Winnipegger Jennifer Botterill gets the call from Hockey Hall of Fame

Winnipeg Free Press

4 days ago

That Jennifer Botterill found herself enjoying a beautiful summer day at the family cottage at West Hawk Lake when the call from the Hockey Hall of Fame came seems rather appropriate.
As Botterill returned from a boat ride, the Winnipegger noticed that someone was trying to get in touch with her.
'I got back and checked my phone and I had all of these misssed calls. I was looking at my phone and the same number came through, moments after I got off the boat. I answered it and it was Lanny McDonald and Ron Francis,' Botterill said Tuesday afternoon after the news became official that she was part of the 2025 Hockey Hall of Fame induction class.
Other inductees include Winnipeg-born and Fort Frances, Ont. raised Duncan Keith, Brianna Decker, Zdeno Chara, Joe Thornton, Alexander Mogilny, Jack Parker and Daniele Sauvageau.
'They shared the news and we had a good chat.'
Jeff Vinnick / Hockey Canada
Jennifer Botterill was on the Canadian women's hockey team for the 2006 and 2010 Olympics.
Jeff Vinnick / Hockey Canada
Jennifer Botterill was on the Canadian women's hockey team for the 2006 and 2010 Olympics.
The induction ceremony will take place on Nov. 10 in Toronto, where Botterill and Decker will become the 13th and 14th women's players to enter the hallowed hall.
Botterill is the first Manitoba woman to receive the distinction and having the chance to share the news with her biggest supporters is something Botterill won't soon forget.
'Lots of tears of joy,' said Botterill, who was joined by her mother Doreen, father Cal, husband Adrian Lomonaco and her three girls, Maya, Brooklynn and Wyllow.
'My girls were jumping up and down next to the water. Just so fitting for me that I am here with my family and get this phone call with the most incredible news. A really fun moment.'
Botterill was a multisport athlete who grew up in Wildwood Park and ended up winning provincial championships in five sports: hockey, ringette, volleyball, badminton and basketball.
Ultimately, Botterill was drawn to the sport of hockey.
'The one story I often tell is that when I first started playing (hockey), both of my parents said they knew it was something special because they could see my smile through my cage every time I was on the ice,' said Botterill, whose brother Jason played in the NHL and was recently named general manager of the Seattle Kraken.
'They knew pretty early on that this was something I was passionate about, that I absolutely loved playing the game.'
Botterill's passion never waned, and by the time she retired from the national team in 2011, her resume included three Olympic gold medals and one silver to go along with five gold medals and another three silvers from the IIHF women's world championship.
'Early on … this was something I was passionate about, that I absolutely loved playing the game.'–Jennifer Botterill
Individually, the smooth-skating centre captured most valuable player honours twice (2001 and 2004) at the IIHF women's world championship and she was a prolific scorer for the Harvard Crimson during her four seasons, while earning the Patty Kazmeier award as the top player in women's NCAA hockey twice (2001, 2003).
In her final game with the Canadian national team, Botterill set up the game-winning goal from Marie-Philip Poulin in a 2-0 victory over the United States at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
Many pundits have wondered why it's taken so long for Botterill to be inducted, given her sparkling resume and all that she's done for the game.
That's not something Botterill ever got bogged down with, which is probably one of the reasons she earned an honours degree in psychology from Harvard.
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Although Botterill had received messages of support in recent days from friends and colleagues that this call might come, she didn't feel a heightened sense of anticipation.
'It really wasn't on my radar,' said Botterill.
'You're not sure if it's going to happen or it's not, in terms of the timing. I didn't even think about bringing the phone with me on the boat ride. It wasn't where my thought process was.'
In recent years, Botterill had chosen to focus on her teammates and friends who had received the call from the Hockey Hall of Fame rather than wonder when — or if — her time would come.
'It's been so much fun to share that with them and to follow along,' said Botterill.
'I was just so authentically happy and surprised to receive that call today. I'm filled with gratitude.'
During a conference call Tuesday afternoon, Botterill reminisced about walking to the two outdoor rinks at Wildwood Community Club before her teenage years arrived.
Julie Jacobson / The Associated Press files
Botterill (centre) leaps over the boards to celebrate Canada winning the gold medal in women's hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Julie Jacobson / The Associated Press files
Botterill (centre) leaps over the boards to celebrate Canada winning the gold medal in women's hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
'I would literally pack a bag of pucks and put it over your shoulder with your hockey sticks and your skates,' she said.
'Many days were fresh and cool in Winnipeg, but it made for great outdoor rinks. That's where I first fell in love with the sport. Whether it was shooting pucks on my own or a game of pickup hockey. In terms of how far the sport has come and in terms of this amazing honour, I don't think that little girl growing up in Wildwood Park could have imagined this coming to life one day.'
When it was first announced that women's hockey was becoming an Olympic sport, Botterill began dreaming of representing her country one day.
Her hard work and determination helped Botterill realize that goal at the age of 18, when she was the youngest player suiting up for Canada in Nagano in 1998.
Before she was done, Botterill had played 184 international games.
'I still smile as I think back to those conversations expressing my goals and my dreams to my parents and sharing that with them,' said Botterill. 'They provided an environment where Jason and I felt encouraged. And they taught us to believe in ourselves.
'I'm extremely thankful for the family environment I had and the support I had — and the incredible life journey that hockey has provided to me.'
A post shared by Jennifer Botterill (@jenbotterill)
Botterill has been involved in television broadcasting of the NHL since 2018 when she covered the New York Islanders for MSG. She is currently an analyst on Hockey Night in Canada and Rogers Sportsnet and also covers hockey for the NHL on TNT with Turner Sports / Warner Bros.
She's also been heavily involved in broadcasting the women's game and is happy to see the growth of the PWHL.
'It's exciting to see all of the choices for women in the game now,' said Botterill, who was previously inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 2024 and Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017. 'To have three girls that have chosen to play the sport and seem to love it — and now, just seeing it through their eyes, is something that's really fulfilling.
PHIL HOSSACK/ Free Press files
Botterill during the 2010 Olympic Gold medal ceremonies in Vancouver.
PHIL HOSSACK/ Free Press files
Botterill during the 2010 Olympic Gold medal ceremonies in Vancouver.
'It's fun to reflect on that little girl walking down Section C of Wildwood Park and (see) how far the game has come.'
Parker and Sauvageau got in as builders, while the six others were chosen in the player category.
Sauvageau shared some thoughts on Botterill's best qualities during Tuesday's conference call.
'There was always a great discussion. It was not just to do things to do them, but why and what is the best way to do it,' said Sauvageau. 'Whenever I have the occasion to see her speak with her hockey analysis, I recognize the young hockey player that put in so much work trying to be the best that she could be.
'She talked about appreciating her teammates and we often say that to be one of the greatest hockey players, you have to also be one of the greatest teammates and that's basically what she has been. And I'm sure that she continues to be in every field that she has touched in her life.'
Decker, who played her college hockey for the Wisconsin Badgers and was a star with the U.S. national team, has an immense appreciation for Botterill.
'I looked up to her quite a bit, even though she was always the opponent,' said Decker. 'It's incredible to be part of a class with her. She's done so much for the game and obviously, I'm a little bit younger but at the same time, I tried to pave the way as much as possible — just (like) she has.
'She's a great role model.'
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Ken WiebeReporter
Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken.
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