Angela James, known as the “Wayne Gretzky of women’s hockey,” dominated the ice during the 1980s and 1990s. Leading the Canadian women’s hockey team to four World Championships (1990, 1992, 1994, and 1997), she earned a spot in the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame, one of the first three women inducted. In 2010, James achieved groundbreaking recognition as one of the first two women, the first openly gay player, and the second Black athlete inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Her enduring impact on Toronto is evident in the rise of women’s hockey’s popularity and recognition, inspiring young women to pursue their sporting dreams.