Shae Demale and Governor General Mary May Simon
Saint Mary’s Huskies women’s hockey forward Shae Demale was honoured recently as a Top 8 Academic All-Canadian for the 2021-22 season by U SPORTS.
In the 2021-22 academic year, more than 4,900 student-athletes achieved U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian status by maintaining an average of 80 percent or higher while competing for one or more of varsity teams and volunteering in their communities.
From this pool of top athletes, an elite group is chosen from across Canada to make up the Top 8, making this one of the most prestigious recognitions in U SPORTS.
Shae, now 22 years old, received the award at a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa from Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada.
“It was a surprise and honour to be recognized,” said Shae. “I couldn’t have imagined this when I was starting to play, but I knew that there was a lot of opportunity and I worked hard at everything I did. When you do that, it can take you a long way.”
Shae started her athletic career at a young age in Red Deer, AB, first in ringette before switching to hockey in grade six. She is now a volunteer coach with young players in the Metro West Force Female Hockey Club in Halifax.
“It’s rewarding to work with young female players,” said Shae. “It’s an important part of sports and especially female sports, to get role models for them—and I love doing it.”
Shae was the most valuable player in AUS women’s hockey last season, leading the conference with 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists). She has just returned from Lake Placid, New York, where she won a gold medal as a member of Team Canada at the 2023 World University Games.
As a science student majoring in biology with a minor in psychology, Shae has maintained a perfect 4.30 GPA in the past two years and has earned a spot on the Dean’s List for four academic years.
In 2020, she received the Saint Mary’s President’s Award for top academic and athletic performance. She is also a four-time U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian, and has won the Dr. John C. O’C. Young Award for having the highest grade in chemistry, along with several other awards from Saint Mary’s for her academic standing and community involvement. She also volunteers in the emergency department at the IWK Health Centre.
After graduation this spring, she hopes to play in a professional hockey league either in North America or Europe before returning to school to pursue graduate studies in a medical field.
The Governor General's Academic All-Canadian Commendation was founded in 2013 by the Right Honourable David Johnston, former Governor General of Canada, who first honoured Canada's Top 8 student-athletes.
Along with Shae, the other winners were: Alex Carson of Dalhousie, Jade Downie-Landry of McGill University, Jean-Simon Desgagnés of Laval, Raphaël Garcia of Carleton, Kate Current of Western, and Eric Lutz and Rebecca Smith of Calgary were all nominated for their excellence both on and off the field of play. The awards were presented on January 26, 2023.