Angela James facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Angela James OC
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2010
James at Seneca College, c. 1983
Born	(1964-12-22) December 22, 1964 (age 60) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height	5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Weight	155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb)
Position	Centre / Defence
Shot	Right
Played for	Seneca College North York Aeros Toronto Red Wings Newtonbrook Panthers Beatrice Aeros
National team	Canada
Playing career	1980–2000

Angela James OC (born December 22, 1964) is a Canadian former ice hockey player. She played ice hockey at the top levels from 1980 to 2000. She was a key player in the Central Ontario Women's Hockey League (COWHL) from 1980 to 1998. Later, she played in the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL). Angela was named her league's best player six times. She is also a certified referee and coach in Canada. She lives in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

Angela also played for Team Canada in international games. She played in the first women's world championship in 1987. In 1990, she played in the first official IIHF World Women's Championship. She scored 11 goals, setting a record, and helped Canada win the gold medal. She won three more gold medals at world championships in 1992, 1994, and 1997. She was not chosen for the first women's Olympic hockey tournament in 1998. She played her last international tournament in 1999.

Many people see Angela James as the first superstar of modern women's ice hockey. She has been honored by many halls of fame. In 2008, she was one of the first three women inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2010, she was one of the first two women inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. She was also inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2009. Angela was named to the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2021.

Angela James was a co-owner and general manager for the Toronto Six hockey team. This team was part of the Premier Hockey Federation, which is now closed. As of 2022, she is the Senior Sports Coordinator at Seneca College in Toronto.

Angela James's Early Life

Angela James was born on December 22, 1964, in Toronto, Ontario. Her mother, Donna Barrato, was a white Canadian. Her father, Leo James, was a Black American from Mississippi. He came to Canada to escape unfair treatment based on race. Angela has two half-brothers and two half-sisters from her mother's side. She also has many half-siblings from her father's side. One of them is National Hockey League (NHL) player Theo Peckham.

Angela's mother raised her and her two half-sisters alone. They lived in a special townhouse in the Flemingdon Park area of Toronto. Her mother worked as a bookkeeper and at the local arena's snack bar. Angela was very close to her sister Kym. Angela was one of the few Black children in Flemingdon Park. She sometimes faced mean comments because she was mixed-race. This made her strong and determined, which helped her in hockey.

Angela loved sports from a young age. Her godfather gave her a baseball bat and glove. She was good at hockey, baseball, and synchronized swimming. Her mother wanted her to focus on swimming. But Angela loved hockey the most. She played ball hockey with boys in her neighborhood from kindergarten. She started playing organized hockey in a boys' league at age eight. Her mother had to insist for her to be allowed to play.

Angela was very good in the Flemingdon Park league. She started with younger players but was quickly moved up to older age groups. Her time in the league ended because some parents of the boys were jealous. They changed the rules to stop girls from playing.

Angela then found a girls' league at Annunciation, a Catholic group. Her mother would take her to games by bus. The girls' hockey program was small. Teams had players of all ages to make full rosters. Angela started playing senior hockey with the Newtonbrook Saints at age 13. She played against women who were 16 and older. The Saints were a Senior C team, which was a high level of women's hockey in Toronto.

Angela James's Playing Career

College Hockey Experience

Angela focused on hockey and almost left school. A vice-principal at Valley Park Middle School, Ross Dixon, helped her. He encouraged her to study more. She graduated from Overlea High School and went to Seneca College in Toronto. Angela found her first year at Seneca hard. She was playing two sports and working part-time to help her family. Seneca's hockey coach, Lee Trempe, helped her take her studies seriously.

Angela was a star in two sports for the Seneca Scouts. She joined the softball team in 1983. She was an Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) All-Star. She led her school to win the first OCAA women's softball championship. She was an OCAA All-Star again in 1984 and 1985. She led Seneca to another championship and a silver medal.

Her coach, Lee Trempe, moved Angela to defence in hockey. This was so she could help set up plays for her teammates. Even as a defender, Angela led the league in scoring in 1982–83. She had 15 goals and 10 assists in 8 games. She was named the OCAA's most valuable player. In 1983–84, Angela led the OCAA with 30 points in 10 games. She helped Seneca College win its first championship. She was named an All-Star on defence and the most valuable player again.

Angela won both awards the next season too. Seneca won championships again in 1984–85. Angela was amazing in the OCAA. She led the league in scoring again. She set school records with 50 goals and 73 points in just 14 games. A reporter called her "the Wayne Gretzky of women's hockey."

