Meet the first female goaltender inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame
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.”
But St-Pierre was at a loss for words when she received a call last week from NHL great Lanny McDonald, informing her she was one of this year’s inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame. 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, Que. native said. “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 next 48 hours were 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, still somewhat in shock.
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.
“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.”
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 13year 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 2008, named the tournament’s top goalie in 2001 and 2004. 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. Being a goalie, you need to be so strong mentally.”
She began playing hockey at age eight. 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.