Manon Rheaume

Manon in goal

Manon Rheaume was born in Lac Beauport Quebec Canada on February 24,1972. Manon played roller hockey for some time before she became a professional. She is a Canadian goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning. She is an Olympic silver medalist on the Canadian girls hockey team, and won a gold medal at the 1992 and 1994 world hockey championship. She has two brothers and they both play hockey. On April 3, 2009 she played a game for the Flint Generals. She is the 3rd woman to play for the Generals. Also she is the first woman to play in an NHL exhibition game.

Before she played for the Flint Generals, during the summer of 1994, she played in the Roller Hockey International (RHI) league for the New Jersey Rock N' Rollers. She signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning on August 8, 1992. She catches left handed. She is the first girl player to sign in 16 years.

In 1993-1994 she played for the Tampa Bay Lightnings. Manon made history while playing. She made sports history as the first woman to play in one of the four major sports leagues in the United States. In a pre-season game against St. Louis Blues, Manon played one full period and stopped 7 of the 9 shots, beaten only by Jeff Brown.

She was cut from the 1997 Canadian national women's team before the world championships. The coaches did not think she was hungry enough. Rheaume also had to readjust to the demands of the women's game; she played a more stand up style against men, butterfly against women. This cut forced her to improve her game, and led to her being chosen for the Olympic team. In 1998, she played for Team Canada at the Olympics in Nagano. Rheaume and the Canadian women won the silver medal, losing to the United States.

Manon Rheaume is now known as the first girl NHL player. Manon has a foundation which she says is a way to give back to the community for the game of ice hockey. I picked her as my hero because she inspires me because I am sure those boys gave her trouble and she just turned the other cheek and did what she loved. That's why she is my hero.