o o h i c  heaney

In a class all her own

Geraldine Heaney may have retired from Canada’s National Women’s Team 14 years ago, but her legacy lives on

Wendy Graves
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June 20, 2016
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Six women have been inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Hall of Fame as players.

Four female hockey players are in Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Three women have been called to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Since its inception in 2012, three women have been invested into the Order of Hockey in Canada.

Geraldine Heaney is the only one who’s been honoured by all four.

“It’s an honour to receive these awards,” says Heaney. “I believe a lot of it is the timing when I played. It was when everything started developing and taking off for women’s hockey. I’m fortunate that I got to play, and I’m happy being recognized, but I just think of my teammates and everyone else who helped me win these honours.”

Heaney won seven straight gold medals at the IIHF World Women’s Championship between 1990 and 2001, twice being named to the tournament all-star team (1992, 1999) and Best Defenceman by the IIHF directorate (1992, 1994).

The 1990 tournament was the first IIHF-sanctioned world championship for women. While Heaney still chuckles at the team’s attire – pink jerseys, white pants – she felt nothing but pride that week in Ottawa.

“It’s that first time putting the Canadian jersey on and getting a chance to represent your country at the game you love because you never really knew you’d have the chance to do it since it was never there before,” she says. “Just being announced to the team and getting to play hockey in a world championship is something I’ll never forget.”

Perhaps only one image is more engrained in fans’ memories all these years later than the team’s jerseys: Heaney tripping as she avoids the American goaltender’s poke check and sliding the puck into the net, her momentum causing her to take flight on what proved to be the gold-medal-winning goal.

“I think because I see [that goal] so often it’s like yesterday or another life. It’s kind of two different feelings.”

While the replay typically picks up the action in the offensive zone, Heaney still sees how the play developed off a defensive zone face-off. “France Montour makes probably one of the best passes ever – she dove to pass it to me – and it’s kind of overlooked because of the goal. Visually I can replay it in my head; I think that’s just because I see it over and over again. It’s nice that it’s not forgotten.”

Heaney’s teammate on five of those world championship teams was Cassie Campbell-Pascall.

“She was my D partner at the 1997 worlds,” says Campbell-Pascall, who switched to forward the following season. “That was the year I was named Best Defenceman and I’m pretty sure being partnered with her helped.

“When she played with you, you were better. That’s why to me she was one of the best in the world – she had [not only] the skill and talent, but she was one of those people that if you played with her chances are your game was going to be taken up a notch or two.”

In 1998, Heaney won a silver medal when women’s hockey made its debut at the Olympic Winter Games. She admits she would’ve considered retirement had the team won gold; instead she readied herself for another four-year commitment.

Four months before the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, Heaney’s uncle passed away. On New Year’s Eve, her mother suffered a stroke. Then, on Jan. 6, Heaney injured her knee in a pre-competition game against the United States. She learned only days before the team departed for Utah that she’d be going with them.

Canada would withstand being shorthanded 11 times – including eight straight penalties – against the U.S. in the gold medal game to prevail 3-2.

“I think I was one of the first players off the bench after the final buzzer,” says Heaney. “They have that picture of where I’m jumping in the air and attacking Kim St-Pierre; hopefully, we didn’t hurt her too much.”

Through her own personal ups and downs, as well as the team’s that year (it had lost eight straight to the Americans), Heaney fully appreciated why she loved playing hockey, a team game. “Winning an Olympic gold medal with a group of girls who are like your sisters – it probably meant so much more because we lost in ’98. Standing on the line everything from the past year went through my head. Receiving that gold medal, it was like ‘wow, it was worth everything.’”

After the celebrations had quieted down, Heaney and Campbell-Pascall enjoyed a quiet moment together at centre ice. Heaney knew she had played her final game with Canada’s National Women’s Team.

“It was the best way I could retire. Winning that Olympic gold medal, that was the one that was missing for me.”

Fourteen years later, as recognition for her achievements continues to come, her legacy within the program lives on as well.

“I think she’s the one who everyone is going to be compared to,” says Campbell-Pascall. “She’s probably one of the last great offensive defenceman.” Heaney recorded 93 points (27 goals, 66 assists) wearing the maple leaf and still sits as the highest scoring blue-liner in team history more than a decade later. “She’s sort of the Bobby Orr of women’s hockey,” says Campbell-Pascall, “and she’ll be the one that [every defenceman] will be compared to from here on in.”

Heaney also raised the bar in terms of fitness, says Campbell-Pascall, as well as the skills and tricks players brought to their games. “I just think overall it’s her consistency and being a pioneer as part of that 1990 team.”

While Heaney has trouble seeing herself as a trail blazer now – “It just makes me feel old,” she says, laughing – in time it may sink in. “There’s a bunch of us that are I suppose. Set the path, opened doors. I think we paved the way for the young girls to take it to whatever level they want to take it to.”

Once upon a time, Olympic gold medals and Hockey Hall of Fame plaques were not possibilities for female players. But if people have taken away anything from her path, Heaney hopes it’s to play the game because you love it

“That’s why I did it and that’s probably why I succeeded. I never thought my career as a young girl starting to play would’ve taken me where it has today.”

For more information:

Esther Madziya
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 284-6484 

[email protected] 

Spencer Sharkey
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 777-4567

[email protected]

Jeremy Knight
Manager, Corporate Communications
Hockey Canada

(647) 251-9738

[email protected]

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