The OCAA named Angela its athlete of the year in 1984 and 1985. This was for her great play in hockey and softball. She set OCAA career hockey records with 80 goals and 128 points. These records stood until 1989. Seneca College retired her jersey number 8 in 2001. She was inducted into the Seneca Varsity Hall of Fame in 1985. In 2004, she received the Seneca College Distinguished Alumni Award.

Senior Hockey Career

After one year of Senior C hockey, Angela joined the Toronto Islanders in 1980. This was a Senior AA team in the new Central Ontario Women's Hockey League (COWHL). This league was the top level of women's hockey in southern Ontario. Angela quickly became one of the league's best players. She played in the first women's national championship in 1982. She scored the tying goal, helping her team win the McTeer Cup.

When the Islanders team closed in 1982, Angela moved to a team in Burlington. She stayed there for three seasons. In 1983, she led her new team to win the first Abby Hoffman Cup. Angela played in 12 national championship tournaments during her career.

Angela often changed teams. Sometimes she moved to play with friends. Other times, she moved if she disagreed with a coach. She also moved if a team stopped playing. She left Burlington in 1984–85 to join the Agincourt Canadians. Then she played with the Brampton Canadettes. In 1986–87, she joined the Mississauga Warriors. She stayed there for three seasons. Angela won her first of seven straight COWHL scoring titles that season. She then helped the Hamilton Golden Hawks win the 1987 Women's Nationals.

Angela joined the Toronto Aeros in 1989. This team had started in 1974. She led the Aeros to two national championships, in 1991 and 1993. In 1991, she scored the only goal against future national team player Manon Rhéaume. In the 1993–94 season, Angela scored 40 goals and 70 points in 28 games. She continued to switch teams. She played for the Toronto Red Wings/Newtonbrook Panthers for a few seasons. Then she rejoined the Aeros in 1997.

The team was renamed the Beatrice Aeros in 1998. They joined the new National Women's Hockey League (NWHL). Angela scored 38 goals and 55 points in the first NWHL season (1998–99). She was named the league's most valuable player. The next season, she was named the Western Division's best forward. The Aeros won their first NWHL title. They also won the OWHA championship and the women's nationals. After this season, Angela retired from competitive hockey in 2000.

International Hockey Career

The Ontario Women's Hockey Association (OWHA) hosted the first women's world championship in 1987. This event was not officially approved by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Six teams played, and many countries sent people to watch. Team Canada was represented by the Hamilton Golden Hawks. Angela's usual club team, Mississauga, played as "Team Ontario." Angela played for her Mississauga team. She led Team Ontario throughout the tournament. After winning against the United States, they played Team Canada for the title. Team Canada won 4–0.

The IIHF approved the first official Women's World Championship in 1990 in Ottawa. Canada and the United States easily beat their European rivals to reach the final. Canada won the gold medal with a 5–2 score. Angela scored the first goal in the tournament's history. She scored 11 goals in total. This tied the record for most goals by one player in a single tournament.

Angela played in three more Women's World Championships. Canada won all three against the United States. She was named an All-Star forward in the 1992 tournament in Tampere, Finland. Canada won the gold medal 8–0. The Americans played better at the 1994 tournament in Lake Placid, New York. Angela scored two goals in the final, a 6–3 victory. She was named the game's most valuable player. She won her fourth and final World Championship in 1997. This was a close 4–3 overtime victory.

The 1998 Nagano Games had the first women's Olympic hockey tournament. On December 9, 1997, Canada's first Olympic team was announced. Head coach Shannon Miller did not include Angela on the team. She said Angela was not good enough at defence and not a team player. Angela was very upset and angry about this. She felt she had been treated unfairly. She appealed the decision to Hockey Canada. Angela argued that the coach's reasons were not true. She had been the national team's top goal scorer in games leading up to the team camp.

At the time of the appeal, there were rumors about the coach. Hockey Canada found that these rumors were started by someone else. They also rejected Angela's appeal. This ended her dream of playing in the Olympics. Her teammates and opponents were surprised she was not on the team. Canada and the United States met in the final, but the Americans won the gold medal. Many believed Angela could have helped Canada win.

