Jul 18, 2025 | WNGHA | 98 views
Renaming of the Pond Arena to the Grace Bowen Arena
Join us on September 14, 2025 from 1-3pm as we officially rename the Pond Arena to the Grace Bowen Arena in honour of Grace Bowen, a cherished member of our community whose courage, spirit, and love of the game left a lasting legacy on our hockey community.
The Town of Cobourg has extended an invite to all Wild members - past and present to participate in this special ceremony in honouring Grace.
Grace Bowen was an outgoing, determined, and passionate young girl whose love for hockey could not be measured. At just eight years old, she poured every ounce of her energy into the game, embracing every aspect of it - practices, tournaments, tough losses, and the unbreakable bond with her teammates. She thrived in the dressing room, adored messy hair buns, and cherished the friendships she built both on and off the ice. Her laugh and loud voice were infectious. Hockey wasn’t just a sport to her; it was part of who she was. But, just a part.
Determined to improve, Grace pushed herself to attend power skating with the boys, always striving to be the best player she could be. But then, she started to complain of a sore knee, which later revealed something much more serious, a broken femur caused by Osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone cancer. Diagnosed just days before her ninth birthday, she faced a battle no child should ever have to.
Despite the unimaginable challenges, Grace never lost her love for her team and this was a mutual love. She spent weeks watching from the stands, longing to be on the ice, but always cheering her teammates on. She showed immense strength, bravery, and kindness through it all. When treatment forced her to leave the game she loved, she spent 11 long months at SickKids, facing surgeries, chemotherapy, and relentless treatments and pokes. Through every hardship, she never stopped supporting others—her team, the children at the hospital, and everyone around her - and they never stopped supporting her either.
Grace embodied resilience and heart. She represented the West Northumberland Wild with immense pride (every where she went), proving that true strength isn’t just about skill on the ice but about character, perseverance, and never giving up—even in the toughest moments.