INDUCTED TO THE McGILL SPORTS HALL OF FAME (2023)
Born Oct. 15, 1982 in Greenfield Park, Que., and raised in Boisbriand, Que.,
Charline Labonté had an illustrious international career as a goaltender with the Canadian national women's hockey team, twice winning gold at the IIHF world championships (2007 & 2012) and winning four Olympic gold medals, initially as a spare goalie at Salt Lake City (2002), then as a regular in Turin (2006), Vancouver (2010) and Sochi (2014). She was inducted to the Quebec Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.
Prior to joining the university ranks, she played boy's hockey at the Quebec Junior AAA level with Saint Jerome and became the second female to play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where she saw duty in 28 games with Acadie-Bathurst in 1999-00.
After her junior career, "Charlie" starred for five seasons with the McGill Martlets from 2006 to 2012, where she led the school to five conference titles and three CIS national championships (2008, 2009 and 2011). A five-time RSEQ conference all-star, she is also one of only six McGill women to earn All-Canadian status five times.
She owns virtually every McGill goaltending record except most saves in a game, season and career, which are still held by
Kim St. Pierre, who played in an era where facing 50 shots a game was a common occurrence for McGill.
In 2008-09, Labonté merited All-Tournament honours at the CIS championship, won the Gladys Bean Trophy as McGill's female athlete of the year, and was voted as the RSEQ conference nominee for the CIS national BLG Award. Labonté graduated with a physical education degree in 2011, followed by a master's in sports psychology in 2015.
She set the CIS career shutout record with a whopping 45 in 85 regular season games, en route to registering an 82-3-0 record with a 0.73 goals-against average and a .958 save percentage. Including playoffs and non-conference games, the 5-foot-9 puck-stopper appeared in 183 contests overall at McGill, posting a spectacular 163-17-3 record and 81 shutouts, with a stingy 0.99 goals against average and a stellar .974 save percentage. Also known for her strong puck-handling skills, she registered a school record 12 career assists overall, including seven in regular season play.
After graduating with McGill, she served five seasons as a goalie coach with her alma mater.
In eight trips to the IIHF world championships, Labonté helped Canada collect a pair of gold medals (2007 & 2012) and six silvers, meriting the tourney's most outstanding goaltender award in 2009.
She played in the Canadian Women's Hockey League, for the Montreal Axion, Montreal Stars and Les Canadiennes. Twice-named Tournament MVP at the Clarkson Cup championship, Labonté helped the Canadiennes win the Clarkson Cup league title in 2017. She was also twice named as the NWHL goalie of the year (2014-15 and 2016-17).
OVERALL CAREER STATS WITH McGILL MARTLETS
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Regular Season
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| Season |
Team |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
Min |
GA |
SO |
GAA |
SA |
SVS |
SV% |
ASSISTS |
PIM |
| 2011-12 RSEQ |
McGill |
18 |
16 |
2 |
0 |
1075 |
19 |
8 |
1.06 |
341 |
322 |
0.944 |
1 |
2 |
| 2010-11 QSSF |
McGill |
17 |
17 |
0 |
0 |
1011 |
12 |
7 |
0.71 |
258 |
246 |
0.953 |
0 |
0 |
| 2008-09 QSSF |
McGill |
15 |
15 |
0 |
0 |
900 |
9 |
9 |
0.60 |
258 |
249 |
0.965 |
2 |
0 |
| 2007-08 QSSF |
McGill |
17 |
17 |
0 |
0 |
1020 |
8 |
11 |
0.47 |
272 |
264 |
0.971 |
2 |
0 |
| 2006-07 QSSF |
McGill |
18 |
17 |
1 |
0 |
1084 |
14 |
10 |
0.78 |
343 |
329 |
0.959 |
2 |
0 |
| Total |
|
85 |
82 |
3 |
0 |
5090 |
62 |
45 |
0.73 |
1472 |
1410 |
0.958 |
7 |
2 |
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OVERALL STATS
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|
|
| Season |
Team |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
Min |
GA |
SO |
GAA |
SA |
SVS |
SV% |
ASSISTS |
PIM |
| 2011-12 |
McGill |
35 |
28 |
7 |
0 |
2097 |
39 |
15 |
1.12 |
731 |
692 |
0.947 |
1 |
2 |
| 2010-11 |
McGill |
31 |
30 |
1 |
0 |
1856 |
26 |
13 |
0.84 |
547 |
521 |
0.952 |
2 |
0 |
| 2008-09 |
McGill |
37 |
35 |
2 |
0 |
2220 |
39 |
14 |
1.05 |
667 |
628 |
0.942 |
2 |
0 |
| 2007-08 |
McGill |
40 |
35 |
4 |
1 |
2385 |
30 |
25 |
0.75 |
733 |
703 |
0.959 |
3 |
0 |
| 2006-07 |
McGill |
40 |
35 |
3 |
2 |
2418 |
48 |
14 |
1.19 |
680 |
728 |
0.938 |
4 |
0 |
| Total |
|
183 |
163 |
17 |
3 |
10976 |
182 |
81 |
0.99 |
3358 |
3272 |
0.974 |
12 |
2 |
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SOPHOMORE SEASON HIGHLIGHTS (2007-08)
