Were you surprised that some critics of your colour commentary were the same people who had supported you during your playing career?
I think that I was surprised that it was such a big deal. I didn’t realize that I was making history until Bob Cole mentioned it at the very end of the game. We all grew up listening to Harry Neale and Bob Cole, and all of a sudden someone else is there, and that someone else is a woman. People were shocked, but what’s important to me is that the hockey people didn’t care.
Some people said you hadn’t earned the shot.
I can understand that from the perspective of those people who have gone to school for broadcasting, who have busted their butts to get opportunities. Because I was a hockey player, CBC asked me to do the job—so am I supposed to turn it down because I feel sorry for all those other people in the business? Or, is this an opportunity for me to take advantage of?
I think I earned my right first and foremost as a hockey player. I played on the national team for 13 years—played hockey every day—traveled every weekend since I was seven. I think I’ve earned my dues to talk about hockey. And I think people are just a little naïve of how in-depth women’s hockey is and how far it has come.
Beyond making history in front of an unprecedented audience, what sort of cultural pressure did you feel?
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