Manon Rheaume September 23 NHL History
1992: Goaltender Manon Rheaume becomes the first woman to play in any of the major North American sports leagues when she takes the ice for the first-year Tampa Bay Lightning in a preseason game

September 23 NHL History

1991: Forward Mike Bossy and defenseman Denis Potvin, two cornerstones of the New York Islanders’ dynasty of the early 1980s, are among five men inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. They are joined by forward Clint Smith, a star in the pre-World War II era; longtime Toronto Maple Leafs center Bob Pulford; and Scotty Bowman, then a six-time Stanley Cup winner as coach of the Montreal Canadiens. Bowman goes on to set NHL records for most games coached (2,141), most victories (1,244) and most Stanley Cup championships (nine).

1992: Goaltender Manon Rheaume becomes the first woman to play in any of the major North American sports leagues when she takes the ice for the first-year Tampa Bay Lightning in a preseason game against the St. Louis Blues. She allows goals by Jeff Brown and Brendan Shanahan on nine shots in the first period, which ends 2-2.

Rheaume’s appearance attracts tremendous attention for the Lightning, one of two teams that join the NHL for the 1992-93 season.

She also appears in one period of a preseason game against the Boston Bruins in 1993 and plays 24 games for a number of men’s minor-league teams.

Rheaume helps Canada win the silver medal in women’s hockey at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, and gold at the 1992 and 1994 IIHF Women’s World Championship.

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