Ashton Bell

Ashton Bell
Bell with PWHL Ottawa in 2024
Born (1999-12-07) December 7, 1999 (age 24)
Deloraine, Manitoba, Canada
Height 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Position Defence/Forward
Shoots Right
PWHL team Ottawa Charge
National team  Canada
Playing career 2017–present
Medal record
Women's ice hockey
Representing  Canada
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Beijing Team
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Canada
Gold medal – first place 2022 Denmark
Gold medal – first place 2024 United States
World U18 Championships
Silver medal – second place 2016 Canada
Silver medal – second place 2017 Czech Republic

Ashton Bell (born December 7, 1999) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Ottawa Charge of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). She played college ice hockey at Minnesota Duluth.

Early life

[edit]

During high school, she played for the Western Wildcats of the Manitoba AAA Female Midget Hockey League, twice winning the league's Most Valuable Player Award.[1][2]

College career

[edit]

In 2017, she began attending the University of Minnesota Duluth, playing for the university's women's ice hockey programme.[3] She had originally committed to the University of North Dakota but was forced to change plans after UND eliminated its women's hockey programme.[4] She scored 23 points in 35 games in her rookie NCAA year, good for second on her team in scoring. She was moved from forward to defence ahead of the 2019–20 season.[5] She posted a career-high 32 points in 36 games that year, leading all Western Collegiate Hockey Association defenders in scoring and being named to the All-WCHA First Team.[6] She was then named team captain for the 2020–21 season.[7] She was named Western Collegiate Hockey Association Player of the Month in November 2020.[8]

Professional career

[edit]

On September 18, 2023, Bell was drafted in the second round, eighth overall, by PWHL Ottawa in the 2023 PWHL Draft.[9]

International career

[edit]

Bell represented Canada at the 2016 and 2017 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship, scoring a total of eight points in ten games and winning silver twice.[10][11] In 2017, she served as the Canadian team captain.[12][13] She was one of 28 players invited to Hockey Canada's Centralization Camp, which represents the selection process for the Canadian women's team that shall compete in Ice hockey at the 2022 Winter Olympics.[14]

On January 11, 2022, Bell was named to Canada's 2022 Olympic team.[15][16][17]

Personal life

[edit]

Bell studied biology at the University of Minnesota Duluth.[18] She previously graduated from Deloraine High School in Manitoba, competing in the Manitoba High School Rodeo Association alongside her hockey play.[19]

Career statistics

[edit]

Regular season and playoffs

[edit]
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2017–18 University of Minnesota-Duluth WCHA 35 11 12 23 6
2018–19 University of Minnesota-Duluth WCHA 35 5 12 17 25
2019–20 University of Minnesota-Duluth WCHA 36 11 21 32 10
2020–21 University of Minnesota-Duluth WCHA 19 4 10 14 4
2022–23 University of Minnesota-Duluth WCHA 39 12 21 33 10
2023–24 PWHL Ottawa PWHL 24 2 5 7 2
NCAA totals 164 43 76 119 55
PWHL totals 24 2 5 7 2

International

[edit]
Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2016 Canada U18 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 5 3 3 6 0
2017 Canada U18 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 5 2 0 2 0
2021 Canada WC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 1 2 3 0
2022 Canada OG 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 1 4 5 0
2022 Canada WC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 0 0 0 0
2024 Canada WC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 0 1 1 0
Junior totals 10 5 3 8 0
Senior Totals 28 2 7 9 0

Awards and honours

[edit]
Award Year Ref
PWHL
PWHL All-Rookie Team 2024 [20]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Bell tolls and Campbell rolls for Team Manitoba". Brandon Sun. 2015-02-21. Archived from the original on 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  2. ^ Jaster, Chris (2017-01-03). "Krzyzaniak, Bell making marks with national women's teams". Brandon Sun. Archived from the original on 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  3. ^ Jaster, Chris (2017-05-04). "Bell chooses Minnesota-Duluth after UND dropped program". Brandon Sun. Archived from the original on 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  4. ^ Bell, Jason (2017-03-29). "Four 'Tobans on axed UND hockey team". Winnipeg Free Press. Archived from the original on 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  5. ^ "Athlete of the Week: Ashton Bell". Twin Ports Sports Hub. 2019-10-11. Archived from the original on 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  6. ^ "UMD's Ashton Bell Named WCHA Defenseman of the Week". WDIO. October 8, 2019. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  7. ^ Hinseth, Kelly (May 9, 2020). "Ashton Bell excited to captain UMD women's hockey team". Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  8. ^ "Minnesota's Zumwinkle And Bench And Minnesota Duluth's Bell And Van Wieren Earn WCHA Players Of The Month Honors Presented By Sterling Trophy - Western Collegiate Hockey Association". www.wcha.com. Archived from the original on 2021-09-21. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  9. ^ Kennedy, Ian (September 18, 2023). "Ashton Bell Picked 8th Overall by Ottawa". The Hockey News. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  10. ^ Josh Crabb (2016-01-15). "Manitobans will go for gold at U18 Worlds | CTV News". Winnipeg.ctvnews.ca. Archived from the original on 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  11. ^ "UMD's Bell, Betinol Named to Canadian National Summer Camp Rosters". www.WDIO.com. 22 June 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  12. ^ Dreger, Clayton (6 January 2017). "Ashton Bell to Captain Canada at U18 Women's Worlds". DiscoverWestman.com. Archived from the original on 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  13. ^ Morken, Eric (May 26, 2020). "Revering overcomes injury, ups and downs to be a captain at UMD". Echo Press. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  14. ^ "CANADA'S NATIONAL WOMEN'S TEAM UNVEILS OLYMPIC CENTRALIZATION ROSTER: 28 players to centralize in Calgary ahead of 2022 Olympic Winter Games". hockeycanada.ca. May 12, 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
  15. ^ Awad, Brandi (11 January 2022). "Team Canada's women's hockey roster revealed for Beijing 2022". Canadian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 22 January 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  16. ^ "Canada's 2022 Olympic women's hockey team roster". Canadian Press. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 11 January 2022. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  17. ^ "2022 Olympic Winter Games (Women)". www.hockeycanada.ca/. Hockey Canada. 11 January 2022. Archived from the original on 15 January 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  18. ^ "Ashton Bell - Women's Hockey". UMD Athletics. Archived from the original on 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  19. ^ Graves, Wendy (4 November 2015). "Of breakaway … and breakaways". www.hockeycanada.ca. Archived from the original on 2017-12-30. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  20. ^ Kennedy, Ian (June 11, 2024). "PWHL Hands Out Year End Awards, Spooner Named MVP". The Hockey News. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
[edit]