Cassie Campbell’s success pivotal to rise of women’s hockey

By Taylor McKee, September 25 2014 —

Women’s hockey in Canada has grown exponentially over the past 20 years thanks in large part to the performance of the Canadian National Women’s Team. During this period, Cassie Campbell played a pivotal role on three Canadian Olympic and six World Championship gold-medal teams. But, Campbell’s impact has reached far beyond her on-ice accolades. She has also become one of hockey’s greatest ambassadors.

Campbell was born in Richmond Hill, Ontario, and grew up in Brampton, Ontario. After playing for the University of Guelph in the mid-1990s, Campbell began her professional career playing for the Oval X-Treme — who made their home at the University of Calgary’s Olympic Oval — in the Women’s Western Hockey League in 2001.

The X-Treme was essentially an all-star team during the early 2000s with players like Hayley Wickenheiser, Daniel Goyette and Campbell. During X-Treme’s last season in the Western Women’s Hockey League, they compiled an astounding 95–3 record.

Campbell, who was one of the sport’s elite talents and most trusted leaders, served as team captain of the X-Treme from 2002 – 2005.

Internationally, Campbell won silver in 1998, and gold in 2002, 2006 and 2010 at the Winter Olympic Games. She holds the distinction of being the only captain in both men’s and women’s hockey to captain a team to three Olympic Gold Medals.

One of Campbell’s most marked characteristics as a player was her ability to elevate the game of those around her. As such, when Campbell was in the lineup for Team Canada, their record was an astounding 129-26-2.

Campbell’s on-ice resume was impressive enough to merit inclusion into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. But it’s her off-ice presence that truly elevates her into the highest echelon of Canadian athletes. With her annual street hockey festival, Campbell has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Ronald McDonald House charity of Southern Alberta. Among innumerable other charities, Campbell also supports CARE, an organization that focuses on improving the lives of women and girls in impoverished communities.

Campbell currently works as a broadcaster for the CBC and holds the honour of being the first woman to do colour commentary for Hockey Night in Canada. Campbell was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2007, the first female hockey player to be inducted into CSHOF. Simply one more first in a truly special career.