Top Women’s Hockey Stories (15 to 11)

Once the New Year’s Eve ball drops on Times Square at midnight, the 21^st century will be twenty-five years old. In recognition of the past quarter-century, we continue our list of the 25 most significant women’s hockey stories over that period. These events have captivated hockey fans from around the globe, and inspired women, and especially young girls, for generations to come.

15. Sweden upsets USA at 2006 Olympics

At the Winter Games in Torino, Italy, the anticipated Canada-USA women’s hockey gold medal final seemed to be a foregone conclusion. But in the semi-final, Swedish goalie Kim Martin had the game of her life, making 37 saves in an eventual 3-2 shootout win for her country. Although Sweden would eventually bow out to Canada in the final, the silver medal put a dent in the armour of the traditional North American dominance. The stunning loss by the Americans called into further question coach Ben Smith’s decision to cut veteran Cammi Granato from the team.

14. Hilary Knight becomes all-time Women’s Worlds scoring leader

A surefire future first-ballot Hall of Famer, Team USA star Hilary Knight made history at the 2022 Women’s World Championship in Denmark. In a quarter-final game versus Switzerland, Knight registered a goal and an assist to bring her career tournament total to 87 points, surpassing the mark previously held by Canada’s Hayley Wickenheiser. Three years later, Knight is the all-time Women’s Worlds leader in goals (67), assists (53) and points (120), collected in 87 games.

13. Canada wins 2010 Olympic gold on home ice

Three days before Sidney Crosby punctuated the Winter Games in Vancouver with the men’s hockey golden goal, the Team Canada women blanked the Americans 2-0 to earn the country’s third consecutive women’s Olympic gold. The tournament was a coming out party for Marie-Philip Poulin, who at age 18 scored both goals in the final game on the world’s biggest stage. Shannon Szabados stopped all 28 shots that came her way for the shutout. Meanwhile, a photographer with too much time on his hands pathetically tried to stir a controversy over the women celebrating on the ice in an empty Canada Hockey Place arena with cigars and beer.

12. Hayley Wickenheiser inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame

For over a decade and a half, Wickenheiser was the face of the women’s game, and in 2019 she deservedly gained hockey’s greatest individual honour. Over her legendary career, ‘Wick’ won four Olympic gold medals and seven Women’s World Hockey Championship titles. She is Canada’s all-time international scoring leader in the three main categories: 168 goals, 211 assists and 379 points. With a potent combination of skill and strength – she also compiled 312 penalty minutes to boot – no other player came close to dominating her sport the way that she did.

11. NWHL formed; first league to pay women’s players

In March 2015, while the best players in the world were still playing in the CWHL, the National Women’s Hockey League was formed. While CWHL players didn’t earn salaries, the NWHL – founded by Dani Rylan – became the first truly professional women’s hockey league, paying its players. The teams competed for the Isobel Cup to decide its champion. In 2021, the league was rebranded as the Premier Hockey Foundation.