10 for 10: No. 1 - Hayley Wickenheiser

It's not every day the best player in the world, in any sport, comes to campus. But on Sept. 16, 2010, Hayley Wickenheiser did just that.

She is widely regarded as the greatest female hockey player of all time, and luckily for the University of Calgary Dinos women’s hockey team, Wickenheiser decided to use her university eligibility in Calgary. In her time as a Dino, she played 68 total games, scoring 134 points (1.97 ppg), and bringing the program both its first Canada West and U SPORTS championships in 2012.

Wickenheiser joined the program in 2010-11 after winning her third Olympic gold medal at the 2010 games in Vancouver. She gave an immediate boost to the program, taking a team that finished with a 7-17 conference record the previous year, to a 16-8 record and a Canada West playoff appearance. Her inaugural season also saw Wickenheiser take home both the Canada West player of the year and the U SPORTS player of the year. 

In her second season in Calgary, Wickenheiser would build on her impressive inaugural season, cementing herself in Dinos history. Scoring 16 goals and 17 assists in just 16 regular-season games, she had the Dinos primed for a championship run. They breezed through the Canada West semis, then defeated their northern rival the Alberta Pandas for the first-ever Canada West championship in Dinos history. Ranked number three heading into nationals, Wickenheiser would save her best for the biggest moment. After advancing to the final, Wickenheiser scored two goals and two assists in the national championship, giving the Dinos the 5-1 win over the Montreal Carabins, and bringing home the U SPORTS national championship.  

There was no doubt that Wickenheiser brought her competitive spirit and leadership to the Dinos program, helping guide the younger less experienced players to a national title. Dinos head coach and Wickenheiser’s former national team teammate Danielle Goyette explained that before the national championship, “Hayley wanted it so bad, that I even had to calm her down.” She tied for the lead in points scored during the national tournament, and was named to the tournament All-Star team. 

Wickenheiser would go on to play two more seasons for Calgary, adding more points and indi-vidual accolades to her already illustrious career. The 2012-13 season saw her take home her second Canada West player of the year, after tallying 43 points in 22 games. 

What makes her accomplishments even more incredible, is that off the ice, Wickenheiser was a top-notch student. She was named a Top 8 Academic All-Canadian in both 2010-11 and 2011-12, while finishing her bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. Currently, Wickenheiser is in the middle of her program at UCalgary’s Cumming School of Medicine, looking to complete her lifelong goal of being a doctor.    

Even though Wickenheiser has one of the most decorated hockey careers in the history of the sport, with 4 Olympic gold medals and numerous other accolades, she explained during her 2018 University of Calgary honourary degree speech that it was a piece of her career she will always look on fondly. 

“I am very proud to have gone to the University of Calgary and been a Dino.”