ST-PIERRE IN HOCKEY HALL
‘I was so much in shock,’ goalie says of big honour
In October 2008, when Kim St-pierre was called upon to practice with the Canadiens, replacing an ill Carey Price, she cleverly called the experience “priceless.”
What else would one expect from a Mcgill University graduate?
But St-pierre was at a loss for words Wednesday afternoon, when she received a call from NHL great Lanny Mcdonald informing her she was one of this year’s inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame. It was easy to become speechless, considering the notification came, she said, a scant 15 minutes before the official announcement.
“I thought maybe it (eventually) was going to happen, but I didn’t think it would be this year,” the 41-year-old Châteauguay native told the Montreal Gazette. “And on the day of the official announcement, you think for sure it’s not happening. You’d think they’d call a day before.
“Then I saw the Toronto number and heard (Mcdonald’s) voice,” she added. “It was so special. I didn’t know what to do, what to say. I was so much in shock. The words are missing this time.”
The last 48 hours have been a non-stop, incredible whirlwind for St-pierre. The mother of two young boys has heard from former teammates, coaches and friends while juggling a long list of media requests. St-pierre said she didn’t get much sleep Thursday night, still somewhat in shock.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering St-pierre becomes the first female goaltender — and only the eighth woman — elected to the hockey pantheon. The induction ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 16 in Toronto and she’ll be joined by former Nhlers Jarome Iginla, Marian Hossa, Kevin Lowe and Doug Wilson, along with Edmonton general manager Ken Holland in the builders category.
As someone who has spent her life playing a team sport, St-pierre’s not accustomed to having the spotlight to herself, even when it’s richly deserved.
“I can’t believe I’m going into the Hall of Fame,” she said. “I know it’s so prestigious. It’s hard to believe they selected me.” Not really. St-pierre established herself as one of the game’s finest netminders — male or female. The former Mcgill Martlet earned three Olympic gold medals and five world championship titles with Canada’s national team. She’s Canada’s all-time leader in games (83), wins (64) and shutouts (29). Over the course of her 13-year career with the national team, St-pierre posted a 1.17 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage.
St-pierre was Canada’s starting netminder in world championship finals from 2001 to ’08, named the tournament’s top goalie in 2001 and ’04. She also was named the Canadian Women’s Hockey League’s top goalie three times and captured two Clarkson Cup titles with the Montreal Stars.
Along the way, however, it wasn’t always easy playing with, and against, boys; hearing the unpopular refrains from jealous parents who said St-pierre was stealing a position from one of their children, or simply shouldn’t be allowed to play.
“It’s never easy for the coaches to select a girl over a boy,” she said. “At some point, I was able to block everything I could hear. I knew I was playing for the right reasons — love and enjoyment.
“It made me the person I am today, to have confidence in myself and not let people get into my head,” St-pierre continued. “Being a goalie, you need to be so strong mentally.”
She began playing hockey at age 8, and was active in many other sports. And with two brothers at home, St-pierre often was forced into playing nets. In her second year of organized hockey, the pads were lying in the middle of the dressing room before a practice, waiting for a volunteer.
“Nothing was appealing about the equipment. It was all brown.
Nothing matched,” she said, laughing. “But I loved it. I got a practice in and asked for a game.”
St-pierre’s request was granted, but ended in an 8-0 defeat. Ready to quit, her parents cajoled her into persevering. And she never removed the equipment again.
St-pierre said playing for Mcgill, albeit reluctantly at first, salvaged her career, proving to be a turning point at a time when she believed organized hockey was over. She didn’t want to play for the women’s team, having been cut repeatedly from Team Québec, but knew the Martlets meant at least five more seasons between the pipes.
“I took that chance, and it was a chance,” she said. “I didn’t know anyone, didn’t speak English and didn’t want to play women’s hockey. And I had to move downtown.
“Once again, hockey won the battle.”
So many players and coaches have impacted her career, St-pierre said, naming Peter Smith, Danièle Sauvageau and Caroline Ouellette, her former Olympic teammate and roommate, among others. Defeating the U.S. 3-2 at Salt Lake City in the 2002 Olympics will always hold a special place, she said.
St-pierre and Ouellette munched on cereal that night because the Mcdonald’s in the Olympic Village closed before they arrived. St-pierre awoke frequently that night, touching her medal to ensure it was real.
She earned an education degree, majoring in kinesiology, and met her future husband, Lenny-jo Goudreau, at Mcgill. Today, St-pierre combines her two loves as the regional coordinator for BOKS Canada, which offers free resources to elementary schools to ensure kids remain physically active.