How does a trailblazer come to be? In the case of Sydney Sirens goaltender Ella Licari, the answer is as simple as it is poignant: by being her authentic self. In 2016 Licari became the first transgender woman to play in the Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League, and she went on to win the AWIHL championship with the Sirens that same season. Currently she sits fourth in the league with a .866 save percentage.
Licari spoke with The Ice Garden for a wide-ranging conversation that spans music, her individual experiences with transition, and redefining her place in the game she loves.
What made you fall in love with hockey?
Some of my earliest memories are of spending time at ice rinks. My dad played hockey before I was born, and while heโd stopped playing by the time I came along, he stayed deeply involved in the hockey community as a referee. Sunday games became our routineโIโd tag along to watch him officiate, and for me, it was just as normal as any other weekend activity for an Aussie kid.
What really captured my attention were the goaliesโalways the goalies. I idolised them. Strangely enough, though, these days Iโm not much of a hockey watcher. I enjoy highlights and game recaps, but sitting through a full game? Rarely.
When it came to playing hockey myself, it wasnโt a matter of โifโ but โwhen.โ It felt so natural, like it was always meant to happenโthough I didnโt get to be a goalie straight away (much to my disappointment!). I didnโt understand it at the time, but he wanted me to learn to skate properly and learn some of the perspectives of players. It has definitely helped me as a goalie.
What do you think keeps you in love with hockey?
What fascinates me most about hockey is how itโs constantly evolving. From a goalieโs perspective, the changes have been dramatic over the years. I grew up watching legends like Dominik Haลกek and Martin Brodeur. Back then, goalies were transitioning away from the traditional โstand-upโ style towards a more freestyle approach. Not long after that, the butterfly style emerged, revolutionising the position entirely.
For me, one of the biggest challengesโand joysโhas been reinventing the way I play, over and over again, to keep up with the gameโs evolution. Itโs never boring, and it certainly never gets old.
How would you describe your game and your style of play?
At 6โ1โ, Iโve got pretty good reach and coverage, but my goalie style was largely shaped by watching a single videotape of Dominik Haลกekโs highlights over and over again. As a result, some of those old habits still surfaceโespecially during scrimmages or casual league games. People often tell me I remind them of Haลกek, and I take that as a huge compliment!
Even in the AWIHL, I sometimes accidentally throw in a pad stack or end up flopping around. Otherwise, though, Iโd describe my style as aggressive. I like to play outside my crease, challenge shooters, and stay physical, and I absolutely love shootouts.
For me, being a goalie is more than just stopping pucks; itโs about being a dependable presence for the team. I take that responsibility seriously, and thereโs no better feeling than knowing Iโm someone my teammates can rely on.
Who are some goalies you look up to?
Obviously, Iโve always looked up to Dominik Haลกek and Martin Brodeur, but Marc-Andrรฉ Fleury is one of the more modern goalies I admire. I love Fleuryโs sense of humourโhe brings such personality to the gameโand what a career heโs had! Iโm in absolute awe of everything heโs accomplished and the way heโs gone about it.
ย Another big influence for me was Mike Richter. His work ethic was second to none, and Iโve definitely taken a few cues from him when it comes to putting in the hard yards. Legends like these have shaped not just my game, but how I approach hockey as a whole.
I saw your Instagram post about Eddie Van Halen after he passed, and you mentioned how “Panama” and “Jump” are on your pre-game playlist. What else is on there?
Okay itโs a long list. On a Saturday where I play at 4:30pmโmy playlist starts in the morning when I wake up. It ramps up in tempo and intensity the closer it gets to game time. It contains the likes of Justin Timberlake, blink-182, Green Day, Metallica, Foo Fighters, Killing Heidi, Drowning Pool, Matchbox Twenty, Sugarcult, AC/DC, P!NK, Dido, Sarah Bareilles, Norah Jones, Linkin Park, Disturbed and many more. As you can see, it’s quite a diverse list, it really helps me with that mental preparation to ramp up the whole day, peaking when the coach comes into the change room before we hit the ice!
On a day where Iโm playing an early game, I just go for the heavy stuff in that same list to switch my intensity on.
Being a child of the 70โs and 80โs, and my adolescent years in the 90โs it has really influenced my music selections/choices.
In a country with so few ice surfaces, do you and others seek alternate training methods?
For a while, I played a lot of roller/inline hockey, but playing in a hot environment definitely came with its own challenges. Heat stress and hydration can get intense for goalies. We do off-ice training, but itโs not anything specific to hockey. In my hometown of Perth, my very first hockey coach opened a training facility dedicated to off-ice hockey trainingโNRG Ice Hockey Academy. I really wish we had something like that here in Sydney!
You had a really interesting quote on the Pride & Puck podcast, talking about how when youโre coaching you can see whoโs a natural goalie and who isnโt. How can you tell? What does that look like to you?
Thereโs no hard and fast rule, but there are a few key things I look for in a goalie. For starters, itโs incredibly difficult to train someone to move their face towards a puck flying at them. Equally, itโs hard to break the instinct to flinch, close their eyes or shy away from a puck headed straight for their head. The ability to keep your eyes glued to the puck all the time is important.
Another key factor is their attitude towards discomfort and learning. Skating and moving in goalie gear doesnโt come naturally, and beginner goalies often lack the specific muscle development needed for those movements. Thatโs where attitude becomes crucialโitโs one of the most important traits I look for.
Almost anyone can learn to play goalie and have fun with it. Plenty of people can even become good goalies. But itโs the right combination of attitude and instincts that can turn a good goalie into a great one.