He played in the big league.
Now, Flames alumnus Jamie Lundmark is helping grow women’s hockey in the Ivy League.
The former NHL forward played 99 of his 295 NHL regular season games with Calgary, calling his time with the Flames one of his best hockey experiences as a pro.
This past May, he made the transition into coaching, by joining Cara Morey’s staff at Princeton University, where he now works as an assistant coach and director of player development.
“Anytime you get an opportunity to coach and be in Division I hockey, I had to take it,” Lundmark said when reached by phone Monday. “I’m excited where I am now, I grew up playing hockey, I played 18 years of pro hockey, I still get to go to the rink every day.”
And in his role, he’s helping develop the next generation of women’s hockey stars, including a Canadian World Champion that leads the Tigers with 19 goals in as many games this season.
“We’re lucky enough to have Sarah Fillier right now playing on our team,” Lundmark said. “She’s one of the best female hockey players in the world.
“To have the, kind of, McDavid of women’s hockey on your team makes it a little bit easier here.”
Fillier’s resume is no joke.
At the age of 23, she’s already represented Canada at three World Championships, winning MVP honours in 2023 along with a pair of gold medals - one of which came in 2021 in Calgary - and one silver medal.
She also helped Canada capture the gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, all while working toward a psychology degree.
As a Tiger, she’s put up 180 points, all while being named to the ECAC All-Academic Team on three occasions.
It’s an impressive balancing act according to Lundmark.
“Being at Princeton, the best academic school in the U.S., it’s just managing workload with their schooling and hockey,” he said. “You know, hockey’s kind of an outlet for them because of all the pressure in school, it’s hard for them.
“It’s been really great being around our team, the energy and just seeing this women’s game grow.”
And Lundmark’s had a hand in that growth.
After retiring in 2018, he founded Method Ice Hockey, a state of the art training facility in West Chester, Pa., that features real and synthetic ice as well as a gym and running track.
It’s all part of growing the game, and during his time as an educactor, coach and recruiter, Lundmark’s noticed a sea change taking effect.
“Just seeing the overall development of the women’s game over the last five years with Method and now, being with Princeton and going out and recruiting for our program, the level of hockey on the women’s side is just getting better and better,” Lundmark said. “And now, with the (PWHL), it gives them an opportunity to show their talent after school is over, and after they’ve graduated to have a place where they can land and show the world that women’s hockey is very, very good.
“It’s just getting better every single year.”
