Sami Jo Small and Cassie Campbell were integral parts of Canada's success in women's international hockey. (CP Images)
Hockey.com is set to introduce its own golden gal with five-time world champion Sami Jo Small joining its editorial team.
Beginning this week, Small, former starting goaltender for the Canadian National Women's Team, will offer her opinion in blogs and columns showcasing the women's game, including player features, expert insight on international competition as well as issues facing women's hockey today.
"I always say hockey isn't life but it teaches you a lot about life," says Small. "The game has given me everything I have. But it's more than that. It's the feeling I get driving to the rink, or hanging out in the restaurant upstairs after the game. Hockey has been such an important part of my life."
Not to mention a pretty successful one.
Following NCAA PAC-10 MVP honors starring for the Stanford Men's team, Small moved on to the Canadian national program where she helped the squad to a pair of Olympic gold medals and five world titles, being named MVP of the world championships on two occasions.
These days, Small trains with her sights set squarely on the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Currently she keeps her game in shape playing for the Mississauga Chiefs of the Canadian Women's Hockey League. She is also a regular keynote speaker at various engagements throughout the year.
And while Small will be the first to admit the ups have outweighed the downs, she also stresses there have been obstacles to overcome in both her personal career and the women's game in general, issues she will touch on in the coming weeks.
"This is an exciting opportunity for me to join Hockey.com and something I am looking forward to," adds Small. "Having played for so long, I think this will open my eyes as to what else is out there for me. I am looking forward to writing not only the positive aspects of our game, but the struggles we have to go through in an effort to keep women's hockey alive."
On her personal website, Small reasons her motto has become "In life, you don't always get to choose the role you play, but you do get to choose how you play it."
Something Sami Jo Small is out to prove in her newest challenge here at Hockey.com.