Women's hockey exhibit opens at Hall of Fame ahead of World Championship

TORONTO --Deep in the bowels of the Hockey Hall of Fame, it takes about 30 steps to get from a display honoring Wayne Gretzky to the new 600 square-foot exhibit celebrating women's hockey.

For Jayna Hefford, the journey for the women's game to gain prominence has been much longer and further than that.
The former Canada international player and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2018, said it is surreal to see the women's game being embraced in such a festive fashion under the same roof where legends such as Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Bobby Orr are showcased.
At the same time, it's a sign of just how far the sport has come.
"It certainly brings credibility to the women's game," Hefford said. "Once women began to be inducted into the Hall, that was a huge moment for our sport. And now for hockey fans to come in here and have the opportunity to see all aspects of hockey, I think that's huge because, as a hockey fan, we want the sport to be healthy and thrive for years to come.
"We're all part of that. The international players and teams are all part of that. Women's hockey is part of that. The NHL is part of that. International men's hockey is a part of that. Para ice hockey is part of that. So this is incredible."
There are nine women inducted in the Hall, the first being United States-born Cammi Granato in 2010.
"I'm just so excited for this new generation that walks in and can go through the whole place and learn from every single exhibit about hockey, no matter the gender," Hefford, the current chairperson of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association, said.
The timing of the exhibit, called "Women's Hockey - Celebrating Excellence," is an ideal curtain raiser for the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship, which begins Thursday at CAA Centre in Brampton, Ontario, about 25 miles northwest of the Hall of Fame .
Current players from Canada, Sweden, Germany and Czechia were on hand for the opening of the display Tuesday and were impressed, at times awed, by the almost-100 artifacts on hand. Included in those: a Toronto women's league trophy from the 1920s, the Olympic torch carried by Granato at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, and the Clarkson Cup, which was awarded to the winner of the Canadian Women's Hockey League from 2008-19.
For those about to compete in the tournament later this week, the exhibit provides a great opportunity to further embrace the sport they love. For example, Sweden captain Anna Kjellbin took time to wander the halls not just to see the displays of the women's game, but to check out those honoring Sweden-born greats like Borje Salming, Peter Forsberg and Nicklas Lidstrom.

"It's amazing. It's my first time being here," Kjellbin said. "There's a lot of stuff from games I grew up watching so it's really cool being here. I was also looking at something from 2006 when our women won silver at the Olympics."
Canada (five) and the United States (two) have won each Olympic gold medal in women's ice hockey since it was introduced to the Games in 1998. In terms of the women's World Championship, Canada (12) and the United States (nine) have won each of those 21 tournaments.
Kjellbin acknowledged that those two countries obviously are the class of the women's game, but said Sweden and other countries are working to become more competitive.
"I think the gap is closing," she said. "I think Finland did a really good job a couple of years ago (2019) taking the silver and I'm hoping that gap will close even faster.
"Obviously Canada and the U.S. are really skilled hockey players but I really hope we are getting closer."
Canada forward Sarah Fillier said the real winner is the women's game as a whole.
"The display here at the Hall is amazing," she said. "I think it's incredibly important to see the women's game and see the hard work of the trailblazers and pioneers of the women's game finally being recognized in an exhibit like this.
"It's incredible. Growing up just outside of Toronto, the Hockey Hall of Fame is a really huge deal. And now, being able to play in front of our home crowd is exciting.
"I just think creating so much buzz around the World Championship and women's hockey right now is so important and really exciting."