CSSHL all-star blueliner, SAHA product Howes headlines Griffins' 2025-26 defensive retool
Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – With the Griffins women's hockey team restocking their defensive corps for the upcoming season and into the future, they've found a headliner to kick off the team's 2025-26 recruiting class.
Among the best blueliners in the CSSHL U18 Female Prep ranks last season, Marley Howes will join the Griffins next fall after an all-star season at South Alberta Hockey Academy (SAHA).
"I think she's going to be a top two defenceman for us in the future," said head coach Chris Leeming. "She'll just need a couple years to build a little bit more strength and develop. We're really excited to have her join the program with what her upside is."
Howes, who hails from Dunmore, Alta., finished third on her team in scoring in 2024-25 with five goals and 23 points in 30 games, while also showing her strong ability to shut down the opposition. She led the CSSHL in powerplay assists (13) and was tied for second in powerplay points (15).
"Watching her play the last couple of years, she has the ability to get pucks through on net and she has really great hockey IQ," said Leeming. "She sees the play and makes high percentage decisions. The passes that are open, she sets people up to score and she'll get pucks on net that create secondary chances for someone to bang in a rebound or get a tip on."
For her efforts, the 5-foot-9 rearguard was named to the CSSHL U18 Female Prep Prairie Division second all-star team.
"She's got some size, she skates well, she can do it offensively, obviously, and I think she defends really well, too – positionally, she very sound," said Leeming, who noted Howes cracked the top 46 for Team Alberta last summer. "She's a big recruit for us as she was in the top 16 of her positional group in the province this past year.
"Her mindset is competitive, as well; she wants to compete and to be challenged. She wants to make everyone else around her better. That's something we're trying to bring in with all of our recruits here."
