Vicky Sunohara is the lone hockey player entering Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in their 2024 induction class honoring the legendary Canadian national team member.
Canadian hockey legend Vicky Sunohara was named as a member of the 2024 Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame induction class this week.
“Changing the game for women and visible minorities in ice hockey, Vicky Sunohara embodies the values of teamwork, integrity, and leadership, on and off the ice,”
Sunohara, 54, won two gold and a silver representing Canada at the Olympic Games and another seven gold and a silver at the World Championships.
Born in Scarborough, Ontario, Sunohara is a member of the Brampton Sports Hall of Fame, Scarborough Walk of Fame, Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, and was the recipient of the Sakura Award from the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre.
As a coach, Sunohara has won multiple Canadian coach of the year honors with the University of Toronto women’s hockey team.
“Rising above discriminatory name-calling she learned to play ice hockey with exceptional kindness and determination, becoming a versatile centre and faceoff specialist. With a mindset that prioritized supportive team play as much as winning, Vicky found a way to make a difference every time she stepped on the ice,” the Hall of Fame wrote.
Sunohara also played NCAA hockey for Northeastern, U Sports hockey for the University of Toronto, and in the CWHL for the Brampton Thunder.
Entering Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame alongside Sunohara in 2024 are Patrick Chan, Kirby Cote, Fred Thomas, Daniel Nestor, Debbie Brill, Angela Chalmers, Alex Nelson, and Dr. Guylaine Demers.