Ice Hockey

On September 23, 1992, Manon Rheaume started as goalie for the Tampa Bay Lightning in a National Hockey League exhibition game. She was the first female to start a game in one of North America's four major professional sports leagues (baseball, football, basketball, and ice hockey).
There have been nine women's World Hockey Championship tournaments (1990, '92, '94, '97, '99, 2000, '01, '04, and '05). Canada won the gold and the United States the silver in the first eight tournaments; the positions were reversed in the 2005 championship.
Women's hockey was accepted as a full-medal sport at the 1998 Olympic games in Nagano, Japan. The United States was undefeated (6-0) in the tournament and won the gold medal with a thrilling 3-1 victory over Canada.
Women's ice hockey quickly gained popularity on the heels of the 1998 Olympics.Many colleges and universities offered women's ice hockey and finally, in 2000, it officially became a sanctioned championship NCAA sport. The inaugural women's “Frozen Four” took place in March of 2001 with Minnesota-Duluth beating St. Lawrence, 4-2, in the championship game.
The Patty Kazmaier Award is given out each year to the most outstanding college women's player.
The National Women's Hockey League, established in 1999, currently has 11 Canadian teams and one Minnesota team with more U.S. teams planned.
In February 2008, the 1998 U.S. Olympic Women’s ice hockey team is one of five finalists seeking induction into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. The ceremony and announcement of the winner will take place in June 2008.