2 2 0
2006–07 OSU WCHA 30 14 20 34 64 3 0 2 2 4
2007–08 OSU WCHA 32 14 27 41 42 3 2 2 4 2
2008–09 Calgary Oval X-Treme WWHL 21 12 21 33 18 2 1 2 3 2
2010–11 Toronto CWHL CWHL 26 8 8 16 26 4 2 2 4 4
2011–12 Toronto Furies CWHL 24 4 12 16 16 3 0 1 1 0
2012–13 Toronto Furies CWHL 24 4 5 9 22 3 0 1 1 0
2013–14 Toronto Furies CWHL 11 1 3 4 10 4 0 3 3 4
2014–15 Toronto Furies CWHL 12 2 2 4 12 2 1 1 2 2
CWHL totals 97 19 30 49 86 16 3 10 13 14

International

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Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
2004 Canada 4 Nations Cup   4 0 0 0 16
2005 Canada U22 ACC   4 0 4 4 2
2005 Canada 4 Nations Cup   4 0 0 0 0
2005 Canada Torino Ice   3 0 1 1 6
2006 Canada U22 ACC   4 0 1 1 0
2006 Canada 4 Nations Cup   3 0 1 1 2
2007 Canada U22 ACC   3 1 2 3 2
2007 Canada WC   5 1 1 2 6
2008 Canada 4 Nations Cup   3 0 2 2 2
2009 Canada WC   5 0 3 3 0
2009 Canada HC Cup   4 0 2 2 0
2009 Canada 4 Nations Cup   3 1 1 2 0
2010 Canada OG   5 2 2 4 0
2010 Canada 4 Nations Cup   4 0 3 3 2
2011 Canada WC   5 1 3 4 0
2011 Canada 12 Nations   6 2 6 8 2
2012 Canada WC   5 0 1 1 2
2012 Canada 4 Nations Cup   4 1 2 3 0
2013 Canada WC   5 0 3 3 2
U22 totals 12 1 7 8 4
Senior totals 68 8 31 39 40

Awards and honours

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  • 2007 European Air Canada Cup, Tournament All-Star team[6]
  • 2010 Olympic Gold Medallist
  • Bonhomme was selected by The Hockey News on its annual list of the 100 People of Power and Influence in Ice Hockey. For the 2012 list, Bonhomme ranked at number 89.[7]
  • Sportsnet Magazine, 30 Most Beautiful Athletes on the Planet (2012)[8]

Ohio State

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  • Ohio State Most Valuable Freshman (2004)[9]
  • Top 10 Finalist for 2007 Patty Kazmaier Award (first two-time finalist for the award)[9]
  • 2008 WCHA Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, the first Buckeye to receive either award
  • Named 2008 First Team All-WCHA to follow her 2007 first team selection. She is the first Ohio State player to be a two-time first team honoree
  • Has led the NCAA in defencemen points per game throughout the 2007–08 season
  • The only defenceman to rank in the Top 30 in the NCAA in overall points per game and has a 12-point margin over the rest of the defencemen in the nation
  • Set the Ohio State single-season record for points by a defenceman with 45 points, breaking the previous record set in the 2000–01 season
  • Holds the Ohio State career record for points by a defenceman with 128. She ranks third in career scoring overall and second in career assists with 86
  • Ranks second all-time in defenceman scoring in the WCHA[10]

Television appearances

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It was announced on October 5, 2010 that Bonhomme was one of several athletes selected to participate in an all-athletes episode of Wipeout Canada.[11] The episode aired in April 2011. Bonhomme was a presenter at the 2011 Gemini Awards.[12]

On December 2, 2011, it was announced that Bonhomme would be joining Leafs TV to "appear and report on flagship programs for Leafs Today and Leafs@Practice host Toronto FC telecasts on GOLTV Canada and share her unique insider perspective as an online contributor at www.mapleleafs.com" in addition to continuing to play Hockey in the CWHL. Bonhomme stated that she grew up watching and cheering for the Leafs.[13]

