Manon Rhéaume
Manon Rhéaume (born February 24, 1972) is a retired Canadian ice hockey goaltender. An Olympic silver medalist, she achieved a number of historic firsts during her career, including becoming the first woman to play in any of the major North American pro-sports leagues.[1]
Manon Rhéaume | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Manon Rhéaume playing at the Legends Games for the 50th edition of the Quebec International Pee-Wee Tournament in April 2010. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born |
Beauport, Quebec, Canada | February 24, 1972||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 130 lb (59 kg; 9 st 4 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Goaltender | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Caught | Left | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Played for |
QMJHL Trois-Rivières Draveurs IHL Atlanta Knights Las Vegas Thunder Flint Generals Port Huron Icehawks WWHL Minnesota Whitecaps Austria VEU Feldkirch RHI New Jersey Rockin Rollers Ottawa Loggers Sacramento River Rats ECHL Knoxville Cherokees Nashville Knights Tallahassee Tiger Sharks WCHL Reno Renegades NHL Tampa Bay Lightning (preseason) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
National team |
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Playing career | 1991–2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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In 1992, Rhéaume signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL, appearing in preseason exhibition games in 1992 and 1993. She spent five years in professional minor leagues, playing for a total of seven teams and appearing in 24 games. She also played on the Canada women's national ice hockey team, winning gold medals at the IIHF Women's World Championship in 1992 and 1994, and the silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Playing career
Rhéaume played for the Sherbrooke Jofa-Titan squad in the League Régionale du Hockey au Féminin in the province of Québec.[2] She was the first female goaltender to play for a boys' team in the 1984 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament.[3] Rhéaume was signed to the Trois-Rivières Draveurs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, one of Canada's top junior ice hockey leagues, for the 1991–92 season, becoming the first woman to play in a men's Major Junior hockey game.[4]
In 1992, Rhéaume tried out for the Tampa Bay Lightning; this was the first time a woman tried out for an NHL team. She played one period in an exhibition game against the St. Louis Blues, allowing two goals on nine shots, and played in another exhibition game against the Boston Bruins in 1993.[4]
Also in 1992, Rhéaume was selected for the Canada national women's ice hockey team. She won gold medals at the 1992 and 1994 IIHF Women's World Championships, and was named to the All-Star team both years. She won the silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.[4]
In 1992, Rhéaume was signed by the Atlanta Knights of the International Hockey League (IHL). Her first appearance against the Salt Lake Golden Eagles marked the first time a woman appeared in a regular season professional game. She played for seven different teams between 1992 and 1997, including Atlanta, the Knoxville Cherokees, Nashville Knights, the Las Vegas Aces, the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks, Las Vegas Thunder, and the Reno Renegades, appearing in a total of 24 games.[4] While in Atlanta, Rhéaume wrote her autobiography, Manon: Alone in Front of the Net. She initially retired from professional hockey in 1997.[4]
Later life
For the 1999–2000 season, Rhéaume was the goaltending coach of the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs women's ice hockey program.[5] She entered into the business world in 2000, serving as marketing director for Mission Hockey in Irvine, California, developing and promoting girls' hockey equipment for three years. She later worked in marketing at the Powerade Iceport in Milwaukee and with the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.[4]
In October 2008, the IHL's Port Huron Icehawks announced plans to have Rhéaume take part in their training camp activities and play for at least one period of the team's exhibition season opener.[6] On April 3, 2009, Rhéaume suited up for one game with the Flint Generals IHL team.[7] She had been with the practice team since January, filling in for their regular goalie. Rhéaume is the third woman to play for the Generals.
