Canada's Sports Hall of Fame inductee: Hockey Pioneer - Vicky Sunohara

Date: Oct, 17, 2024 12:00 PM EDT

Vicky Sunohara, a pioneer in women’s ice hockey, has reshaped the sport for women and visible minorities. Born in Scarborough, Ontario, she grew up with a passion for hockey, learning to skate on her backyard rink at age two. Inspired by her grandparents, who rebuilt their lives as Japanese Canadians after internment during WWII, Vicky developed resilience and an unwavering work ethic. Throughout her career with Canada’s National Women’s Hockey Team (1989-2008), she played 164 games, scoring 118 points and winning seven World Championship Gold Medals, one Silver, and three Olympic Medals: Silver in 1998 and Gold in 2002 and 2006.

Post-retirement, Vicky became the University of Toronto's first full-time women’s hockey coach, leading the team to multiple McCaw Cup Finals and winning the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Championship in 2020 and 2023. She was named OUA Coach of the Year in 2020 and U Sports Women’s Ice Hockey Coach of the Year for three consecutive seasons. In 2024, she coached the team to a U Sports Nationals Silver, the program's best result in 23 years.

Vicky also coached Team Canada’s U-18 Women’s World Championship team, winning Gold in 2022 and Bronze in 2024. Beyond hockey, she promotes diversity and youth development through programs like KidSport and Hockey4Youth. In 2023, she was honored with the Sakura Award for her contributions to Japanese culture in Canada and served as an assistant coach for her twin sons' GTHL teams for five seasons.

Vicky joins the class of 2024, an extraordinary group of athletes, builders, and trailblazers set to receive the Order of Sport and be inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. This diverse group represents a wide range of sports and talents, including community builders, sport pioneers, elite athletes, and inspirational role models, whose contributions go far beyond the world of athletics.

Order of Sport Inductee & Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame interview requests:
Ruth Cowan, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
Mobile: 403.776.1083
Email: rcowan@cshof.ca

Media Contact
Barb MacDonald, Media Consultant, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
Mobile: 613-894-1769
Email: barbmacd21@gmail.com

About Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame:
Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame is a registered charitable organization and has been a vital cultural institution in Canada for 68 years. As Canada's only national museum of sport, the organization’s mandate is to celebrate Canada’s sports heroes who have reached the pinnacle of their careers and are going ‘beyond the win’ and making monumental contributions to our society. Through three guiding pillars: curation, education and recognition, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame empowers the pivotal role sport plays in shaping Canada’s future.

Photo source: Canada Sports Hall of Fame: Order of Sport Awards