Feb 11 2023
Interlake Lightning U18 Female
Interlake Minor Hockey is very excited to announce Tatiana Rafter as the Head Coach of the Interlake Lighting U18 Female team for the 2020-2021 Season!!!!
With the UBC Thunderbirds, she became the first player in program history to be named Canada West Player of the Year. Obtaining the honor in 2014, Rafter was not only the leading scorer for the Thunderbirds, she paced all players in the Canada West conference in goals (20), assists (18), points (38), power play goals (9), shorthanded goals (2), and game winning goals (6).
Of note, Rafter was also the Thunderbirds leading scorer in 2013 and 2015. In the aftermath of the 2012–13 campaign, she compiled 13 goals and 10 assists, along with seven goals and five assists in 10 playoff games. During said campaign, she was selected to play for the Canadian women’s ice hockey team that participated at the 2013 U-Sport tournament. Along with Thunderbirds teammate Christi Capozzi, the two contributed towards Team Canada’s gold medal in Trentino, Italy. Rafter registered 3 assists in a 5-0 win against Russia in the final and recorded 15 points in 7 games during the international tournament.
The last goal of her Thunderbirds career came on February 27, 2015 in a postseason match against the Manitoba Bisons. Gaining the assists on said goal were Sarah Casorso and Stephanie Schaupmeyer. The following day, she would register her last career point with the Thunderbirds, an assist against Manitoba. Rafter would finish the 2014–15 season as the third leading scorer in Canada West play with 29 points. Of note, she would lead UBC in goals, assists and points, while placing on the Canada West Second-Team All-Stars. Rafter would graduate from UBC in 2015 with 116 career points, on the strength of 61 goals.
Her playing career extended four additional seasons playing in the National Women’s Hockey League in New York for the Buffalo Beauts(2015-16) and New York Riveters(2016-18) as well as the Russian Women’s Hockey League in St. Petersburg, Russia for the 2018-19 season. In the Russian pro league Rafter donned a win at the 2019 All-Star Game scoring a highlight reel goal that circulated international highlights.
Upon the folding of the CWHL, and sparked players movements, Rafter made a transition from playing professional hockey to coaching following season of 2019. She led Danish player development in Copenhagen, Denmark for three different areas of the community. Rafter was the Head Coach of Hvidovre Klub, the EWHL Hvidovre Selects and also assisted Swedish development coaches with high school hockey skill development sessions. The Hvidovre Selects took part in the EWHL(European Women’s Hockey League) for the first time in history. Within Rafter’s time with the program the EWHL assembled team moved from last place into a playoff seed.