Women's hockey gains popularity in universities, principally at the University of Toronto and Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.
1920s
Bobbie Rosenfeld and Myrtle Cook, former track stars and hockey players in their own rights, become Canada's first women sports reporters, specializing in hockey during the winter.
1930s
The Preston Rivulettes rule the ice lanes (see Hilda Ranscombe).
1940s
The war halts any development of the women's game, which doesn't revive until the early 1970s.
1956
Abby Hoffman challenged hockey's gender barrier by playing in a boys league under the guise of being male.
1970s
Shirley Cameron becomes hockey's first star of the modern era.
1987
The first ever Women's World Championship takes place in Toronto. However, it is not recognized as an official tournament by the IIHF.
1990
The first official and IIHF-sanctioned Women's World Championship is held in Ottawa.
1998
Women's hockey becomes a full medal sport at the Olympic Winter Games for the first time.
1999
The women's division at the World Championships expands to two pools, A and B.
2005
USA ends Canada's streak of eight straight (nine unofficial) world titles in a shoot-out.
2006
Sweden becomes the first non-North American team to earn silver at the Winter Olympic Games beating United States in the semi-finals.
2010
Canada wins its third straight Olympic gold medal, defeating the rival Americans in a hard-fought 2-0 final. Cammi Granato and Angela James are first women selected for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
"Name the most significant moment in women's hockey?"
"When the 1990 tournament was recognized as an official World Championship, it brought significant world exposure." - Andria Hunter (two-time gold medalist at the Worlds with Team Canada and producer of the 'The Women's Hockey Web' site)
"The 1982 (Canadian) Nationals." - Dawn McGuire (two-time gold medalist at Worlds, led Canadian defense with 7 points at the '90 Worlds)
"There are two. One... women's hockey participating on the Olympic stage, in Nagano, 1998 where the US captured gold. Two...the first championships (Stanley Cup) for women's league hockey being won in March, 2000 in Brampton! The Beatrice Aeros win the first ever CUP. This is an NWHL top moment. Historically, live broadcast across Canada." - Susan Fennell (President of the National Women's Hockey League and Mayor of the City of Brampton)
"There are two. One is the first World Women's Championships in 1990 held in Ottawa and the second is the formation of the (Canadian) Nationals in 1982." - Shelley Coolidge (Manager, Female Development, with the Canadian Hockey Association)
"The United States winning the first Olympic gold medal in 1998." - Brian McFarlane (author to over 75 books including 'Proud Past, Bright Future' - a history of women's hockey)
"When the IOC made women's hockey a medal sport." - Andrew Podnieks (author to over 20 hockey books including 'Hockey's Greatest Teams' - includes chapter on Preston Rivulettes)
Preston Rivulettes
World Championships
Year-By-Year Results
YEAR
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
*1987
Canada
Ontario
United States
1990
Canada
United States
Finland
1992
Canada
United States
Finland
1994
Canada
United States
Finland
1997
Canada
United States
Finland
1999
Canada
United States
Finland
2000
Canada
United States
Finland
2001
Canada
United States
Russia
2004
Canada
United States
Finland
2005
United States
Canada
Sweden
2007
Canada
United States
Sweden
2008
United States
Canada
Finland
2009
United States
Canada
Finland
2011
United States
Canada
Finland
2012
Canada
United States
Switzerland
2013
United States
Canada
Russia
* This tournament was not officially sanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation.
The World Championship did not take place in 1998/2002/2006/2010 (Winter Olympic Games) and 2003 (Sars-related cancellation).
Kelly Dyer, who earned two World Championship silver medals with Team USA, served as backup to NHL all-star goaltender Tom Barrasso during her high school playing career at Acton-Boxboro in Massachusetts.
