Jennifer Gardiner

{{Infobox ice hockey biography

| name = Jennifer Gardiner

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|9|18}}

| birth_place = Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

| position = Forward

| shoots = Left

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 6

| weight_lb =

| league = PWHL

| team = Montreal Victoire

| former_teams =

| sex = f

| ntl_team =

| career_start = 2019

| medaltemplates =

}}

Jennifer Gardiner (born September 18, 2001) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Montreal Victoire of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). She played college ice hockey at Ohio State.

Early life

Gardiner was born to Tom and Diane Gardiner, and has a brother, Brad. She attended Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School and played three seasons for the Greater Vancouver Comets of the BC Elite Hockey League, where she recorded 90 goals and 91 assists in 92 games.{{cite web |url=https://www.burnabynow.com/local-news/this-2024-pwhl-draftee-has-a-burnaby-hockey-connection-9081312|title=This 2024 PWHL draftee has a Burnaby hockey connection |work=Burnaby Now |first=Kyle |last=Balzer |date=June 15, 2024 |access-date=December 2, 2024}} She led the league in scoring all three years, and was named a three-time FMAAA all-star team honoree and three-time Provincial Champion.{{cite web |url=https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey/roster/jennifer-gardiner/9350 |title=Jennifer Gardiner |website=ohiostatebuckeyes.com |access-date=December 2, 2024}}

Playing career

=College=

Gardiner began her collegiate career for Ohio State during the 2019–20 season. During her freshman year, she recorded nine goals and six assists in 38 games. During the 2020–21 season in her sophomore year, she recorded a team-high eight goals and seven assists in 20 games, in a season that was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2021–22 season in her junior year, she recorded 15 goals and 24 assists in 38 games. During the 2022 NCAA tournament, she scored the game-winning goal against Yale in the Frozen Four to help Ohio State advance to the championship game, and lead Ohio State to their first national championship in program history.{{cite web |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/icehockey-women/article/2022-03-19/college-hockey-5-takeaways-womens-frozen-four-semifinals |title=5 takeaways from the women's Frozen Four semifinals |website=NCAA.com |date=March 19, 2022 |access-date=December 2, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/news/2022/3/20/national-champion-ohio-state-wins-frozen-four |title=National Champion! Ohio State Wins Frozen Four |website=ohiostatebuckeyes.com |date=March 20, 2022 |access-date=December 2, 2024}}

During the 2022–23 season in her senior year, she recorded 21 goals and 36 assists in 41 games. She led the team in points with 57. Following the season, she was named to the All-WCHA First Team.{{cite web |url=https://wcha.com/news/2023/2/22/general-2022-23-all-wcha-teams-announced.aspx |title=2022-23 All-WCHA Teams Announced |website=wcha.com |date=February 23, 2022 |access-date=December 2, 2024}} During the 2023–24 season, as a graduate student, she recorded 18 goals and 27 assists in 39 games. She ranked second on the team in points with 45. Following the season, she was named to the All-WCHA Third Team.{{cite web |url=https://wcha.com/news/2024/2/29/hockey-all-wcha-award-recipients-announced-for-2023-24.aspx |title=All-WCHA award recipients announced for 2023-24 |website=wcha.com |date=February 29, 2024 |access-date=December 2, 2024}} She helped lead the Buckeyes to their second national championship in program history.{{cite web |url=https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/news/2024/3/24/womens-ice-hockey-ohio-state-wins-second-ncaa-championship |title=Ohio State Wins Second NCAA Championship |website=ohiostatebuckeyes.com |date=March 24, 2024 |access-date=December 2, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/latest-news/ohio-state-womens-hockey-team-beats-wisconsin-to-win-national-championship |title=Ohio State Women's Hockey Team Beats Wisconsin To Win National Championship |work=The Hockey News |first=Jason |last=Newland |date=March 24, 2024 |access-date=December 2, 2024}}

Gardiner finished her collegiate career with 71 goals and 100 assists in a program record 176 games. She became only the third Buckeyes player in program history to reach 100 assists.{{cite web |url=https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/pwhl-draft-profile-jennifer-gardiner |title=PWHL Draft Profile: Jennifer Gardiner |work=The Hockey News |first=Ian |last=Kennedy |date=May 19, 2024 |access-date=December 2, 2024}}

=Professional=

On June 10, 2024, Gardiner was drafted in the second round, 11th overall, by PWHL Montreal in the 2024 PWHL Draft. On July 16, 2024, she signed a two-year contract with Montreal.{{cite web |url=https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/montreal-signs-ohio-state-captain-jennifer-gardiner |title=Montreal Signs Ohio State Captain Jennifer Gardiner |work=The Hockey News |first=Ian |last=Kennedy |date=July 16, 2024 |access-date=December 2, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/pwhl/pwhl-montreal-signs-jennifer-gardiner-for-two-seasons |title=PWHL Montreal signs Jennifer Gardiner for two seasons |work=The Gazette |date=July 16, 2024 |access-date=December 2, 2024}}

International play

{{MedalCountry|{{ihw|CAN}}}}

Gardiner represented Canada at the 2019 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship where she was scoreless in four games and won a gold medal.{{cite web |url=https://www.peacearchnews.com/sports/hockey-surreys-gardiner-among-team-canadas-golden-girls-in-japan-2821606 |title=HOCKEY: Surrey’s Gardiner among Team Canada’s golden girls in Japan |newspaper=Peace Arch News |first=Tom |last=Zillich |date=January 14, 2019 |access-date=December 2, 2024}}

On March 21, 2025 she was selected to represent Canada at the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship where she made her senior national team debut.{{Cite web |title=National Women's Team named for 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship |url=https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/news/womens-worlds-roster-named-2025-wwc |date=March 21, 2025 |access-date=March 21, 2025 |website=Hockey Canada}} She played on Canada's top line with Montreal Victoire teammates Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey. During the first preliminary round game against Finland, she recorded two goals and one assist. She led the tournament in goals with six, and ranked second on the team in points with ten, and won a silver medal.{{cite web |url=https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/jennifer-gardiner-records-3-points-in-world-championship-debut-playing-with-montreal-linemates-theyre-such-great-role-models |title=Jennifer Gardiner Records 3 Points In World Championship Debut Playing With Montreal Linemates: 'They're Such Great Role Models' |work=The Hockey News |first=Derek |last=O'Brien |date=April 10, 2025 |access-date=April 10, 2025}}