Hayley to the HHOF
June 26, 2019 2:47 PM Subscribe
A few days ago, a medical school student at the University of Calgary was writing an exam, when her phone rang. Of course, she couldn't answer. Hayley Wickenheiser had to wait until her exam was over to find out that -- as every pundit and observer had expected -- she had been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame on her first year of eligibility, as the greatest woman who has ever played the sport.
First joining the Canadian National Women's Hockey Team in 1994 at the age of 15, over a 23 year career she's led them to four Olympic golds (and a silver), seven World Championship golds (and six silvers), and is the all time leading scorer. She is one of only five athletes to win gold medals at four consecutive Olympics (two others are teammates Caroline Ouellette and Jayna Hefford). She took the Olympic athlete's oath in 2010 in Vancouver and was the Canadian flag bearer in 2014 in Sochi, where she won a gold medal while playing with a broken foot. She retired from hockey in 2017 with this video.
She's also played professional hockey as a frequent leading scorer and all-star in nascent women's leagues in North America -- including winning the Clarkson Cup with the Calgary Inferno in 2016. She is also the first woman to score in a men's professional league -- she had 3 goals and 11 assists over 54 games in the second and third level Finnish and Swedish men's hockey leagues.
In the 2010s (and in her 30s), she played university hockey with the Calgary Dinos while getting her Bachelor's in Kinesiology; she's 6th all-time in points in the Canada West league (but the all-time leader in both shorthanded and game-winning goals). Her master's research involved research into the effectiveness of exercise regimes in young adults on the autism spectrum.
Oh, she also played softball at the 2000 Summer Olympics, because her sporting resume would otherwise be lacking.
Off the ice, in addition to her med school career and raising her son (now in the Canadian military), she is on the IOC Athletes Commission and in a front office role as assistant director of player development with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Wickfest, her World Female Hockey Festival, a tournament and development event for women and girls is in it's 10th year, with over 2000 annual participants, including teams from China and India. From the small town of Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, after the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash, she spent weeks visiting with the survivors and helping the town heal.
Wickenheiser is the seventh woman in the Hall; she joins her former Canadian teammates Angela James, Geraldine Heaney, Danielle Goyette and Jayna Hefford, as well as American rivals Cammi Granato and Angela Ruggiero.
First joining the Canadian National Women's Hockey Team in 1994 at the age of 15, over a 23 year career she's led them to four Olympic golds (and a silver), seven World Championship golds (and six silvers), and is the all time leading scorer. She is one of only five athletes to win gold medals at four consecutive Olympics (two others are teammates Caroline Ouellette and Jayna Hefford). She took the Olympic athlete's oath in 2010 in Vancouver and was the Canadian flag bearer in 2014 in Sochi, where she won a gold medal while playing with a broken foot. She retired from hockey in 2017 with this video.
She's also played professional hockey as a frequent leading scorer and all-star in nascent women's leagues in North America -- including winning the Clarkson Cup with the Calgary Inferno in 2016. She is also the first woman to score in a men's professional league -- she had 3 goals and 11 assists over 54 games in the second and third level Finnish and Swedish men's hockey leagues.
In the 2010s (and in her 30s), she played university hockey with the Calgary Dinos while getting her Bachelor's in Kinesiology; she's 6th all-time in points in the Canada West league (but the all-time leader in both shorthanded and game-winning goals). Her master's research involved research into the effectiveness of exercise regimes in young adults on the autism spectrum.
Oh, she also played softball at the 2000 Summer Olympics, because her sporting resume would otherwise be lacking.
Off the ice, in addition to her med school career and raising her son (now in the Canadian military), she is on the IOC Athletes Commission and in a front office role as assistant director of player development with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Wickfest, her World Female Hockey Festival, a tournament and development event for women and girls is in it's 10th year, with over 2000 annual participants, including teams from China and India. From the small town of Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, after the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash, she spent weeks visiting with the survivors and helping the town heal.
Wickenheiser is the seventh woman in the Hall; she joins her former Canadian teammates Angela James, Geraldine Heaney, Danielle Goyette and Jayna Hefford, as well as American rivals Cammi Granato and Angela Ruggiero.
Ditto, Snarl Furillo. (As a Canadian, at any rate) her accomplishments in hockey are pretty well known, but I had no idea about the softball.
posted by juv3nal at 3:15 PM on June 26, 2019
posted by juv3nal at 3:15 PM on June 26, 2019
OK, but was she any good at softball? Like, silver medal at least?
posted by axiom at 3:17 PM on June 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by axiom at 3:17 PM on June 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
I don't follow hockey at all, so Wickenheiser is new to me! Her interview with SportsNet is fascinating. I love hearing athletes talk about their own skills and motivations; I liked the way she talked about being "the best" and that it was more important to her to be the best at the right time. What an awesome athlete.
posted by Snarl Furillo at 3:19 PM on June 26, 2019
posted by Snarl Furillo at 3:19 PM on June 26, 2019
I've known about her forever, but I was pretty shocked to learn she's only a year older than I am. She's an institution; I just assumed she'd been around forever like the Parthenon or something.
posted by kevinbelt at 3:39 PM on June 26, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by kevinbelt at 3:39 PM on June 26, 2019 [2 favorites]
OK, but was she any good at softball? Like, silver medal at least?
Canada finished at the bottom of the seven team table in women's softball at the 2000 Summer Olympics. So, you know, right there is a blemish on the record.
(I kid - I have been in awe of Haley Wickenheiser since she started playing on the national stage in 1994 - she is a top notch athlete and an amazing human being and this is an incredibly well deserved honour).
posted by nubs at 3:41 PM on June 26, 2019
Canada finished at the bottom of the seven team table in women's softball at the 2000 Summer Olympics. So, you know, right there is a blemish on the record.
(I kid - I have been in awe of Haley Wickenheiser since she started playing on the national stage in 1994 - she is a top notch athlete and an amazing human being and this is an incredibly well deserved honour).
posted by nubs at 3:41 PM on June 26, 2019
Holy crap! I knew she was good, but she's more than good. She's awesome.
posted by Mental Wimp at 3:51 PM on June 26, 2019
posted by Mental Wimp at 3:51 PM on June 26, 2019
THE GREATEST WORKED SHOOT IN HISTORY
Hayley Wickenheiser, interviewed just after getting off the ice after winning the 2002 Gold Medal, in the game that really set off the USA-Canada rivalry, dropping fucking bombs on her vanquished foes.
posted by suckerpunch at 4:35 PM on June 26, 2019 [6 favorites]
Hayley Wickenheiser, interviewed just after getting off the ice after winning the 2002 Gold Medal, in the game that really set off the USA-Canada rivalry, dropping fucking bombs on her vanquished foes.
posted by suckerpunch at 4:35 PM on June 26, 2019 [6 favorites]
suckerpunch that might be her most famous quote. I adore Wick!
posted by aclevername at 5:57 PM on June 26, 2019
posted by aclevername at 5:57 PM on June 26, 2019
Phones? In exams?
posted by GallonOfAlan at 12:44 AM on June 27, 2019
posted by GallonOfAlan at 12:44 AM on June 27, 2019
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This is the point where I just threw up my hands like, "REALLY? REALLY?"
posted by Snarl Furillo at 3:13 PM on June 26, 2019 [19 favorites]