CALGARY – Chalk up yet another honour for University of Calgary Dinos forward and kinesiology student Hayley Wickenheiser – this time, our nation's highest civilian honour.

His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, appointed Wickenheiser an Officer of the Order of Canada Thursday, Rideau Hall announced, “For her achievements as an athlete and for her contributions to the growth of women's hockey.”

It's fitting that the announcement took place while Wickenheiser is in Ghana, working as an athlete ambassador with Right To Play – an organization that uses the power of sport to help improve the lives of children in several disadvantaged areas around the world.

“I want to thank all of you for your support,” said Wickenheiser from Accra, Ghana in a Right To Play release. “I'm very honoured to also receive the Order of Canada and thank organizations like Right To Play that have given me the chance to work with them.”

Wickenheiser's former teammate Danielle Goyette, now her head coach with the Dinos, said that the three-time Olympic champion is most deserving of the award.

“It's a great honour,” said Goyette, herself a two-time Olympic gold medallist. “I feel what Wick has done for our country is pretty amazing, and she still has a lot to offer. I know her goal is to get back to the Olympics in 2014.

“She has been a great role model not just for hockey players but for female athletes in general,” Goyette went on. “It's great timing because she's in Africa right now with Right To Play – doing fantastic work for kids in sport. We always say that sport is the best school of life, and she's living proof of that.”

Widely considered the best female hockey player in the world, Wickenheiser joined the Dinos for the 2010-11 season. She scored 40 points in just 15 games, leading the team to their first Canada West playoff appearance in more than a decade. On the ice, she was named the Canadian Interuniversity Sport player of the year for her efforts; in the classroom, she earned Academic All-Canadian status in her kinesiology studies at the University of Calgary.

A native of Shaunavon, Sask., Wickenheiser joined the national team in 1993 at the age of 15 and has represented Canada at countless international events, twice being named tournament MVP at the Olympics.

The Order of Canada was established in 1967 to recognize a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to community, and service to the nation. More than 5,000 deserving Canadians have been invested into the Order, including the 50 named Thursday.

-UC-