Hayley Wickenheiser: 1st non-goalie woman in professional hockey

Wickenheiser is probably the most notable female player in the world of professional hockey. She broke all the rules in male dominated hockey when she became the first woman in hockey history to play in the professional arena in a position other than the goalie.

Born in 1973 in Saskatchewan, Canada, Hayley’s love of hockey never stopped her and she started out by playing on the boy’s teams. By the age of 13, she assisted Team Alberta to win the gold medal for the girls-under-17 event in the Canada Winter Games. Hayley became a well-known player when she was given the coveted title of Most Valuable Player. The young athlete continued to pursue her dream and when she was 15 she found herself in the Canadian Women’s National Team international competition.

Wickenheiser’s versatility was proven in 1994 when she took on the sport of professional softball. An astonished and proud Canada added her abilities when she was included in the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the team for Canada.

1998 brought Wickenheiser the notoriety of participating in the Winter Olympics, where her team won a silver medal. This was just the start for Hayley, as she continued to out perform all expectations. 2002 brought Ms. Wickenheiser to new levels as she and her team brought the gold medal home. She was listed again as the Most Valuable Player and achieved the player to get the top scorer position. 2003 brought Wickenheiser to a new level as she became the first female player in hockey to add a point to an all male, men’s professional game. In 2008, Hayley succeeded in accomplishing the same award and position.

By the time the 2010 Winter Olympic Games arrived, Wickenheiser was a common household name in the world of hockey. At the opening ceremony she was asked to read the ‘athlete’s oath’. This spurred Hayley and her team to again win a gold medal, the third in her history.

Over the years, Ms. Wickenheiser has shown that women can not only be successful in the world of hockey but can compete with the best of them. Her achievements have included many championships on the nation level with the Calgary Oval X-Treme and Edmonton Chimos. Her 2010 season gave her the opportunity to add her talent to the University of Calgary Dinos.

Hayley’s home of Shaunavon, Saskatchewan shared their incredible pride of their hometown lady by renaming their sport center “Wickenheiser Place”, in her honor. Her other achievements have included being listed as number twenty of the Top Twenty Give Toughest Athletes in the World, by Sports Illustrated; two time winner in the Globe and Mail’s “Power 50” influencers in sports; listed twice as a finalist for the Women’s Sports Foundation Team Athlete of The Year and listed by QMI Agency as one of the top ten “Greatest Female Athletes in the History of Sports.” Hayley shared her experiences with her fans when she wrote “Gold Medal Diary- Inside the world’s greatest sports event”.

Always looking for a challenge, Wickenheiser decided that she wanted to attend medical school and began studying kinesiology. This is one woman that stands as an icon for female athletes everywhere.

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