Another rare and remarkable ability was her ability to be ahead of the play. This is so rare, but the great players seem to have it. When we played together we had great chemistry, often because we both knew where the other person would be. I can remember many times we would just look at each other on the bench with a nod and know exactly what that meant when we got on the ice. Danielle would wind it up and head to the far post and I would often hit her, backside, for the goal. She scored a lot and with great ease. We had our moments too because we were both intense competitors. We pushed each other, sometimes to the limits. I remember one game she yelled at me on the bench "Wick pass the ----- puck," to which I quipped "well, maybe move your butt and I will." These are the things we laugh at today, but we made each other better and never held a grudge. It was all in the name of winning and we both knew what each other stood for.
The greater the pressure in the game, the more you could count on Danielle to show up. When many players would buckle, Goyette would score a big goal or make a big play. This part of her game had less to do with the talent she possessed than it did the internal fortitude and character she possesses and lives by each day. Never once did I go into a gold-medal final of an Olympic Games or World Championships and wonder if my linemate would show up. I knew with absolute certainty she would be there to play, and that all I needed to do was make sure I was too. Consistency day in and day out is a hallmark of Danielle Goyette. Consistency in training, in practice, in doing all the little things that many don't want to do. How she ate, slept, spoke to herself and others. Consistency in how she LOVES and studies the game of hockey. These are the things that made her a great player, a high-pressure player and now a great coach.
I can sum up my thoughts about Danielle with two defining moments: The big goal she scored in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake and the incredible composure and play she showed in that tournament to help lead our team to the gold. The second is the 2014 Sochi Olympics. She brought her one-of-a-kind style to once again lead us to gold, this time, though, her silky mitts held a dry erase marker.
I'm honored to call Danielle a line mate, a friend, a coach, a confidant, and now, a Hall of Famer.