Belleville Native Shawna Bailey will be working with the Ottawa Senators for a four month placement in the New Year. Photo: Submitted
Belleville – Like Frank Sinatra, Shawna Bailey believes that ‘Fairy Tales’ can come true.
Though for the 20 year old Belleville native, princes and castles are nothing compared to the splendour of a National Hockey League barn.
Just under two weeks ago, Bailey got the nod from the Ottawa Senators for a four month placement through the Loyalist Sports and Marketing program allowing her to realize her dream of working with professional hockey.
Though her favourite team is the Washington Capitals, she laughingly notes the Senators are now easily a close second. Bailey will be working in premium client services for the duration of her internship with the team.
Bailey’s love of hockey began when she played for the Belleville Bearcats as a youth. That in turn built a love of watching hockey on TV with her dad and sister and experiencing it live with the former Belleville Bulls, a team which Bailey earned the unique distinction of being the first female mascot for the OHL club.
This Friday, Bailey finishes her last game with the Trenton Golden Hawks where she has been director of game day promotions with them since April 2016.
It’s that essential experience that the Hawks organization gave to her that Bailey says is the reason why she is heading for the NHL in the new year.
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The Former Quinte Secondary School student openly admits that hockey has been in her heart since the first moment she picked up a stick. She notes there really would be only one thing better in her mind than working in the NHL behind the scenes, and that would be having her own ‘stick on the ice’.
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Shawna’s father, Chris Bailey, could not be prouder of his daughter.
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Bailey says that she has already put feelers out about helping out with the Senators farm team that is set to be the friendly city’s new AHL team in 2017.
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As far as the future though, Bailey says she is pretty wide open for any shot or opportunity that presents itself, but in her mind it has to be hockey.
“I’m hoping to be in Canada, Ottawa is actually perfect, close enough to visit my family, but if an amazing opportunity presents itself I’m keeping myself open,” she said.
