In 1987, the best women in hockey hailed from Canada (and Ontario)
Tournament brought in competition from other countries, but Team Canada and Team Ontario were tops
The Canadians, at least, were ready to take on the best in the world, when opponents from the U.S., the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and Japan arrived in Toronto in April 1987.
They were facing off in an international tournament at a time when women's ice hockey, as CBC reporter Paula Lenardon put it, was gaining recognition as a "fast and competitive event."
Canada had two teams in the series — a Team Canada, comprised mainly of members from the Hamilton Golden Hawks, as well as the hosting Team Ontario, made up mostly of players from the Mississauga Warriors.
The prize at the end of the round-robin competition was gold medals and a cup — named for Hazel McCallion, the mayor of Mississauga, Ont., and a hockey supporter.
And reportedly finding financial sponsorship for the "largely ignored" women's game had proved difficult.
'A speedy sport'
"It's always been here, it just hasn't been recognized," said one player, who further explained the differences between the men's and women's games.
"We put a lot more emphasis on the actual playing, ... more structured hockey rather than the body checking."
"You very rarely ever see a fight in women's hockey," she concluded.
A Japanese team member described the game as a "speedy sport" that was not popular in her country, but said: "I love hockey."
As The National reported, the first-time tournament had a lot of competition for grabbing the attention of hockey fans. April was also NHL playoff time, and the men's world championship was taking place in Vienna.
But if the women's teams lacked sponsorship and attention, they more than made up for it with enthusiasm and dedication.
Team Canada put on a show
The first game of the series pitted Canada against Switzerland, and in the dressing room the Canadians were "jubilant" after a 10-goal shutout.
"This is great, Team Canada — wow," was how one of the players summed it up.
Although the women's game matched the men's for talent and ability, for team captain Marian Coveny there was no question about keeping the sexes separate.
Because of the differences in speed and strength, "there's no way a woman will ever play in the NHL," she said. "I'd like to see the women playing with the women and the men playing with the men's leagues."
Male and female fans in the sparsely-filled arena were enthusiastic in their support for the game, and their hope that interest in it would grow.
"I'm still getting used to women playing hockey ... I think it's fantastic, it's exciting" one woman said.
In the end, Team Canada took the gold medal and the cup, and the Ontario team finished in second place. The U.S. team beat Sweden for a third-place finish.