Angela James: The First Superstar Of Women's Hockey
While her journey was far from easy, Angela James has made a lasting impact on the game at every level she's played and for so many, then, now and in the future.
The pathway for Angela James was neither simple nor linear. She faced adversity, barriers, obstacles, misogyny, and yet through it all, displayed a level of perseverance and resilience that is difficult to effectively put into words.
You see, Angela grew up in a very difficult neighbourhood, which could have taken her in a much different direction in life. Instead, using hockey as her “saviour,” as she has stated1, Angela pursued a sport despite the sport being resistant to her. No matter the walls she went up against or the number of “no’s” and “you can't’s” she heard, Angela had her sights set on hockey and brought that same tenacity she showed from an early age to each and every game she would end up playing.
Angela’s career really took off when she joined the newly formed Central Ontario Women’s Hockey League, which also featured other familiar names such as Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Jayna Hefford and Vicky Sunohara2. During her time in the COWHL, Angela made a tremendous impact, was named MVP six times, and led the league in scoring eight times from 1980 to 1998.
Her time internationally with Team Canada brought with it both success, in the form of four World Championship gold medals and two gold medals at the 3 Nations Cups, but also controversy. Ahead of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Angela was left off the team despite consistently being one of the country’s best players, a decision that perplexed many in the hockey world. Canada would end up falling to the Americans and struggling to score throughout the tournament3.
Away from the ice, Angela is also a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, IIHF Hall of Fame, Hockey Canada Hall of Fame, Seneca Hall of Fame, Sport Canada Hall of Fame, as well as an Officer of the Order of Canada and was named to the Order of Hockey in Canada4.
Angela’s story is a reminder of the many players whose impact at the time was undeniable, but lacked the spotlight it deserved. And while this text only scratches the surface of the impact that Angela has had on the world of hockey, it will hopefully act as a jumping-off point for many to discover why Angela James is considered the first superstar of the modern women’s game.