Hayley Wickenheiser to receive honorary degree from U of S

One of the greatest hockey players of all time is getting ready to cross the stage to receive a major honour.

The University of Saskatchewan announced Hayley Wickenheiser will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws during spring convocation ceremonies at TCU Place on June 8.

“It is really special, especially coming from the U of S,” Wickenheiser said in a news release Monday.  “My heart is, and always will be, in Saskatchewan. That is where my life was really shaped.”

The 38-year-old grew up in Shaunavon, southwest of Swift Current, playing minor hockey on outdoor rinks with boys’ teams before moving to Calgary with her family.

She made her international hockey debut at the age of 15 and went on to play 23 seasons with the national team, retiring in January as a five-time Olympic medallist – including four-straight gold medals from 2002 to 2014.

Wickenheiser is the all-time scoring leader with 168 goals and 379 points in 276 career games for Canada.

“Hayley Wickenheiser has been the face of women’s hockey for decades and a remarkable role model for young players from coast to coast,” U of S president Peter Stoicheff said in a news release Monday.

“Hayley has been a passionate advocate for youth in all sports, working with a wide variety of charities and community programs as well as fundraising for girls who couldn’t otherwise afford to play hockey.”

Wickenheiser was a member of Team Canada when women’s hockey was introduced as a medal sport at her first Winter Olympics in 1998 and served as the country’s flag bearer at her final Olympic Games in 2014.

Her work as a mentor for female hockey players helped develop the game dramatically across the country. Since her first year on the national team, the number of female hockey players in Canada has grown from 16,000 in 1994 to 87,000 in 2017.

“She leaves a legacy unmatched in the game and has inspired a generation of future Olympians,” Stoicheff said.

She was chosen as Canada’s female athlete of the year in 2007 and named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2011. Three years later, Wickenheiser was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.

The sports icon, who played hockey for the University of Calgary and softball at the University of British Columbia, graduated from U of C with a kinesiology degree in 2013 and plans to begin medical school

One of six honorary degree recipients at U of S Spring Convocation this year, Wickenheiser will be recognized during the 9 a.m. ceremony on June 8 at TCU Place.

A full convocation schedule is available on the university’s website.