In women¹s ice hockey, there are a lot of opinions about who is the greatest player ever. That being said, Jayna Hefford will have to be at
the top or near the top of everyone¹s list. In a very physical sport where size is a major asset, Hefford at a petite 1.65 cm is the smallest of the Canada¹s women hockey greats. Despite her diminutive size, Hefford is a fierce competitor, who has been able to successfully compete in women¹s hockey at the highest levels for almost 20 years, and is still going strong. Most recently, Jayna won her 4th consecutive Olympic Gold medal in Sochi, Russia.

On a personal level, Jayna Hefford, or “Heff” as she is known by friends and fans, was the co-founder, along with fellow Canadian female ice hockey great Lori Dupuis, of a female ice hockey school in Kingston, Ontario, which has been in operation since 1998. Jayna has been an RBC Olympian since 2007. She was a passionate Wayne Gretzky fan growing up, admiring both his skill and character on and off the ice. In 2004, Jayna completed her degree in Physical Education and Health at the University of Toronto. In May of 2012, Jayna was given the tremendous honour of visiting our Canadian troops in Afghanistan, along with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Jarome Iginla, Gord Miller and teammate, Marie-Philip Poulin. She has been a spokesperson for the Canadian Hockey Associations Initiation Program, and works with various charities. In 2009, she founded the Jayna Hefford Links 4 Life Golf Classic. The annual tournament raises money for the Kingston hospital foundation, in memory of her father, Larry Hefford. In its initial year the tournament raised $15,000 for palliative and cancer care, and in it’s fifth year this summer the $100,000 donation mark should be reached. In February of 2013, Jayna was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubiliee award in recognition of her community involvement and work to represent Canada. As an athlete, and as a humanitarian, Jayna Hefford is strictly world class. Maybe it is time to start that collection of Jayna Hefford memorabilia.