Reichen Kirchmair wears the maple leaf with pride

Oakville star helps win gold for Canada

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In the Women’s Under-18 World Hockey Championship, Oakville’s Reichen Kirchmair scored Canada’s first goal of the tournament and went on to help the team to the gold medal.

With increasing strength outside the traditional women’s powerhouses of Canada and the USA, Canada got off to a tough start, shut out by Finland in their first game. Up against Sweden, Reichen scored the first goal to set up Canada’s first win and change the trajectory of the tournament. Next was a victory over Slovakia. Despite a 7-0 loss to the US, Canada’s U18 team ended up in the gold medal game against the Americans, winning 3-2.

Playing for Canada was a long-time ambition for Reichen, who has been on skates since she was three and playing hockey since she was five in the Oakville Hornets minor hockey system.

“I remember my dad taking me skating and doing snow angels on the ice,” enthuses Reichen.  “It did not take me long to get hooked into the sport I love.” 

Reichen played at the top level every year in Oakville and is grateful to have been taught by some of the best. She cites Bradi Cochrane for helping her at a very young age to love the game.  In high school, she played four years of varsity hockey for Appleby College, winning the CISA championship in her senior year.

“I was lucky enough to be trained and mentored by Brianne Jenner (who is on the Canadian national team, an Appleby College alumna and Olympic champion) and Megan Bozek, who coached me in Oakville and played for the national US team.”

She played simultaneously for Appleby and rep teams in the Oakville Hornets system. After 12 years in Oakville, she was given the opportunity to go right to junior hockey with the Etobicoke Junior Dolphins and played three years with them under coach Joe Butkevich. She credits Joe with helping her develop at the highest level as an underage player.

“That was a special team – we won almost everything, including a provincial championship, and during that time, I made Team Ontario twice, attended two U18 Team Canada camps in Calgary and made the national team.” Yes, that’s the national U18 Team that brought home the gold medal for Canada!

Reichen is now playing hockey for Providence, an NCAA Division 1 school. Providence was among many Division 1 schools that expressed interest in her when she was in grade 9 (before the recruiting rules changed). As young as she was when she made the choice after a visit to the campus with her mom, she is really happy with her decision.

“I am once again surrounded by great coaches and teammates, and the culture is really positive. The coaches all really support us, and we all support each other.”

Talking to Reichen, you cannot help but be struck by how comfortable she is with her path, and that has led to a real commitment to excellence. She has obviously had great support from her parents, but it is her own love of the game that has driven her success so far. From a young age, she began to see what hockey could provide for her in terms of educational and career opportunities: the double reward of joy in playing the game and doors opening for her future with a degree in Finance.

Her Dad, Michael, coached her teams in the early years, and her Mom, Shawne, spent endless hours driving her across the continent for games and tournaments, but she was the one doing the pushing.

Providence has a really competitive program with fabulous facilities, which Reichen points out are pretty important when you are spending as much time in them as she does.

Providence plays in Hockey East, the strongest league, so games are always close and hard-fought, which means she and the team are continually being tested and thus improving.

“My goal is to play hockey at the highest level as long as I possibly can,” says Reichen. With that in mind, she is watching closely as women’s professional hockey develops.

But playing for her country is the ultimate: “My goal at a pretty young age was to wear the maple leaf and represent my country.  I feel very fortunate and grateful for that experience, and my goal is to wear that jersey again someday, hopefully.”

Oakville has offered many opportunities for Reichen to develop. Along with hockey, she played lacrosse for Oakville at the highest level every spring and summer. At the age of 15, she played on the Oakville U19 lacrosse team that finished second in Ontario. Asked if all that activity, playing in two hockey leagues at a time and going to school, meant she was too busy, Reichen says it kept her out of trouble and taught her time management, and she has no regrets; it was a great childhood and adolescence.

Here are some of the honours Reichen has earned in just the last three years:  

  • Semi-finalist, rookie of the year, NCAA Hockey East 2022-20-23.
  • November 2022 – named NCAA Hockey East player of the month for September and October. 
  • 2022 IIHF U18 World Hockey Championships Gold – Team Canada – scored Canada’s first goal of the tournament versus Sweden 
  • 2022 U18 Team Canada Development Camp (10-day camp in Calgary)
  • 2022 PWHL (Junior) Provincial Champions with the Etobicoke Jr Dolphins
  • 2021 Stoney Creek Showcase PWHL (Junior) Champions with the Etobicoke Jr Dolphins
  • 2021 U18 Team Ontario Red - undefeated
  • 2021 U18 Team Canada Development Camp (10-day camp in Calgary)
  • 2021 OWHA U18 High-Performance Program Camp
  • 2020 OWHA U18 High-Performance Program Camp

A conversation with Reichen Kirchmair is a conversation with a happy, grounded young woman with a clear sense of who she is and where she wants to go. It is also a conversation where a recognition of her good fortune comes through. She is quick to say, “I was lucky to get the first goal," and “I was lucky to have that coach.” Her humility is endearing, as is the way she is making the most of her luck, focused on what she wants to accomplish.

Oakville can be very proud of Reichen Kirchmair, and Oakville News will be following her progress with interest.

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