Angela James Angela James ( born December 22 , 1964 ) is a Canadian former ice hockey forward who played in the Central Ontario Women ' s Hockey League ( now the National Women ' s Hockey League ) and represented Team Canada internationally . Considered the first superstar of modern women ' s hockey , James scored 34 points ( 22g , 12a ) in 20 games over four women ' s world championships , including 11 goals in five games in the inaugural IIHF World Women Championships , held in Ottawa in 1992 . In 2008 , she , along with Cammi Granato ( USA ) and Geraldine Heaney ( CAN ) , became the first women to be inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hockey Hall of Fame . James was dubbed the " Wayne Gretzky of women ' s hockey " , and as the daughter of a black father and white mother , she is the only African - Canadian to captain a national hockey team . Biography . James was born in Toronto , Ontario and grew up playing ball hockey with boys in Toronto . When she first tried to play ice hockey , she had great difficulty finding a team that would give her any icetime , particularly when girls were mocked for trying to play . She attended Seneca College where she won numerous titles in ice hockey and softball and had her jersey ( # 8 ) retired . In the late 1970s and early 1980s , she played in the Central Ontario Women ' s Hockey League , where she dominated her opponents . Robin Brown , host of CBC Radio One ' s " Inside the Track " described her as aggressive like Mark Messier with the pure goal - scoring talents of Mike Bossy . In 1992 , she was selected to Canada ' s team for the inaugural women ' s championship in Ottawa , where she led the team to the gold medal . She played in four more world championships afterward , earning eight MVP awards . In a controversial decision , she was excluded from Canada ' s team in the 1998 Winter Olympics . James , from 1987 until she was cut from Hockey Canada in December 1997 , 22 goals and 12 assists for Hockey Canada . Currently , she is the senior sports co - ordinator for York University at its Seneca campus , and has been involved in hockey as a referee . Recognition . In 2005 , Hockey Canada honoured James with the female breakthrough award , given for making significant contributions to the promotion and / or development of female hockey in Canada . She was acknowledged for her efforts to promote and develop the game for females , and for her great skill within the game . Along with highlighting her excellence , Hockey Canada also noted that she has played in every position , including goaltender , where she recorded a shutout . James has coached the North York Aeros , and she has officiated in the Ontario Women ' s Hockey Association . When asked " " which woman had the greatest impact on women ' s hockey ? " " , several people included James in their responses . Shelley Coolidge of the Canadian Hockey Association stated , " Four players . They would be Dawn McGuire , Shirley Cameron , France St . Louis and Angela James . The four pioneers would be Glynis Peters , Fran Rider , Karen Wallace , and Susan Dalziel " . Gold medalist Andria Hunter said , " This is a very hard decision . The first ones that come to mind are Angela James and Cammi Granato for what they accomplished on the ice and Manon Rheaume for the exposure she gave the sport . " Hockey author Brian McFarlane responded , " Manon Rheaume , who broke the gender barrier in professional men ' s hockey , Angela James for her longevity , and Bobbie Rosenfeld for her considerable work on and off the ice in the first part of the 20th century " . She was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2008 along with Philippe Bozon , Cammi Granato , Geraldine Heaney , Igor Larionov , Mario Lemieux , and builder Art Berglund . In 2008 , the Angela James Bowl was created in her honour . The trophy is awarded to the Canadian Women ' s Hockey League ' s top scorer . On June 22 , 2010 , it was annoucned that Angela James will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame . James now works as a sports co - ordinator at Seneca College in Toronto . She also owns the Breakaway Adult Hockey School . Achievements . James has received numerous awards and accolades :