Angela was suffering from an undiagnosed condition called Graves' disease at the time. This thyroid condition caused her to lose weight and feel tired. She learned about her condition after the Olympics and received treatment. The national team, with a new coach, added Angela back for the 1999 3 Nations Cup. She played less, but she accepted her role. During this tournament, Angela decided it would be her last. Her international career ended in a special way. The championship game against the United States went to a shootout. Angela was chosen as the first shooter. She scored the winning goal, leading Canada to a 3–2 victory. Angela played in 50 games for Team Canada. She scored 33 goals and 21 assists.

Angela James's Playing Style

Angela James was a very strong player in the OWHA. Hockey historian Elizabeth Etue said Angela was successful because of her strong skating and powerful shot. She was a physical player. She helped show that women's hockey was a tough sport. Opponents said hitting Angela was like "hitting steel." Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reporter Robin Brown played against Angela. She said Angela "could do it all." She had great speed, stick handling, and a hard, accurate shot. Brown called her "the 'Wayne Gretzky of women's hockey'." Angela could play any position. She mostly played centre in her senior career, but she was also excellent on defence. In one game, her team had no goaltender. Angela played goalie and did not let any goals in.

Coaching and Officiating Roles

Angela James has been involved in many parts of hockey. She became a certified referee in Canada in 1980. She has been an active official since then. In 1986, as a referee, she was involved in an incident with a player. This player became the first woman banned for life from the OWHA. Angela later earned a high level of certification from Hockey Canada. She also served as the OWHA's Referee-in-Chief.

After graduating from Seneca College, Angela started coaching. She was an assistant coach and helped Seneca win the Ontario College Championship. This was the school's third win in a row. The school won again in 1987 with Angela as its head coach. She has coached at all age levels of the game. She was an assistant coach for Team Ontario at the 1999 Canada Winter Games, where they won gold. She also led Ontario to a gold medal at the 2001 under-18 national championship. Before the 2010-11 CWHL season, she was named Brampton Thunder head coach. However, she stepped down in December 2010 because it took too much time. She believes she can help the most at the local level of the sport. She has run her own hockey school and one through Seneca College.

PHF Coaching

On June 24, 2021, the Toronto Six of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) added Angela James to their coaching staff. She was an assistant coach for the 2021–22 PHF season.

Sports Executive and Owner

On March 7, 2022, Angela James became a co-owner of the Toronto Six of the Premier Hockey Federation. She joined an ownership group of Canadian hockey leaders. This group included herself, Anthony Stewart, Bernice Carnegie, and Ted Nolan.

On May 31, 2022, Angela was named General Manager of the Six. She took over from Krysti Clarke. Her new role involved managing player activities and team operations. She also handled game day events. This included selling tickets, which she reported to the team's new owners.

Honors and Legacy

Angela James has been called "the first superstar of modern women's hockey." She is seen as a pioneer who helped make women's hockey popular. Longtime women's hockey leader Fran Rider said Angela brought respect to the game. Without her, women's hockey might not have become an Olympic sport.

Angela was an eight-time scoring champion and six-time most valuable player in her senior career. She has been honored by many groups. She was named Toronto's Youth of the Year in 1985. In 1992, she received the city's Women in Sport Enhancement Award. Hockey Canada gave her the 2005 Female Hockey Breakthrough Award. The Flemingdon Park arena was renamed the Angela James Arena in 2009. The Canadian Women's Hockey League gives the Angela James Bowl to its top scorer each season. She has been inducted into several Halls of Fame. These include the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2005. She was also inducted into the Black Hockey and Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.

Angela was one of the first three women inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame. The others were Geraldine Heaney and Cammi Granato. They were honored in 2008 as part of the IIHF's 100th anniversary. Canada's Sports Hall of Fame called Angela a role model when they inducted her in 2009. One year later, she and Cammi Granato became the first two women inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Angela said she never thought that day would happen. She added that she was "really honoured to represent the female hockey players from all over the world."

On February 26, 2021, Angela James was named to the Order of Hockey in Canada by Hockey Canada. This was to recognize her career and contributions to hockey in Canada.

Angela James was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada (OC) in 2022.

Personal Life

After getting a diploma in Recreation Facilities Management from Seneca College, Angela was hired by the school in 1985. She still works for Seneca College. She is now a senior sports coordinator at its King campus.

Angela realized she is lesbian when she was a teenager. She met her partner, Ange, in 1994. They had a special ceremony to celebrate their relationship two years later. They have three children. Ange gave birth to their first child, Christian, in 1999. Then she gave birth to twins, Michael and Toni, in 2004.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

Note: Complete statistics unavailable

International