Shannon Szabados Shannon Szabados ( born August 6 , 1986 in Edmonton , Alberta ) is an ice hockey player for the Canadian national women ' s hockey team . Szabados also plays for the Grant MacEwan Griffins men ' s hockey team in the ACAC ( Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference ) . Szabados was in goal for Canada ' s gold medal victory over the United States during the 2010 Winter Olympics . She was named the Top Goaltender at the tournament , and was selected to the Tournament All - Star Team . Playing career . Minor hockey . At nine years old , Szabados became the first girl to play in the Brick Super Novice Tournament held at the West Edmonton Mall . In 2001 , at the age of 15 , she was the first female to play in the Calgary Mac ’ s AAA midget hockey tournament , suiting up for the Edmonton Maple Leafs . Junior hockey . When she was 15 , she participated in the Mac ' s AAA Tournament in Calgary , squaring off against future NHL superstars Sidney Crosby and Zach Parise . In 2002 , at the age of 16 , she became the first female to play in the Western Hockey League . Szabados played in four exhibition games for the Tri - City Americans . Szabados returned from the WHL to play in the AJHL . She spent the majority of her junior career in the Alberta Junior Hockey League , most recently with the Fort Saskatchewan Traders . Szabados led the Traders to the top record in the AJHL and came within a game of winning the AJHL championship against the Camrose Kodiaks . She was awarded the AJHL ' s Top Goaltender Award in 2007 for her efforts . Matt Cook . One of her peers in the AJHL was Matt Cook . He was originally diagnosed with bone cancer in 2005 while playing for the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the Alberta Junior Hockey League . Szabados had FLM , for " Fight Like Matt , " inscribed on the back of her headgear as a tribute to Cook . In addition , her cancer fundraiser , Shannon Szabados Saves for the Cure helped raise nearly $ 10 , 000 in donations for cancer research . International . Szabados made her debut with the Canadian national women ' s team in 2006 , when she helped Canada to a gold medal at the 2006 4 Nations Cup in Kitchener , Ontario . Szabados posted a 3 – 0 shutout against the United States in the opening game . She finished as the tournament ' s top goaltender with a GAA of 0 . 50 while sharing netminding duties with Kim St - Pierre . Szabados also won gold with Canada ' s Under 22 team at the Air Canada Cup in 2006 , 2007 and 2008 . She was on the 2009 World Championship team but didn ' t appear in any games . During 2009 , she played in a number of the pre - Olympic games , including two wins over the U . S . , including a 6 - 2 win on Dec . 15 . She also played in the gold - medal winning game at the 2009 edition of the 4 Nations Cup , which Canada won 5 - 1 . She was a member of the 2009 – 10 Hockey Canada national women ' s team which won the gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics and earned two shutouts , including the final game against the United States women ' s national ice hockey team . She was selected to the tournament all - star team at the Olympics , and was named top goaltender . She was selected to the tournament all - star team at the Olympics , and was named top goaltender . Other . There was a movement by some in the Edmonton media to have the Edmonton Oilers consider signing Szabados . Devan Dubnyk came down with the flu prior to a March 2010 game with the Vancouver Canucks . University of Calgary Dinosaurs Nathan Deobald was signed as an emergency goaltender ( backing upsfor starter Jeff Deslauriers ) , prompting many journalists to criticize the last overall club ' s move . Szabados told the Edmonton media that she was ready , willing and able to back up her local pro team . Personal . Her parents names are Gary and Sharyl , and she has one brother named Matthew . She is majoring in physical education at Grant MacEwen University . Szabados was on the cover of Hello ! Canada in March 2010 . She is of Hungarian descent ; her last name , Szabados , is an old Hungarian status term meaning " liberated " , as it referred to a person freed from serfdom .