‘It’d be really fun’

Mount Pearl’s Jennifer Murphy could make her return to NL Games this summer in Bay Roberts

Heading into the 2024 Newfoundland and Labrador Winter Games, Jennifer Murphy didn’t really know what to expect.

The 15-year-old from Mount Pearl has previous experience at a Winter Games having represented the province at the 2023 Canada Winter Games held in Charlottetown, P.E.I last winter.

While she was in Gander to player hockey with Mount Pearl-south, the same sport she played in Charlottetown, the NL Games and the Canada Games are two different things.

As it turns out, she was struck by the number of activities at the village and the camaraderie with other athletes that she found there.

It’s one of the things she’s taking away from Gander.

“It will be probably like hanging out with your teammates like that, but also like playing at the higher level and just getting better,” said Murphy.

A FAMILIAR FEELING

On the ice, however, things felt like any other weekend Murphy spends on the ice as a member of the Eastern Ice Breakers u18 AAA.

Many of those players found themselves on the opposite sides of the puck in the tournament either with Mount Pearlsouth or St. John’s-north.

It proved to help both teams as there was instant chemistry between those familiar to each other.

“The Eastern Icebreaker girls, they're all so connected that if they're on a line together they can just pass it and the chemistry is really good,” said Murphy.

The two teams didn’t meet until the gold medal game that St. John’s-north took 2-1 in a shootout.

REACTING IN TIME

Murphy got into goaltending because she likes constantly being involved in the action.

On top of being heavily involved in the game, there is a mental aspect to the position that she enjoys as well.

Murphy has to be able to take all of the information coming at her, make a splitsecond decision and react in the appropriate manner.

“Before the game, I take deep breaths and just think, ‘I can do this’ and then in the game I'm ready to go,” she said.

TWO-SPORT STAR

Should Murphy find her way to Bay Roberts for the 2024 Summer Games in August, she’ll be doing so as a baseball catcher.

She chose that position because it’s like being between the pipes as a goaltender in hockey. Not only does Murphy strap on a pair of pads, a chest protector and a helmet before she plays, but she has to be able to think the game at a high level.

“It's kind of the same movement, but I’m also very flexible,” said Murphy. “So that and I like to move in the game.”

As she leaves the Games in Gander, Murphy’s attention likely turns to the possibility of playing the 2024 Summer Games scheduled for Bay Roberts.

if she’s lucky enough to find her name on a Mount Pearl-south baseball roster in a couple of months, Murphy knows what she is in for

“It’d be really fun,” she said.