In September 2014, it was announced that Bonhomme will join TSN's SportsCentre as a host and reporter.[14]

Battle of the Blades

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On August 22, 2011, CBC television announced that Bonhomme would compete in their figure skating competition TV program Battle of the Blades. She is the first female hockey player to be a competitor in Battle of the Blades.[15]

Bonhomme told the media that she couldn't wait to take on the NHL players and show them that women's hockey has come a long way, adding that she was honoured to be the first woman representing all those who play hockey and excited to be partnered with Olympic gold medallist David Pelletier. On November 14, 2011, it was announced that she and her partner were the winners of the 2011 competition.[16]

In 2016, she appeared in the second season of the romcom series Man Seeking Woman.

In 2017, she appeared in the hockey comedy film Goon: Last of the Enforcers.

In 2019, Bonhomme appeared in the 8th season of the CraveTV comedy series Letterkenny.

In 2022, Bonhomme appeared as herself in the 1st season of the CraveTV comedy series “Shoresy”, a spinoff of Letterkenny. She has since appeared in all three seasons.

Personal life

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  • While in high school, Bonhomme played soccer, basketball, cross country and flag football. She was the Most Valuable Player of her basketball league as a point guard in 2000. In the same year, she was honoured as Most Valuable Player for flag football.
  • Tessa's uncle, Tim Bonhomme, has been a keyboard player for the Beach Boys since 1997
  • On August 31, 2012, she was the bridesmaid at Meghan Agosta-Marciano's wedding.[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Ohio State Buckeyes | Ohio State University Athletics". Ohio State Buckeyes. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  2. ^ "The Official Website of Hockey Canada". www.hockeycanada.ca. Archived from the original on 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2011-08-27.
  3. ^ "Sports News, Opinion, Scores, Schedules - TSN". TSN. Archived from the original on 2010-02-12. Retrieved 2010-02-14.
  4. ^ "Olympic gold medallist Tessa Bonhomme picked 1st by Toronto in CWHL draft". The Sudbury Star. August 14, 2010. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012.
  5. ^ "Canada's National Women's Team: 2012-13 Centralization" (PDF). Team Canada Media Guide. p. 27. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  6. ^ "The Official Website of Hockey Canada". www.hockeycanada.ca. Archived from the original on 2011-08-07. Retrieved 2011-09-04.
  7. ^ The Hockey News, Issue Date: January 16, 2012, Volume 65, Number 14, Senior Editor: Brian Costello, Published by Transcontinental Media, p. 30
  8. ^ Sportsnet Magazine, March 20, 2012, Volume 2, Number 4, p.60, Steve Maich, Editor in Chief, Rogers Publishing Ltd., Toronto, Ontario
  9. ^ a b "Tessa Bonhomme Senior – Defenseman – Sudbury, Ontario Team Captain – Speech and Hearing Major". ohiostatebuckeyes.com. 27 February 2008. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  10. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-02-06. Retrieved 2011-02-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ^ "The Official Website of Hockey Canada". www.hockeycanada.ca. Archived from the original on 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
  12. ^ "Borgias, Rick Mercer take top Geminis - TV - Toronto.com". Archived from the original on 2011-11-20. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  13. ^ "Olympian Tessa Bonhomme Joins Leafs TV". NHL.com. Archived from the original on 2012-06-10. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  14. ^ Sudbury's Tessa Bonhomme moves on to broadcasting career Archived 2014-09-19 at the Wayback Machine. CBC Sudbury, September 18, 2014.
  15. ^ "The Official Website of Hockey Canada". www.hockeycanada.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-06-15. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  16. ^ "Bonhomme and Pelletier win Battle of the Blades". CBC.ca. November 14, 2011. Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  17. ^ "Hockey star Meghan Agosta, Marco Marciano united by passion and pucks". Archived from the original on 2012-09-03. Retrieved 2012-08-31.
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  Media related to Tessa Bonhomme at Wikimedia Commons

Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Inaugural
CWHL first overall draft pick
2010
Succeeded by