"You're seeing these predominant players playing in the NHL that are big names, and now you're seeing it more throughout women's hockey as well," said Vilgrain. "You have players like Sarah Nurse who have done so much for the game."
Nurse, a Canadian National Team member, recently had a Tim Horton's Barbie release, and Vilgrain was particularly moved when she saw it for the first time.
"It's a Black girl wearing a hockey jersey and it's a doll that girls can get. I got pretty emotional when I saw it for the first time because I couldn't even imagine if I saw something like that when I was little. A girl that looks like me that's playing at such a high level."
Vilgrain's father was the first Haitian-born player in the NHL and one of the first Black players in the Devils franchise. As Nurse is a role model for girls in the sport, Cassandra's father was the same for many NHL players.
"I've always been proud of my dad and even in the recent couple of years just really seeing it come to light how much of an impact that he really had on other people. It makes me incredibly proud," said Vilgrain. "To be his daughter and know that there are opportunities beyond actually playing the sport and being a role model and giving back. I think that's something that I've instilled into my own life as well."
Vilgrain has stayed involved in the sport following her professional career primarily through coaching and education.
"I enjoy going back to the programs that I was at before and telling my story and talking about my experience," Vilgrain said. "We have a Hockey Alberta program here, so I like to give back to that and coach and appear on some panels."
Like father, like daughter, Vilgrain is growing the game and inspiring others like her father did years before.
"Just being who I am and being a role model and showing that if you look like me, if you've had my journey, then you have all the opportunities in the world to go far, whether it's in hockey or beyond."