She played for the Minnesota Whitecaps in 2009, and helped lead them to the Clarkson Cup finals.[8] On March 19, the Whitecaps, with Rhéaume in net, beat the Montreal Stars in a playoff game by a score of 4–3 in overtime, with Kim St. Pierre in net for the Stars.[9] During the 2008–09 WWHL season, Rhéaume's Whitecaps took two of three games from the Calgary Oval X-Treme. Those losses snapped a string that saw the X-Treme go two years without tasting defeat in the regular season.[10]
In 2015, she dropped the puck in the ceremonial opening faceoff before the first National Women's Hockey League game.[11][12] As of 2017, Rhéaume resides in Michigan and coaches Detroit Little Caesar's under-12 girls hockey team.[13]
Media and popular culture
Rhéaume guest-starred as herself in the made-for-TV movie A Beachcombers Christmas with Tiger Williams and Jyrki Lumme. At the height of her popularity, she was approached to pose for Playboy Magazine, which she refused.[4]
In 2011, she took part in the Quebec TV show Le défi des champions (Champions' Challenge), a show that trained eight Quebec athletes (such as Isabelle Charest, Bruny Surin, Marc Gagnon, Marie-Andrée Lessard, Étienne Boulay, Nathalie Lambert and Mathieu Dandenault) to the art of the circus. Rhéaume performed very well in each of her disciplines.
In June 2016, She is mentioned on the Fox TV show Bones, Season 11 Episode 18, as the only woman to play in an NHL game.
Personal life
Rhéaume was married to Gerry St. Cyr, a roller hockey player and minor league hockey player in June 1998, whom she later divorced. They have two sons, Dylan and Dokada.[14] Dylan St. Cyr, like his mother, is currently a goaltender for Notre Dame. In 1999, she was hired by Mission Hockey as head of global marketing for women's hockey. One of her projects was helping develop hockey skates for women. Rhéaume formed the Manon Rhéaume Foundation in 2008, which provides scholarships for young women.[15]
Rhéaume is the older sister of former NHL player Pascal Rhéaume.
Career statistics
Women's Junior Leagues
Season | Team | League | GP | Mins | W | L | T | GA | SO | GAA | Save% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
? | Sherbrooke Jofa-Titan | LRHF | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
Career Totals | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
International Competition[16]
Season | Team | League | GP | Mins | W | L | T | GA | SO | GAA | Save% | Medal |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | Team Canada | IIHF WC | 5 | 180 | 2 | 0 | 0.67 | 0.957 | Gold | |||
1994 | Team Canada | IIHF WC | 4 | 209 | 6 | 0 | 1.72 | 0.864 | Gold | |||
1998 | Team Canada | Olympic | Silver | |||||||||
Career Totals[17] | 30 | 1531 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 1.65 | 0.903 | - |
Canadian Junior
Season | Team | League | GP | Mins | W | L | T | GA | SO | GAA | Save% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1991-92 | Trois-Rivières Draveurs | QMJHL | 1 | 10.65 | 0.750 | ||||||
Career Totals | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 10.65 | 0.750 |
Roller Hockey International
Season | Team | League | GP | Mins | W | L | T | GA | SO | GAA | Save% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | New Jersey Rockin' Rollers | RHI | 4 | 60 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7.00 | 0.744 |
1995 | New Jersey Rockin' Rollers | RHI | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
1996 | Sacramento River Rats[18] | RHI | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
1996 | Ottawa Loggers | RHI | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Women's Professional Leagues[19]
Season | Team | League | GP | Mins | W | L | T | GA | SO | GAA | Save% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2007-08 | Minnesota Whitecaps | WWHL | 1 | 63 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1.90 | 0.939 |
2008-09 | Minnesota Whitecaps | WWHL | 2 | 120 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3.00 | 0.880 |
Men's Professional Leagues[20]
Season | Team | League | GP | Mins | W | L | T | GA | SO | GAA | Save% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992-93 | Atlanta Knights | IHL | 2 | 66 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6.36 | 0.806 |
1993-94 | Knoxville Cherokees | ECHL | 4 | 187 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 4.17 | 0.870 |
1993-94 | Nashville Knights | ECHL | 4 | 194 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 3.64 | 0.901 |
1994-95 | Tallahassee Tiger Sharks | ECHL | 1 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12.00 | 0.750 |
1994-95 | Las Vegas Thunder | IHL | 2 | 52 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3.41 | 0.824 |
1996-97 | Reno Renegades | WCHL | 11 | 425 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 40 | 0 | 5.65 | 0.868 |
2008-09 | Flint Generals | IHL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60.00 | -- |
2008-09 | Port Huron Icehawks[21] | IHL |
Awards and honours
- 1992 All-Star Team, Top Goaltender
- 1994 All-Star Team, Top Goaltender
Notables
- First girl to play at the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament.
