May 16, 2008 - The International Ice Hockey Federation threw a party and finally invited some women.

American Cammi Granato and Canadians Geraldine Heaney and Angela James became the first women inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame, which is housed inside the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. There are now 163 players and builders from 23 countries enshrined in the hall.

Granato, who played 15 years, captained Team USA and won Olympic gold in 1998, gave an impassioned and eloquent acceptance speech that was both personal and representative of all female players.

“To be among the first women in the Hall of Fame is hard to put into words but it’s extremely special to me. I’m incredibly honoured. I grew up playing with boys and shared the same dream as my brothers.”

“It was really hard for me to accept that I couldn’t play for the Chicago Blackhawks. Because I was a girl I couldn’t have that dream. I want to thank the IIHF for giving me another dream.”

Heaney, who won seven gold medals at the worlds and one at the 2002 Olympics, was choked up at the event as she had recently suffered a death in the family.

“She was a huge hockey fan and a supporter of me. I’d just like to say this is for you, Kath,” Heaney said at the podium.

James was also emotional and cognizant of their role in female hockey history as she accepted her place in the hall.

“We were very fortunate we had the opportunity to play so many years. We’re just the start of many more to come. We’re going to hopefully continue to see a great game for years to come.”

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How do you define tough? To play hurt and still play well? To play with grit and determination? How about the ability to overcome serious personal setbacks, and return to the highest level of performance?

Well, the writers at Sports Illustrated tackled the question and came up with  a list. Of the  25 athletes they chose, only two are women. Of course, the picks are debatable and ours would be vastly different. Because being tough isn’t enough, we’re going to put together a list of  the top “Pretty Tough” athletes!

First on the SI list?  Golfer Tiger Woods based on his determination and focus in dominating the world of golf. The list also included six National Football League players, three National Basketball Association players, two Major League Baseball players, two boxers and two ultimate fighters. Rounding out the 25 were a sled dog racer, a bull rider, a tennis player, a NASCAR driver and a hot dog eating champion.

#10 Chrissie Wellington
What makes her tough: The gritty Wellington, 31, won the 2007 Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, in her Kona debut. She’s the first British athlete to take the event. The month before, she made her Ironman pro debut and won in Korea. Stunningly, she’s admitted that she never used a heart-rate monitor or had a V02 max test, both required parts of any tri-athlete’s training manual.

Defining moment: At Kona, Wellington ran a 2:59:57 marathon for a 9:08:45 winning time. “If it was a sauna on the bike, it was an oven on the run,” she says.

Old school match: Paula Newby-Fraser, the eight-time Queen of Kona.

#20 Hayley Wickenheiser
What makes her tough: No player in women’s hockey drives to the net with such purpose and fury. Wisenheimer has grown from teen phenom to grande dame of Canadian hockey, carrying the weight of her country and game every time on the ice. Sadly, she isn’t allowed to body check.

Defining moment: She played pro hockey against men in Finland as a way of challenging herself. Sure, Kirkkonummi Salamat was a second-division club, but in 23 games, Wickenheiser acquitted herself well.

Old school match: Angela James, a forward who starred for Canada in the ’90s, or possibly tennis legend Billie Jean King. Wickenheiser is really new school

Who would be on your list?

Filed under: Athletics, General, Ice Hockey by jane
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March 22, 2008 - DULUTH, Minn. — Happy trails, Harvard. Nice to know you, New Hampshire. Just like that, the East was done, and the NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Finals came down to Minnesota Duluth and Wisconsin.

With the game on, Swede Kim Martin, a finalist for the 2008 Patty Kazmaier Award given to the nation’s top Division I women’s hockey player,  stopped 28 shots to lead Minnesota Duluth past Wisconsin 4-0 Saturday at the NCAA women’s hockey championship.

The win was the school’s fourth championship in eight years, and first since 2003. Wisconsin beat UMD 4-1 in the women’s Frozen Four final last year for its second straight crown but fell short of the desired three-peat.

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March 16, 2008 - The D-I Women’s Ice Hockey Tournament round of eight is over, with Harvard, Minn. Duluth, Wisconsin and University of New Hampshire all advancing.

Defending champions, the Wisconsin Badgers, hope to claim the team’s third straight NCAA title.

Link

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March 09, 2008 - March Madness isn’t all about the Final Four in collegiate basketball. NCAA also sponsors a championship tournament in ice hockey. The semi-finals and finals are called the Frozen Four.

Today, the NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Committee announced the field of eight teams which will compete for the eighth NCAA Women’s Frozen Four. The 2008 Women’s Frozen Four will be hosted by the University of Minnesota Duluth, March 20 and 22, at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. 

Eight teams were selected for the championship. Of the eight teams, the top four teams are seeded. Harvard enters the tournament as No. 1 seed followed by Minnesota Duluth, New Hampshire and Minnesota.  Last year’s winner, Wisconsin, will be back to defend their championship.  Keep an eye out for Harvard’s Sarah Vaillancourt, recently named All-Ivy first team and unanimous Player of the Year.

Frozen Four Bracket

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Colorado Springs, Colo. (Jan. 3, 2008) – National Skating month kicked off Jan. 1, with U.S. Figure Skating, USA Hockey and US Speedskating joining forces to promote all forms of skating. Nearly 300 skating clubs across the United States are participating and offering free lessons.

Olympians Kimmie Meissner (U.S. Figure Skating) and Scott Gomez (USA Hockey) and three-time Olympic medalist Chad Hedrick (US Speedskating) are encouraging those who have never tried ice skating to take advantage of the free lessons being offered by participating ice skating rinks.

“The great thing about National Skating Month is that families can go to any participating rink for free lessons and all sorts of other fun events,” said Meissner, the reigning U.S. champion and 2006 World champion. “It’s a sport and a pastime for people of all ages, and I encourage everyone to visit their local rinks to see how they can get involved in this wonderful activity.”

(more…)

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ZURICH Dec. 20, 2007 - The gender barrier has finally been broken. Hockey players Cammi Granato, Angela James and Geraldine Heaney have become the three first women to be inducted to the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) Hall of Fame’s player’s category.

Canadian Angela James,  considered to be the first superstar of modern women’s hockey will be joined by former teammate Geraldine Heaney and American Cammi Granato for the induction ceremony which will take place in Quebec City in May.  Granato is the all-time leading scorer in major international competition and was the player who defined U.S. women’s program during her 15-year career.

The three will be the first women inducted into the international hockey shrine, the IIHF announced.

“I am immensely happy that we have reached the phase in hockey history when we rightfully can induct women to the player’s category,” said IIHF President René Fasel. Almost two decades have passed since we started with the IIHF World Women Championship and the first pioneers have retired which means that the selection committee could, with perspective, evaluate their contributions to the game.

(more…)

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Nov. 12, 2007 - LEKSAND, Sweden — Canada got both a challenge and the gold medal in the Four Nations women’s hockey final, the perfect way to win the tournament for a fifth time in six years. The Four Nations Cup,  a staple of international women’s hockey since 1996. features the four top-ranked teams in the world: Canada, USA, Sweden, and Finland. (more…)

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Chanda Gunn, from Huntington Beach, California, is the U.S. women’s hockey team last line of defense. The starting goaltender, who was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 9, faces life the way she faces shooters on the ice: with no fear. (more…)

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Canada - Women’s hockey has taken an important momentous step as this sport continues to grow across North America. “All elite women’s hockey teams in North America will play within the NWHL this coming season,” announced Susan Fennell, Commissioner of the National Women’s Hockey League. “Discussions have been underway over the past several months, and clearly all players want one pinnacle Championship to strive for.” (more…)

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