Hockey's Twin Engines

When the US women's hockey team gathered in Minnesota recently to hear who had survived the Olympic tryouts and would most likely comprise the 21-member team in Vancouver, the head coach Mark Johnson read 23 names, grouped by position. He started with the goalies, then defensemen, and – finally – the offense.

Monique Lamoureux’s name was called, but the next player mentioned was not her younger twin, Jocelyne.

“A lot of people noticed [the omission],” Jocelyne said.

“I was about to go into cardiac arrest,” Monique said, but moments later, she exhaled when her 20-year-old look-alike was also chosen.

“We’ve had this goal since we were little,” Monique said. “If only one of us made it, it would be like we only half achieved it.”

Plenty of identical twins have made past U.S. Olympic teams. Gymnastics had the Hamm brothers (Paul and Morgan), ski racing had Phil and Steve Mahre, and tennis has the Bryans (Bob and Mike). But U.S. women’s Olympic hockey had never so much as had sisters, so if both twins survive the final cut in mid-December, it could be historic.

The Lamoureuxs grew up in Grand Forks, N.D., in an active family of six children. They quickly immersed themselves in everything from violin to dance to a dozen different sports.

“I think our mom lived in the car for six years,” Monique said of their de facto chauffeur.

But the twins’ four older brothers played hockey, as did their father, and the game soon dominated the family’s interests. In the basement, the boys created locker stalls out of a bookshelf turned on its side. In the summer, everyone would take slap shots against the garage door. In the winter, they would tromp across the street to skate on the Coulee River until the din of their exuberance was pierced by their mother’s whistle calling them inside for dinner.

Yet amid the chaos, there was order.

“If you went down the line from oldest to youngest, we paired off in twos,” said the eldest, Jean-Philippe. JP spent most of his time with the second-oldest brother; the next two teamed up; and even if Monique and Jocelyne weren’t twins, they would have inevitably been paired as the two youngest.

Eventually, the chain was broken when all the boys moved away to play junior hockey. “I only got to play one season with one of my brothers,” JP said, “but the neat thing is that the twins managed to stay together.”

The twins were an offensive force as freshmen last year at the University of Minnesota.

Gopher fans loved when they were on the same line because it forced the PA announcer calling the game to say “Lamoureux to Lamoureux” several times within a single play.

Although Jocelyne was considered to be more of a playmaker and Monique was more of a finisher, Minnesota and U.S. teammate Rachael Drazan said, “Their passing is just ‘tic-tac-toe’ and they don’t necessarily have to call for [the puck]. They just know where each other is.”

 “When you watch them play, you can tell they grew up together,” U.S. coach Mark Johnson said. “In that household, if they wanted something they had to earn it, especially as the youngest. You want a sandwich? Who’s gonna get it? You had to compete for it. When you grow up like that, it’s pretty good training.”

They tend not to hide their competitive drive, either. “They get in each other’s face,” said Minnesota and U.S. team forward Gigi Marvin. “If I talked to a teammate the way they do, we probably wouldn’t be speaking to each other for the rest of the year. But it’s what sisters do. They tell it like it is, and the next second they’re celebrating a goal.”

Success hasn’t been limited to the Lamoureux women.

Their brothers, now in their 20s, have also made their mark on the hockey world. The twins have been inspired by each of them.

Jean-Philippe, 25, just signed a one-year contract with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. At 5-9, he was always told he was too small to be a goalie but Jocelyne said, “He believed he could be good no matter what people say. He’s never been given the benefit of the doubt and he proved people wrong.”

The next oldest, Jacques, battled depression and was reportedly initially denied entry to the Air Force Academy because of it. Now he is a forward there and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker award last season. The twins admire his persistence.

Pierre-Paul, 22, was a defenseman for the University of Manitoba and played in the Canadian Hockey League. He is the twins’ chief motivator who taught them the importance of knowing the game and paying attention to detail.

Mario is a sophomore forward at the University of North Dakota and was always one of the youngest players on his junior teams. “He earned respect through hard work, and that’s the mentality we had coming to USA Hockey,” Jocelyne said. “Now we’re the youngest on the team – except for Hilary Knight who’s [nine] days younger – and you have to prove that you belong in order to have respect.”

JP says the twins play like their brothers, too. “The girls have little elements of each of us,” he said.

“I pride myself on mental toughness and consistency in preparation and training. I see that fully in the twins.

“Jacques is a natural goal scorer,” JP said. So, too, are the twins. Last season, Monique scored 39 goals in 40 games for Minnesota – plus 29 assists –and ranked third in the NCAA (and first among rookies) in points. Jocelyne was right behind her, with 28 goals and 37 assists (fourth in the nation in points).

“Pierre-Paul is known for getting nasty and is not afraid to take hits,” JP said. Last year, Jocelyne led Minnesota’s offense in penalty minutes (46 over the course of 40 games), and Monique had the next-highest tally, with 28 minutes in the box.

“Mario has developed as a clutch player,” JP said. And so have the twins. Last season at Minnesota, Monique ranked second in the nation with five short-handed goals and was tied for third with game winners.

As a result, JP said, “I think of [Monique and Jocelyne] as complete players.”

And yet, the twins are unique.

Jocelyne has a smaller ponytail.

Monique’s skates are a half size bigger.  

Jocelyne is a rightie; Monique is a leftie (both shoot right-handed).

Jocelyne described herself as slightly more outgoing; Monique called herself a “neat freak.”

Jocelyne’s boyfriend plays soccer at Butler University and taught her how to fly fish. Monique is engaged to a Marine who will be deployed to Afghanistan in November.  Since her fiancé is stationed in Hawaii, she has seen very little of him in the past six months. She thinks of him when she looks at the ring he gave her just over a year ago, right after high school, but “because I’m so busy, I don’t have time to dwell on it,” she said of his impending assignment.

During Monique’s time away from her fiancé, the twins helped the United States win the 2009 World Championships, where both sisters made key plays against Canada. In pool play, Monique scored with an assist from Jocelyne in a 2-1 loss to Canada. In the gold-medal game, Jocelyne had two assists (including one to Meghan Duggan for the game winner) in the 4-1 gold-medal victory.

“Showing we could make an impact there was important to us,” Jocelyne said.

And they can’t relent now.  Two more players will be cut from the U.S. Olympic roster in mid-December and the twins know too well the pain of playing apart. In 2008, Jocelyne made the U.S. team for the Four Nations Cup and Monique did not.

Monique was supportive, but it wasn’t the same.

Their next test will come in the 10-game Qwest Tour, which begins on Friday, September 25 in St. Paul, Minn. The U.S. women will play against the WCHA All-Stars.

In October, the U.S. will face the University of North Dakota (where the twins will attend school after Olympic season; their reason for transferring from Minnesota is not something they freely discuss).

Six days later, the U.S. will play Canada and – once again – force the Lamoureux’s father, Jean-Pierre, to root against his homeland. In fact, all six children are dual citizens of Canada and the United States, but the twins didn’t consider representing their northern neighbor in Vancouver. “We never really lived there,” Jocelyne explained.

For the next few months, they will live near Blaine, Minn., as part of the team’s residency program and be the envy of their teammates.

“Personally, I wish I had a twin sister to play with,” said two-time Olympic forward Natalie Darwitz. “It would be nice to have someone you trust and have that backbone for you [as we prepare for Vancouver]. I’m sure they feel fortunate.”

If all goes well, women’s hockey will have its twins, and the Lamoureux hockey family will have its first Olympians.

For now, JP said, ”We’re just proud to have a front-row ticket watching them pursue their dreams.”

Aimee Berg is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org. This story was not subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee or any National Governing Bodies.