Angela James: the first black woman in the Hockey Hall of Fame

7:28 AMAngela James is the second black player to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, joining NHL goaltender Grant Fuhr. James was one of the first two women and the first openly gay player to enter the Hall in 2010, seven years after Fuhr’s induction.

Born: Dec. 22, 1964.

Her story: James was born in Toronto to a white Canadian mother and a black American father who moved to Canada from racially segregated Mississippi. James got her start in hockey in a boys house league. She played in a senior women’s league before moving on to Seneca College in Toronto, where she also starred in softball. She led the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association in scoring for three straight years despite transitioning to defense, and was dubbed “The Wayne Gretzky of Women’s Hockey” after scoring 50 goals and 73 points in a season. She went on to become an international star for Canada, winning four gold medals in four Women’s World Championships. James, however, was a controversial cut from the first women’s Olympic team in 1998. She played with the Central Ontario Women’s Hockey League and the National Women’s Hockey League from 1993 until her retirement from competitive hockey in 2000. Along with the Hockey Hall of Fame, James also was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.

Fast fact: The highest-scoring player in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League has been awarded the Angela James Bowl since 2008.

Quotable: “Being a trailblazer is remarkable,” James told the Windy City Times. And hopefully I can help the hopes and dreams of other young girls in the game.”

The Undefeated will profile an athlete each day during Black History Month.