Goalie Manon Rheaume has always been a trendsetter. She was the first woman to play junior hockey in Canada, the first woman to play in the National Hockey League (NHL), and the first woman to play professional roller hockey. Throughout her career, experts have told Rheaume to quit because she was not good enough. She has ignored the critics and continues to play the game she loves. Rheaume hopes that some day fans accept her as a fine goalie, not just as the best woman hockey player in the world.

Growing up

All in the family

Manon Rheaume (ma-No ray-OME) was born in 1972 and grew up in Lac Beauport, a suburb of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Her father, Pierre, coached hockey and ran the city's outdoor ice rink. Rheaume learned to skate at age three on a rink in the back of her house. Her mother, Nicole, took...