TORONTO — From scoring Lebanon's first-ever IIHF goal to helping the team secure an international bronze medal, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's hockey player Britni Yammine is making her mark by growing the game of hockey in Lebanon.

The TMU forward recently competed in the Dream Nations Cup, an invitational ice hockey tournament that highlights the development of the sport in non-traditional markets. Battling it out in a close bronze-medal match, Team Lebanon defeated Puerto Rico to claim third place.

Yammine, who just wrapped up her third season with the Bold, appeared in 16 games this past season, recording one goal and three assists. She also received the honour of student volunteer of the year at the 2024-25 Bold Awards.

With strong Lebanese roots, Yammine's family wasn't deeply familiar with hockey. Her father, born and raised in Beirut, immigrated to Canada, where she was raised. 

It wasn't until Yammine began watching her older brother play hockey that she was inspired to play the sport. Her winters were spent skating on a backyard rink her father built, where she practiced alongside her older brother. At the age of three, she initially played ringette, as she was too young to sign up for hockey. When she turned four years old, she was finally able to lace up her skates and hit the ice.

However, starting hockey wasn't an easy feat for Yammine. Born with hip dysplasia, she was told early on that she likely wouldn't be able to play sports. 

"I just really wanted to play, and my parents signed me up and let me go through it. And I mean I've worked hard to end up where I am today even though I was told I couldn't," said Yammine.

At 15, Yammine had her first opportunity to represent Lebanon internationally. She shared that it was a shock at tryouts seeing how many other Lebanese girls play hockey. 

"Growing up I always thought that like I'm the only one and there aren't many of us."

Since then, Yammine has  become a pivotal part of  the Lebanese women's hockey program. She made history by scoring Lebanon's first-ever goal in IIHF competition—the puck from the goal is now housed inside the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Reflecting on that moment, Yammine said it was something that she will remember for the rest of her life, "I just remember scoring and grabbing my jersey, and I shook it proudly because obviously I'm proud to represent my country."

At the Dream Nations Cup, Yammine served as the assistant captain, helping lead her team with both drive and spirit. She emphasized that while the team's goal was to win, having fun and building memories was also important.

Yammine shared that it was a hard-fought battle in the bronze-medal game against Puerto Rico. 

"It was probably the most aggressive game I have played in my whole life. You could tell both countries really wanted to win and it was just so aggressive," said Yammine. 

She ended up scoring two goals in the bronze-medal game, finishing the tournament with five goals and five assists. 

"It honestly just means a lot to be able to represent my country, especially while we're going through lots of hardships back at home right now," said Yammine.

Looking ahead to her senior season with the Bold this fall, she hopes to carry her international momentum into her university play. 

"It was probably my best tournament I've ever played. I'm scoring and I'm doing all the right things — and it will hopefully translate to my game at TMU."