Dominique Kremer: Buffalo's Captain Courageous

Dominique Kremer is a dynamic defender and the captain of the 2022-2023 Buffalo Beauts. Her game is filled with consistency, versatility, and passion. Leadership is something that has come naturally to her throughout her career.

 During Kremer's collegiate career she was named alternate captain as a 1st-year player in Merrimack College's inaugural season. In just her second year with the Beauts, she was named an alternate captain again. This season she was awarded the title of captaincy outright. 

“It's a very humbling experience,” Kremer said. “I'm super honored. Being the actual captain, the only ‘C’ captain, I feel like everyone is kind of looking at me a lot more and to lead by example.”

Leaders need to walk the walk and talk the talk, which requires consistency - and consistency has been a large part of Kremer’s game. In her collegiate career, she played 138 games and only missed 2 games total. During her first and only season in Sweden's SDHL, she played all 36 games with the Djurgårdens IF. She has yet to miss a game for the Beauts in her more than two seasons with Buffalo. 

The 25-year-old credits part of her consecutive game streak to luck and the fact that she hasn’t had a major injury. But she also credits doing the little things right as part of her continued health. 

“I do try really hard to do the little things right," she said. "Eating right, drinking lots of water, getting enough sleep, and taking care of my body. I’ve gotten really big into yoga and I attribute a lot of that to staying loose and limber (on the ice).”  

The Beauts are hoping that their captain can continue her consistency in a season in which they are seeking to avenge their first-round playoff loss to the Boston Pride and make a deep push into the Isobel Cup playoffs. 

That will coincide with the Louisiana native's strong play on both offense and defense. Kremer's six goals during the 2021-22 season led the entire Premier Hockey Federation in goals by a blueliner and tied the Beauts' team record for most goals in a season by the defender. Not surprisingly, Kremer was named the 2022 PHF Defender of the Year. 

“We want to leave our zone as a 5-group unit and we want to enter as a 5-group unit," said Beauts head coach Rhea Coad. "Dom is a big part of our ability to do that with her skill in leading or joining a rush. Even as a defender, she is a big part of our offense."

Having signed a 2-year contract - the first in PHF history - Kremer plans to be a Beaut for the long haul. She gushes over making the organization better, which also motivates her to work even harder. 

“I truly consider Buffalo my home away from home," Kremer said. "I can’t imagine being or playing anywhere else.”

Through Buffalo's first two games of the 2022-23 season, Kremer picked up an assist while registering four shots on goal along with three blocks of her own. Kremer and the Beauts are next in action on Saturday, December 10 at 7 pm EST when they take on the Boston Pride for the team's annual "Teddy Bear Toss" game.