Forward Jayna Hefford grew up playing ice hockey in Ontario and was a star player on the University of Torontoʼs squad prior to joining the Canadian national team and winning her first international gold medal at the 1997 World Championships.
Her next stop was the inaugural official Olympic womenʼs ice hockey tournament at the 1998 Winter Olympics, where she suited up for six games, scored one goal, and took home a silver medal.
Her efforts earned her recognition as Kingston, Ontarioʼs Amateur Athlete of the Year for 1998, and her reputation grew rapidly as she won gold medals at the 1999, 2000, and 2001 World Championships, as well at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
She was the top scorer in 1999 and 2000 and managed three goals in five games in 2002, including the one that earned the team the gold medal. In 2010, she remained on Team Canada, having added two more gold (2004, 2007) and three silver (2005, 2008, 2009) medals to her international collection from World Championships, as well victories at the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympic ice hockey tournaments.