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First women inducted into Ice Hockey Hall of Fame

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It has been long overdue, but today the Ice Hockey Hall of Fame finally inducted its first female members.

Canadian Angela James and American Cammi Granato each received their rings from the Hall this morning and assumed their rightful place among hockey’s immortals. For several years, the Hall of Fame came under fire for overlooking female hockey stars.

James was instrumental in Canada winning the first four gold medals at the women’s world championships that began in the 1990s and she was also named the most valuable player at eight of 12 national championships in which she participated.

Granato represented the USA at every World Championship from 1990 to 2005 and captained her country to gold with it’s first Olympic women’s hockey team at the 1998 games. In 2007 she was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy for exemplary service to US ice hockey.

“For women in hockey – and I’d say probably for women in all sports – you’re used to waiting, you’re used to proving yourself, you’re used to the naysayers,” said Granato.

“There will be some catching up to do in terms of inductions, because women’s hockey has been played for a long time now – and even before the international game and the Olympics came into being, there were a lot of women who were contributing to the game,” she added.

“The Hall of Fame is a great sign we’re being acknowledged. It’s a major stepping stone, a recognition that our sport belongs, that women belong, that there’s a place for us. It’s huge.”

Read The Hockey News’s excellent blog post on this story for more info.

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