One of the newest inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame comes from small town Saskatchewan.
Shaunavon’s Hayley Wickenheiser got the call to the hall earlier this week after a historic playing career that saw her win Olympic gold four times, while winning seven world championships.
Wickenheiser joined Saskatchewan’s number one sports talk show the Sportscage Thursday afternoon, and said when she first received the call she was writing an exam.
“The phone call came and I wasn’t able to answer it, so I got a text from Lanny (McDonald) saying ‘could you please give me a call,’” Wickenheiser said. “On my way home, after I was finished we had a good chat in the car, and that was my phone call.”
“I think I heard I was the only player to never answer the phone,” Wickenheiser added.
Wickenheiser, who currently works with the Toronto Maple leafs in a player development role, said she never dreamed of making it to the Hall of Fame.
“I grew up dreaming about winning a Stanley Cup or a Gold Medal at the Olympics,” Wickenheiser said. “It’s something I guess after your career people start talking about it, you start being aware of it.”
Wickenheiser said a definite highlight for her is winning Olympic gold in Vancouver in 2010.
“Nothing will ever top winning an Olympic Gold Medal in your country, and then seeing the men do it a few days later, and just the Olympic spirit of Vancouver all-around was just awesome,” Wickenheiser said. “They all have their own little flavour to them, and I cherish every one of them.”
The 2019 Hall of Fame class also includes Guy Carbonneau, Sergei Zubov, Jim Rutherford and Jerry York.
