Danielle Goyette Becomes Third Canadian Woman Inducted into IIHF Hall of Fame

Truly a deserving candidate, Danielle Goyette has become the third Canadian woman (and sixth overall) inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame. She follows in the footsteps of fellow Canadians Angela James and Geraldine Heaney, who were both inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation's Hall of Fame in 2008.

Hailing from St. Nazaire, Quebec, Goyette becomes the first women’s hockey player from Quebec inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame. With 219 career points with the Canadian National Women’s Team, she ranks fourth overall, respectively.

Goyette would relocate to Calgary (home of the national headquarters of Hockey Canada) in 1996 to improve her English language skills and dedicate herself to training with the national team. In addition, she would have a distinguished career with the Calgary Oval X-Treme of the now defunct National Women’s Hockey League.

With the Oval X-Treme, Goyette would compete in several Esso Women’s Nationals for the right to win the Abby Hoffman Cup.

Throughout her storied playing career, Goyette always maintained a quiet strength and dignity. In 12 major women’s hockey competitions (three Winter Games and nine IIHF Women’s Worlds), Goyette would claim 10 gold medals. The only silver medal efforts came at the 1998 Nagano Winter Games and the 2005 IIHF Women’s Worlds (which was the first time that the USA claimed the gold medal).

Stoic and hard-working, Goyette was a picture of longevity. Her final appearance for Canada came at the age of 41 years old in 2007. Her first appearance for Canada came at the 1992 IIHF Women’s World Championships (which was also the first appearance of Manon Rheaume). She would log 10 points as Canada claimed their second consecutive gold medal.

She would bookend her career with an 11-point output to win another gold medal in 2007. That gold medal would be enhanced, as it came on home soil since Winnipeg, Manitoba hosted the 2007 IIHF Women’s World Championships.

Her greatest legacy may have come at the 2006 Torino Winter Games. As the oldest player on the Canadian roster, she became the first 40 year-old to win a gold medal for Canada’s women’s team. In addition, she was Canada’s flag bearer for the opening ceremonies at Torino.

Despite retirement from competition in 2007, Goyette has managed to extend her hockey legacy. Of note, Goyette helped to revive the Dinos, the University of Calgary women’s hockey program.

She would manage to recruit top women’s hockey talent to the team, such as Hayley Wickenheiser and Russia’s Iya Gavrilova. The results paid remarkable dividends for Goyette and her Dinos teams. The Dinos would win the gold medal at the 2012 Canadian Interuniversity Sport National Championships, while earning a silver medal in 2013, respectively.  

Currently, Goyette has assumed a new role. Along with fellow CIS coaches Dan Church (York University) and Lisa Haley-Jordan (Ryerson University), she coaches staff for the Canadian national team.

While the result was a silver medal at the 2013 IIHF Women’s World Championships, the next objective is the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. Should Goyette help lead Canada to a golden redemption in Sochi, it would help to solidify her legacy as a living legend in women’s hockey.