photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Matt Zambonin
For fans attending the Women’s Worlds at the CAA Centre in Brampton, make sure you get to your game a little early to check out the 12 display cases on the concourse set up by the Hockey Hall of Fame. They are a veritable history of women’s hockey—for Team Canada, for the other competing nations, and for the local Brampton community.
In one case, nothing but Hall of Fame sweaters from Canada’s legends, starting with a 1994 incarnation from Lake Placid worn by Hayley Wickenheiser when she was 15 years old. Then, there is an Angela James sweater from 1990, the first IIHF Women’s Worlds held in Ottawa, and also from that tournament the most famous stick. It’s the one used by Geraldine Heaney in the gold-medal game when she scored the third goal for Canada late in the second period, flying high in the air after scoring what turned out to be the gold-medal winning goal. And in the same case, a gold medal from Jayna Hefford, the current head of the PWHPA, from the 2004 World Women’s when she was also named Directorate Award/Best Forward.
Another case focuses on Fran Rider, Hazel McCallion, and the very beginning of women’s international hockey. There is the McCallion World Cup trophy given to the winning Team Canada at the first unofficial women’s Worlds held in Toronto in 1987. McCallion was the mayor of Mississauga from 1978 to 2014 and a player in her own right as far back as the 1920s. She passed away this past January aged 101 and also has an OWHA blazer in the case.
For the local history fan, there is plenty to admire as well, starting with a Brampton Thunder sweater worn by Hefford in 2004 when the team played in the NWHL. As well, there is another version worn by Vicky Sunohara at the 2006 Women’s National Championship in Sydney, Nova Scotia, when the team won the Hoffman Cup. And even more specific are four pucks—one from the opening ceremony and three goal pucks from the game—from the 50th anniversary of the Brampton Canadettes Easter Tournament.
Going around southern Ontario, another case highlights Brianne Jenner’s Team Ontario Red sweater that she wore at the 2008 U18 nationals. She scored the game-winning goal in that gorgeous “chandaille.” There is also a bag used by Bev Beaver, a Six Nations all-‘round athlete in the 1970s who was a superstar for those who followed the sport back then. Joining these is another sweater worn by Fran Rider in the 1980s. Rider was instrumental in the development of women’s hockey that decade, culminating with the organizing of the first ever unofficial Women’s Worlds in 1987 in Toronto.
Internationally, another case has a beautiful wood goal stick used by Japan’s goalie in 1990, Tamae Satsu, and two sweaters worn by players at last year’s Women’s Worlds—Japanese goalie Miyuu Masuhara and Czechia’s Daniela Pejsova. Additionally, there is a stick used at the Beijing Olympics by USA’s Abby Roque, the first Indigenous player to appear for her country’s national women’s team.
It continues. How about a sweater worn by Swedish defender Gunilla Andersson in 2009? Andersson played for two decades and 15 IIHF events (11 WW and 4 Olympics). A longtime teammate, Pernilla Winberg, donated her gloves from the 2007 Women’s Worlds, and Finland’s Katja Riipi’s bronze medal from the 2000 WW in Mississauga is also included.
Canada fans will be delighted to see the nine goal pucks from the 2012 WW in Burlington, Vermont. One of the most successful WW in U.S. hosting history, the tourney ended on a bad note for the Americans when Caroline Ouellette scored the golden goal in OT for a 5-4 win. But it cuts both ways. The HHOF also has a Hefford stick from the next year’s WW in Ottawa. In that tournament it was the U.S. that prevailed in the gold-medal game to start a skein of five WW wins in a row.
History comes alive in these cases. The artefacts connect the past to the present and shed light on the game’s history and development. And one day 10, 20 years from now, the Hockey Hall of Fame will be displaying the stick of Marie-Philp Poulin, the sweater of Hilary Knight, and the pucks scored by Jenni Hiirikoski. Enjoy the game in person, but enjoy the memories as well.
In one case, nothing but Hall of Fame sweaters from Canada’s legends, starting with a 1994 incarnation from Lake Placid worn by Hayley Wickenheiser when she was 15 years old. Then, there is an Angela James sweater from 1990, the first IIHF Women’s Worlds held in Ottawa, and also from that tournament the most famous stick. It’s the one used by Geraldine Heaney in the gold-medal game when she scored the third goal for Canada late in the second period, flying high in the air after scoring what turned out to be the gold-medal winning goal. And in the same case, a gold medal from Jayna Hefford, the current head of the PWHPA, from the 2004 World Women’s when she was also named Directorate Award/Best Forward.
Another case focuses on Fran Rider, Hazel McCallion, and the very beginning of women’s international hockey. There is the McCallion World Cup trophy given to the winning Team Canada at the first unofficial women’s Worlds held in Toronto in 1987. McCallion was the mayor of Mississauga from 1978 to 2014 and a player in her own right as far back as the 1920s. She passed away this past January aged 101 and also has an OWHA blazer in the case.
For the local history fan, there is plenty to admire as well, starting with a Brampton Thunder sweater worn by Hefford in 2004 when the team played in the NWHL. As well, there is another version worn by Vicky Sunohara at the 2006 Women’s National Championship in Sydney, Nova Scotia, when the team won the Hoffman Cup. And even more specific are four pucks—one from the opening ceremony and three goal pucks from the game—from the 50th anniversary of the Brampton Canadettes Easter Tournament.
Going around southern Ontario, another case highlights Brianne Jenner’s Team Ontario Red sweater that she wore at the 2008 U18 nationals. She scored the game-winning goal in that gorgeous “chandaille.” There is also a bag used by Bev Beaver, a Six Nations all-‘round athlete in the 1970s who was a superstar for those who followed the sport back then. Joining these is another sweater worn by Fran Rider in the 1980s. Rider was instrumental in the development of women’s hockey that decade, culminating with the organizing of the first ever unofficial Women’s Worlds in 1987 in Toronto.
Internationally, another case has a beautiful wood goal stick used by Japan’s goalie in 1990, Tamae Satsu, and two sweaters worn by players at last year’s Women’s Worlds—Japanese goalie Miyuu Masuhara and Czechia’s Daniela Pejsova. Additionally, there is a stick used at the Beijing Olympics by USA’s Abby Roque, the first Indigenous player to appear for her country’s national women’s team.
It continues. How about a sweater worn by Swedish defender Gunilla Andersson in 2009? Andersson played for two decades and 15 IIHF events (11 WW and 4 Olympics). A longtime teammate, Pernilla Winberg, donated her gloves from the 2007 Women’s Worlds, and Finland’s Katja Riipi’s bronze medal from the 2000 WW in Mississauga is also included.
Canada fans will be delighted to see the nine goal pucks from the 2012 WW in Burlington, Vermont. One of the most successful WW in U.S. hosting history, the tourney ended on a bad note for the Americans when Caroline Ouellette scored the golden goal in OT for a 5-4 win. But it cuts both ways. The HHOF also has a Hefford stick from the next year’s WW in Ottawa. In that tournament it was the U.S. that prevailed in the gold-medal game to start a skein of five WW wins in a row.
History comes alive in these cases. The artefacts connect the past to the present and shed light on the game’s history and development. And one day 10, 20 years from now, the Hockey Hall of Fame will be displaying the stick of Marie-Philp Poulin, the sweater of Hilary Knight, and the pucks scored by Jenni Hiirikoski. Enjoy the game in person, but enjoy the memories as well.