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- led McGill to its first CIS championship - CIS All-Canadian - QSSF conference all-star - Quebec university female athlete of the week (Nov. 6)
2007-08 STATS:
REG. SEASON:
- in 17 starts: posted a 17-0-0 record with a 0.47 GAA (8 GA, 1020 Mins.), a .971 save percentage (264 saves), 11 shutouts and two assists - led CIS in shutouts, GAA, save percentage and tied for second in victories, establishing McGill single-season records in each category
OVERALL: - in 40 starts: posted a 35-4-1 record with a 0.75 GAA (30 GA, 2384:39), a .959 save percentage (703 saves), 25 shutouts and three assists - set McGill record for most shutouts in a season (25) and career (39) - tied her own McGill single-season record for most starts overall (40) - tied her own McGill single-season record for most victories overall (35)
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FRESHMAN SEASON HIGHLIGHTS (2006-07)
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AWARDS / HONOURS:
- CIS All-Canadian - QSSF conference all-star - Quebec university female athlete of the week (Oct. 3, 2007) - CIS female athlete of the week (Oct. 3, 2007) - named by the TEAM 990 as Montreal female amateur athlete of the year (Feb. 2007) 2006-07 STATS:
REG. SEASON: - in 18 starts: posted a 17-1-0 record with a 0.78 GAA (14 GA, 1084 Mins.), a .959 save percentage (329 saves), 10 shutouts and two assists - led CIS in shutouts (10), GAA (0.78), save percentage (.959) and victories (17) - had a 17-1-0 record in 18 starts - set a McGill single-season record for most starts in league play (prev. record was 15 by Kim St-Pierre) - set a McGill single-season record for most victories in league play (prev. record was 13 by Kim St-Pierre)
OVERALL:
- in 40 starts: posted a 35-3-2 record with a 1.19 GAA (48 GA, 2418 Mins.), a .938 save percentage (728 saves), 14 shutouts and four assists - set a McGill single-season record for most starts overall (prev. record was 28 by Kim St-Pierre) - set a McGill single-season record for most victories overall (prev. record was 13 held by Kim St-Pierre)
International career highlights:
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- Wears No. 32 with Team Canada... Utilizes a hybrid butterfly style... Has won eight medals (5 gold, 3 silver) with the national team... - Has been with national team since the 2000-01 season, taking part in a Winter Olympic Games (2006), two IIHF World Championships (2005, 2007), four Four Nations Cups (2003, 2004, 2005, 2008) and the Torino Ice Tournament (2005)… - Was an alternate goalie with Canada at both the 2004 and 2003 IIHF World Championships … Alternate goaltender with Canada’s Olympic Team at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, USA … Attended the Team Canada Thanksgiving Festival in Kitchener, ON in October, 2004, and in Dartmouth, NS in October 2003...Made her debut with the Canadian national team during a tour in January of 2001... - Served as an alternate for Canada at 2002 Salt Lake Games and was not permitted to receive a gold medal because only 20 players were eligible... An alternate at both the 2003 and 2004 World Championships, the revolving door finally swung in her favor prior to the 2005 World Championships in Linkoping, Sweden, when she finally got the call to become a full-fledged member of the squad and helped Canada to a silver medal... - Started and won three games for Canada at the 2006 Turin Olympics, including the gold medal game (made seven saves in a 4-1 win over Sweden)... - Other Olympic wins were both shutouts: 12-0 over Russia (17 saves) and 6-0 over Finland (17 saves) - Had shutout wins in both games played at the 2005 World Championship.
Other career highlights:
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One of few female goalies to play in renowned Quebec PeeWee tournament... Played with Team Québec at 1999 Canada Winter Games... Became second female (after Manon Rheaume) to play in a men's major junior hockey league in Canada in 1999-00, playing 26 games for the Acadie-Bathurst Titans of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (4-9-2, 1045 mins., 91 GA, 664 shots, 5.22 GAA, .841 save %)... Also played two games in 2000-01 season with Acadie-Bathurst (6GA, 34 shots, 60 mins)... Later played with the boys Jr. A St-Jérôme Panthères before making her debut in the National Womens' Hockey League with the Laval Mistral... Later played with Brampton Thunder and Montreal Axion of the NWHL... Won bronze medal with Team Quebec at 2005 Esso women's national championship... PERSONAL: Daughter of Pierre and Diane ... Has one brother, Louis ... Had a small role in the TV show, "La Petite Vie" ... Favourite sport other than hockey: Soccer
