‘I am filled with gratitude’

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This article was published 11/11/2025 (181 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO — Jennifer Botterill hit all of the right notes.

After the Winnipegger made her way to the podium on the night she was officially inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Botterill delivered an eloquent, 12-minute speech that perfectly expressed the gratitude she feels for the sport she loves and the people that made a remarkable impact on her journey.

Botterill was quick to salute and share her admiration for others in the class of 2025, which included fellow players: Zdeno Chara, Joe Thornton, Alexander Mogilny and Winnipeg-born and Fort Frances, Ont., raised Duncan Keith, along with builders Jackie Parker and Danièlle Sauvageau — who was the head coach when Team Canada won the Olympic gold medal for the first time in 2002 in Salt Lake City.

Botterill’s long list of thank you’s began with her mother, Doreen, who represented Canada at the Olympics in speed skating back in 1964 and 1968.

“Mom, you showed me that this was possible,” said Botterill, who became the first Manitoba woman to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. “You showed me that I could dream big at a young age. We would go to grandma’s house when we were young and there were pictures of you up on the wall, from when you represented Canada for the sport of speed skating.

“You were a constant inspiration for me and you continue to inspire me today because of the person that you are. Thank you for your unconditional support for all of those laugh/cry moments that we shared for all of the important, significant moments of our lives.”

Botterill then thanked her father, Cal, for helping her trust that she could pursue excellence, recalling a lunch the two shared back when she was 15 years old and was aspiring to be an Olympic women’s hockey player but wondering if it would be possible.

Cal’s famous response: “Why not you?” would become a driving force in Botterill’s relentless pursuit, culminating with her being named to the first Canadian women’s team for the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan.

When Botterill walked through the two seats of boardroom doors in Calgary that day and received the good news, she immediately thought of her parents and the influence they had on her.

Botterill recalled the numerous hours spent with her brother Jason playing on the outdoor rink at Wildwood Community Centre, the basement hockey battles and pointing out how watching him succeed in his hockey journey provided motivation for her to do the same.

“Mom, you showed me that this was possible.”

“Thank you for not making me be the goaltender every single time we played hockey even though I was the younger sibling. I loved our shinny games, I loved walking with you to the end of the street to the Wildwood Community Centre and we’d shoot pucks together and we’d play basement hockey together,” said Botterill. “Your drive to be an elite hockey player was contagious. Seeing your choices would motivate me to try to achieve the highest level as well.”

She spoke about how formative the four years on campus at Harvard were during her time in college, both on and off the ice.

Botterill took time to acknowledge a group of childhood friends from Winnipeg, who played hockey together on the Waverley Storm as teenagers and made the trip for the festivities.

She also thanked Winnipegger Sami Jo Small for sharing so many moments along the ride as a teammate and best friend.

“Your energy is infectious,” said Botterill. “On those exhausting days when I was tired, you always had an emergency snack to make sure that I would stay composed and, years later, you stood by me as my maid of honour at my wedding. Thank you for all of the laughter and for your friendship.”

Botterill took the time to thank her teammates, linemates, mentors and coaches, including Jill Mathez (her first hockey coach in Winnipeg) and Cliff Wurtak (her coach at the Canada Games).

“The motto was: ‘to have no regrets.’ To never have to say, ‘I wish I would have,’” said Botterill. “I’ve carried that great life lesson with me ever since.”

She also took a moment to soak in the incredible growth in hockey, particularly as it relates to the opportunities for female players.

“This sport has the potential to inspire,” said Botterill.

She was oozing with pride as she spoke about daughters, Maya, Brooklynn and Wyllow, all of whom are active in sports, including hockey.

“My family, my friends, my coaches and my teammates. I know the importance of all of you and I have been so fortunate to be surrounded by you.”

“You are the ultimate joy in my life,” said Botterill. “Thank you for your love and for making me smile every single day. I admire your dedication and your energy. I love seeing you play and experiencing the joys of sport. I encourage you to enjoy everything that you do and to find the dreams that fill your hearts with the most excitement.”

There was also a heartfelt message for her husband, Adrian Lomonaco.

“My soulmate, you’ve shown me what true happiness is. Beyond my dreams,” she said. “My moments of appreciation for you are continuous. You make my heart full.”

In closing, Botterill relayed a story about how the gold medals from the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver were individually crafted and unique, but when you put them together, they completed the entire design.

“They were all such important pieces. That’s how I see each of you,” said Botterill. “My family, my friends, my coaches and my teammates. I know the importance of all of you and I have been so fortunate to be surrounded by you. I am filled with gratitude. This is a tremendous honour that we all share together.”

Longtime linemate Jayna Hefford presented Botterill with her Hall of Fame plaque prior to her speech and shared some words about her former teammate as she made her way down the red carpet before heading on stage for the presentation.

“Jen was just mature beyond her years. She worked hard, she was consistent and she was good in all areas of the ice — and you don’t always see that,” said Hefford. “She was just such a solid centre who controlled the middle of the ice all the time. It was about always supporting (her linemates) and, of course, she could score and put points on the board and that was a big part of our success.”

Prior to the ceremony, fellow linemate Caroline Ouellette praised Botterill for kindness off the ice and for her tenacity on it.

“In all of the years that I played, she was one of the best teammates I ever had,” said Ouellette. “What really stands out and differentiates Jen among the others is that she’s the kindest human being you’ll find. She’s so smart, so patient and kind. When I started on the national team, I barely spoke English and she was fully bilingual. She spent so much time being kind and patient and making sure that I was understanding everything.

“We became very good friends and played on a line for most of my career. I wouldn’t be in the Hockey Hall of Fame without her. She was great on faceoffs and she had incredible vision. The way she would see you, it’s like she had eyes all around her head. She played in every situation. When you watch her performance over the years, you could count on her.”

Marie-Philip Poulin feels fortunate to have had Botterill as a teammate and a mentor.

“Unbelievable,” said Poulin, who scored the golden goal in Vancouver in 2010 that was set up by Botterill — a moment Botterill reiterated was the favourite play of her career during Monday’s speech. “I was very fortunate to play on her side on the same line. But more, off the ice, she wanted to make sure that the young kids were feeling part of the team, which she has done her entire life.”

Longtime Canadian national team goalie Kim St-Pierre occasionally roomed with Botterill and appreciated her dedication to her craft.

“She was so smart. She knew where to go and where the puck would be,” said St-Pierre. “She was always so serious and well prepared.”

“She was so smart. She knew where to go and where the puck would be.”

The other constant Botterill brought to the rink on a daily basis was her upbeat attitude.

“She was always very present, positive and brought some good energy to the team. That’s what you’re looking for,” said Hefford. “There are some hard times when you’re in those moments and to have someone who is consistently there to raise the energy and bring the group up, that’s a really positive thing for any team.”

For all of the important moments and steady play that Botterill provided, Small also appreciates the way she dealt with various challenges over the course of her career.

“She was never the kind of person that would get angry or upset. There was always this quiet contemplation of: ‘if it didn’t work this way, how can I make it work a different way?’” said Small.

“What makes her a Hall of Famer is the way that she picked herself up in those moments. The way she always seemed to find a different route, a different path, a different way of making things work and maybe just repositioning the goal or repositioning what excellence meant in those moments.”

ken.wiebe@freeppress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld