Manon Rhéaume

Lore & Background

Rhéaume began her career playing for the Sherbrooke Jofa-Titan squad in the League Régionale du Hockey au Féminin in Quebec. In 1984, she became the first female goaltender to play for a boys' team at the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. She was signed by the Trois-Rivières Draveurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for the 1991–92 season, becoming the first woman to play in a men's major junior hockey game. In 1992, she tried out for the Tampa Bay Lightning, the first woman to try out for an NHL team, and played one period in a preseason game against the St. Louis Blues, allowing two goals on nine shots. She played in another preseason game against the Boston Bruins in 1993.

Also in 1992, Rhéaume was selected for the Canada women's national team and won gold medals at the IIHF Women's World Championships in 1992 and 1994, being named to the All-Star team both years. She won a silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. That same year, she signed with the Atlanta Knights of the International Hockey League, and her first appearance against the Salt Lake Golden Eagles marked the first time a woman appeared in a regular season professional game. Over five years, she played for seven different minor league teams, appearing in 24 games. While with Atlanta, she wrote her autobiography, *Manon: Alone in Front of the Net*. She initially retired from professional hockey in 1997.

After retirement, Rhéaume served as goaltending coach for the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs women's ice hockey program for the 1999–2000 season, then moved into business roles including marketing director for Mission Hockey. She returned to play for the Minnesota Whitecaps of the Western Women's Hockey League in 2008, helping lead them to the Clarkson Cup finals in 2009. She also briefly suited up for the IHL's Flint Generals in 2009. In 2026, she was named the first general manager of PWHL Detroit.

Reader's Guide

Manon Rhéaume's significance lies in her role as a pioneer for women in professional hockey. By becoming the first woman to play in an NHL exhibition game in 1992, she broke a gender barrier in one of the major North American professional sports leagues. Her career demonstrated that a woman could compete at high levels of men's hockey, from major junior to the minor professional ranks, where she appeared in 24 regular season games across seven teams. Her achievements also include being the first woman to play in a men's major junior game and the first woman to appear in a regular season professional hockey game. Beyond her playing career, Rhéaume's legacy extends to her work as a goaltending coach, marketing professional, and executive. Her hiring as the first general manager of PWHL Detroit in 2026 marked a continuation of her trailblazing role in hockey leadership. She also holds the distinction of having the most trading cards of any women's hockey player, with over 1,400 cards produced since her first in 1992. Her foundation, established in 2008, provides scholarships for young women, further cementing her impact on the sport and its future.

Did You Know?

• Manon Rhéaume was the first woman to play in an NHL exhibition game, appearing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992.
• Her 1992 Classic Games trading cards were the first ever produced of a women's hockey player.