Manon Rheaume Biography

1972-

Canadian hockey player

In 1992, Manon Rheaume became the first woman to play in one of the United States' four major professional sports when she played goal for the National Hockey League's (NHL) Tampa Bay Lightning. Rheaume was also the first woman to play in a major junior hockey game. For much of her career, Rheaume played against boys and men, though she was also a member of several women's hockey teams for Team Canada.

Rheaume was born on February 24, 1972, in Lac Beauport, Quebec, Canada, the daughter of Pierre and Nicole Rheaume. Her father was a hockey coach who was in charge of the local outdoor rink. Rheaume had several brothers, including the youngest, Pascal, who later played in the NHL.

Rheaume began skating when she was three in a backyard rink her father built. She often practiced in goal at home when her father was practicing with her brothers. When she was five, she asked him if she could

Manon Rheaume

play in a tournament in which he needed a goalie. He agreed, and Rheaume loved the competition. Though she also did ballet, skied, and played baseball, she told William Plummer of People, "I didn't just play hockey. It was my passion."

SELECTED WRITINGS BY RHEAUME:

(With Chantal Gilbert) Manon: Alone in Front of the Net, HarperCollins, 1993.