Join us for the launch of Just a Girl: A Memoir by Cassie Campbell-Pascall and Why Not You: My Story of Perseverance, Hockey, and Olympic Gold by Jennifer Botterill, presented by Library and Archives Canada, the Ottawa International Writers Festival, and Ottawa Public Library. This event will follow the launch of Learning to Breathe, a memoir by Clara Hughes, at 6:30 p.m.
“I’ve known Cassie since I was a teenager, when she drove me and a few other hockey school guys to Tim Hortons during a break on the ice. She was generous and she was authentic, and over all these years since, neither of those things has changed. Cassie offers an honest, clear-eyed view of her journey through hockey—and in life—in this book. She gives as much effort here as she did on the ice for Canada. Having known her since I was a kid, and crossing paths many times in the NHL, I’d expect nothing less.”
—Sidney Crosby
Just a Girl: A Memoir by Cassie Campbell-Pascall is a raw look at the relentless spirit that has driven one of the greatest athletes in Canadian history—in her own words. Cassie is more than just one of Canada’s all-time hockey players—coming of age in the generation that rejected the old-school administrators who thought it acceptable to dress world-class athletes in pink uniforms, she helped build the very foundation of the modern women’s game. As a player, she became the longest-serving captain in Canadian hockey history. She was the first player of any gender to lead the country to two Olympic gold medals, a centrepiece of teams that shattered viewership records. That trailblazing continued in retirement: she was the first woman to work as a colour analyst for Hockey Night in Canada, the first woman to be named to the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee, and the first woman to receive the Order of Hockey in Canada, in a class with Wayne Gretzky, Jean Beliveau, and Gordie Howe.
Through it all, though, whether chasing her own goals, helping others reach theirs, or, sometimes, both at once, Cassie’s life has been defined by a singular persistence: the pursuit of a sustainable, professional future for women’s hockey. In 2023, those efforts culminated in one of the crowning achievements of a remarkable career: the creation of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).
Why Not You: My Story of Perseverance, Hockey, and Olympic Gold, by Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, four-time Olympian, three-time Olympic gold medallist, and renowned Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster Jennifer Botterill, invites readers into her world, on both sides of the arena glass. Guided by unwavering self-belief and brimming with sports psychology and inspiration, she urges all of us to ask ourselves, why not you?
From her debut as the youngest player on Team Canada at the first Olympics for women’s ice hockey to becoming a mainstay on Hockey Night in Canada panels, “Botts” has relied on lessons learned as a child to pen her impressive resume. Jennifer’s narrative encourages readers to pursue their dreams with confidence and is bursting with performance psychology tips and strategies, making it a perfect gift for aspiring athletes and hockey fans alike. Why Not You captures an inspirational life in sport—the feel-good hockey narrative filled with hope and self-belief that Canadians love—and is a call to action for a future of hockey that welcomes in all voices and players.