- First woman to play in a major junior game [1991–92 Trois-Rivières Draveurs (QMJHL)]
- First woman to play in a National Hockey League game, which also made her the first woman to play in any of the major professional North American sports leagues (September 23, 1992).[22][23] [1992 Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL), played one exhibition game]
- First woman to win a game in professional roller hockey
- Played one game with Feldkirch.
- 2000–01 Montreal Wingstar (Forward)
- 2007–08 Little Caesars Senior Women's A Hockey Team (Playing as a Forward instead of Goaltender) [24]
References
- Kristina Rutherford. "Manon Rheaume realizes her NHL debut was 'not just another game'". Sportsnet. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
- On the Edge: Women Making Hockey History, p.132, by Elizabeth Etue and Megan K. Williams, Second Story Press, Toronto, Ontario, 1996, ISBN 0-929005-79-1
- "History". Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
- Kearney, Mark; Ray, Randy (30 September 2006). Whatever Happened To-- ?. ISBN 9781550026542.
- Who's Who in Canadian Sport, Volume 5, p.372, Bob Ferguson, Fitzhenry and Whiteside Ltd., Markham, ON and Allston, MA, ISBN 1-55041-855-6
- "Minnesota Whitecaps | MLive.com". Topics.mlive.com. 2008-10-02. Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
- "Flint Generals to welcome Manon Rheaume to the crease tonight vs. Muskegon Fury | MLive.com". Blog.mlive.com. 2009-04-03. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
- "Montreal wins first Clarkson Cup". Iihf.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-27. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
- "CWHL - Canadian Women's Hockey League". Cwhl.ca. 2009-02-18. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
- "CANOE - SLAM! Sports - Hockey - Women: Manon-ing the pipes". Slam.canoe.ca. 2009-01-24. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
- Clinton, Jared (October 7, 2015). "NWHL sells out inaugural game, Manon Rheaume to drop ceremonial puck in Buffalo". The Hockey News. Longueuil, PQ. Archived from the original on October 8, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
- Blinn, Michael (2015-09-23). "NWHL opens play: Meghan Duggan, players' have long-term focus - NHL". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
- Kennedy, Ryan. "There is a Hall of Fame case being made for Manon Rheaume | The Hockey News". The Hockey News. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
- Krupa, Gregg (18 January 2017). "Son of NHL's first woman goalie has all angles covered". Detroit News. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- "The Manon Rheaume Foundation". The Manon Rheaume Foundation. Archived from the original on 2012-11-27. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
- "National Women's Team". hockeycanada.ca. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
- "All-Time Goaltending". hockeycanada.ca. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
- "Sacramento River Rats 1995-96 roster and scoring statistics at hockeydb.com". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
- "Western Womens Hockey League - Powered By esportsdesk.com". esportsdesk.com. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
- "Manon Rheaume Stats and News". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
- Schiot, Molly (2016-10-18). Game Changers: The Unsung Heroines of Sports History. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781501137099.
- "Part 1: Manon Rhéaume shatters hockey's gender barrier". National Hockey League.
- "Manon Rheaume". whockey.com. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
- "Detroit Little Caesars Hockey Club Hockey Website Software By GOALLINE.ca". Littlecaesarshockey.com. Archived from the original on 2011-08-27. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Manon Rhéaume. |
- Manon Rhéaume at the Women's Hockey Web
- Manon Rhéaume: The Woman Behind the Mask at NFB.ca
- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
- Manon Rhéaume Foundation
- Manon Rhéaume at the Canadian Olympic Committee
- Manon Rhéaume at the International Olympic Committee
- Manon Rhéaume at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)