Hockey Hall Of Famer Geraldine Heaney Appointed Head Coach Of The Toronto Six
- Pro Sports Podcasters
- Jun 14, 2022
- 3 min read
TORONTO — The Toronto Six have appointed Geraldine Heaney as the team’s third head coach in franchise history. The Hockey Hall of Fame honoured member succeeds Mark Joslin who held the position during the 2021-22 season.
“It's an absolute privilege and honour to be joining the Toronto Six as the head coach... I’m looking forward to this new and exciting challenge in my life. I can't wait to get started!”
Toronto 6ix Head Coach, Geraldine Heaney
Born in Northern Ireland, Heaney grew up in Toronto where she established herself as a prominent figure in women’s hockey and helped blaze a trail for the sport’s growth. A defender in her day, the pioneer drew comparisons to the legendary Bobby Orr for the way she revolutionized the position in the women’s game, and for scoring one of the most famous goals in women’s hockey history as she flew through the air and clinched the first IIHF Women’s World Championship title for Canada in 1990.
On the national stage, Heaney represented Canada in seven-straight World Championships and is the only player to have played in all seven of those gold medal wins. She competed alongside T6 General Manager Angela James during the first four wins in 1990, 1992, 1994, and 1997 and was named the tournament’s Best Defenceman by the IIHF directorate in 1992 and 1994. Heaney would also win gold in the 1999, 2000, and 2001 events. Adding to her perfect World Championship record, Heaney is a two-time Olympian, earning silver in 1998 and winning gold in 2002. She is the highest scoring defenceman in Canada’s National Women’s Team history, recording 93 points, including 27 goals and 66 assists, in 125 games played between 1990-2002.
“The T6 family is ecstatic to hire Hockey Hall of Famer Geraldine Heaney,” said Angela James, General Manager of the Toronto Six. “With Geraldine's experience at the Olympic, National, provincial and minor hockey levels, the T6 are very fortunate to have Heaney lead the T6 into season 8. Geraldine brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in coaching elite hockey players for over 30 years in women’s hockey. Personally, I know Geraldine Heaney will leave everything on the ice when coaching the T6 family. I can’t wait to see what she does.”
Heaney played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Aeros over an 18-year period. She won six provincial titles and was named top defenceman across the Ontario Women's Hockey Association (OWHA) on three occasions. She also played in every national championship from 1987 to 2001, was named the tournament’s top defender three times, MVP once, and captured a total of four gold medals with the Aeros, including a final victory in 2004 when she scored the overtime winner.
*Check out our interview with Toronto 6ix Goalie, Elaine Chuli*
Following a decorated career, Heaney became just the third woman to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame back in 2013, following the 2010 class that included James and U.S.Olympian Cammi Granato. The trio were the first women to be inducted into the IIHF Hall ofFame in 2008. Heaney also became a member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 2014and received the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2016.
Retiring from competitive hockey following the 2003-04 season, Heaney assumed her first jobbehind the bench, coaching at the collegiate level with the University of Waterloo Warriors,where she led the women’s hockey program for six seasons from 2005-11. Since then, she has been actively coaching her kids throughout their minor hockey careers, including daughter Shannon with the Ancaster Avalanche and son Patrick with the Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs. Honoured to have the opportunity to head up the Toronto Six coaching staff for the league’s eighth campaign, Heaney is delighted to join the franchise and play an impactful role leading
the team at the highest level.
“As a veteran and devoted hockey player myself, I bring forth passion and first-hand experience in excelling as an athlete,” she said. “I am committed to encouraging a positive team environment conducive to achieving success on the ice.”
