Nimegeers On The Verge Of Realizing Her Childhood Dream
By Robert Thomas
In just six days 17 year old local hockey phenom Brooklyn Nimegeers will board a flight for the biggest seven days in her hockey career.
A chance to make the cut and be selected as a member of Team Canada’s national U18 squad for 2023 - 2024.
“I am so excited it’s what I’ve been dreaming about since I was eight years old to be on Team Canada,” Nimegeers told MJ Independent.
“This is the biggest thing I have had up until now with my hockey career,” the grade twelve Vanier Collegiate student said.
BROOKLYN NIMEGEERS AS A MEMBER OF THE REGINA REBELS - SUBMITTED PHOTO
“I’ve been working all summer getting ready for it,” she said.
Part of getting prepared was her spending this past weekend playing in a hockey showcase in Boston.
“I wanted to get in a few more skates before I head off for the U18 Team Canada tryouts in St Catherines Ontario.”
The showcase went well for Nimegeers on the ice the only glitch was on the return trip when the airlines lost or three bags with her hockey equipment and sticks.
She is philosophical about it and just hopes her “lost” luggage shows up intact in time for the biggest week so far in her life.
Nimegeers - who has spent the past three seasons with the Regina Rebels in the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League - is no stranger to Moose Jaw Hockey circles.
Starting out at the Atom level playing on a boy’s team she would go on to be a dominant player in male hockey before playing in the Mavericks female program at the same time.
The call that gave the then 14 year old Bantam age (U15) Nimegeers exceptional status to play with the U18 AAA Regina Rebels saw her leave male hockey in favour of the female game.
BROOKLYN NIMEGEERS WHEN SHE CAPTAINED A BOY’S HOCKEY TEAM - SUBMITTED PHOTO
While a member of the Rebels Nimegeers would get 11 goals and 18 assists in 29 games in 2022 - 2023.
Her highest points gathering in three years with Regina in a year that saw Nimegeers sign on with the Ivy League school Princeton University.
Then in June while in Toronto once again playing hockey she received an email inviting her to this August tryout camp.
“Obviously I was hoping they would call,” she said, adding “I was so excited. I was at a hockey camp in Toronto. I was sitting there with my dad eating when I got the email.”
Nimegeers won’t be the only Moose Jaw person with a Moose Jaw Mavericks connection headed off to the camp.
Alexandra (Alex) Foreman has been invited to attend Team Canada’s national women’s team selection camp Nimegeers will be part of. Foreman will be heading off to her fourth national selection camp as a referee.
Importance Of Moose Jaw Minor Hockey Program
Nimegeers said being part of Moose Jaw Minor Hockey’s male and female Mavericks program greatly assisted in her player development.
Starting in the Atoms program she played highly competitive hockey with many of the boys who were her best friends at the time.
“It was more competitive hockey (than female hockey) and lots of the boys were my best friends at the time…it was really great playing with the Mavericks…it had an impact on me both play boys and girls in hockey,” she said.
“It was really great being part of Moose Jaw Minor Hockey.”
Going to the tryouts Nimegeers won’t be the only hopeful from Saskatchewan invited to Hockey Canada’s selection camp. Her teammate Stryker Zablocki from the Regina Rebels will also be there.
“It’s so special having her there. I think it will make it easier for me. I know other girls who will be attending but I’m not super close to them.”
Nimegeers sees the tryout camp as a place where she can shine and showcase the talent out of Saskatchewan.
“I am so excited to play at that level and show them what I have got, especially coming from Saskatchewan.”
If Nimegeers is one of the six defence players chosen out of the 13 invited to the camp. She will be off to Lake Placid immediately following the camp to play internationally against the powerhouse US squad.
Following the tournament against the United States team the players who make the cut and become part of Team Canada will also play in the world championships to be held later in Switzerland.
If she doesn’t make it, there’s still the opportunity next year to be invited back to trial for the U22 team.
But it’s not next year Nimegeers is hoping for right now her goal is to become a member of Team Canada this year.
Defence Is In The Blood
Since going to the Regina Rebels she has been used exclusively on defence. Despite not being position where typically a player can run up high statistics Nimegeers said it’s where she likes to play.
“I absolutely love playing defence.”
“I love that I can play offence and jump into the play and I can play defence while on defence I am an offensive defence man,” she said.
There are just two more things to do until she hops on a plane and she is off to camp in Saint Catherines - attend Team Saskatchewan’s fitness testing on August 4th and 5th and hope the airlines find her equipment and sticks.
On the trip Nimegeers will not be alone in St Catherines as mom Natalie and dad Jody will also be attending to cheer her on.