Getty Images Hayley Wickenheiser, a Canadian hockey legend, announced her retirement on Friday after a decorated career that began in 1993.
Peek inside Wickenheiser’s trophy case and you’ll see lots of gold. A lot. Four Olympic gold medals and seven World Championships golds, in fact, along with a number of silver medals. The former Team Canada captain finishes as the country’s all-time leading scorer with 168 goals and 211 assists over 276 games played in a career that began when she was 15.
Dear Canada. It has been the great honour of my life to play for you. Time to hang em up!! Thank you! #grateful #graduationday #canada pic.twitter.com/qzEo6sTgP2
— Hayley Wickenheiser (@wick_22) January 14, 2017
Wickenheiser didn’t just leave her mark in the women’s game. She also took her talents to Finland and Sweden, where in 2003 she became the first woman to score in a professional men’s league. Her play at the 1998 Olympics impressed Canada GM Bobby Clarke, who then invited her to attend Philadelphia Flyers prospect camp.*She*even competed in Olympic softball during the 2000 Olympics in Australia.
One if the many memorable moments from Wickenheiser’s career includes her reaction to the rumors that the U.S. team had the Canadian flag on the floor of their dressing room during the 2002 Olympics. After Canada beat the Americans for the gold medal — where Wickenheiser scored in the 3-2 victory — she responded.

Wickenheiser, 38, told Donna Spencer of the Canadian Press that she’s retiring now because she wants to enter medical school. She received a Bachelor of Kinesiology in 2013 after beginning to pursue her degree in 1996.

From the CP:
“It’s a celebration and of course it’s really emotional,” she said. “It’s sad in some ways because you’re leaving a part of your life behind, but it’s also exciting in other ways.
“There are other things I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I have other opportunities within the game and in medicine to pursue. I just didn’t want to wait to do that.”.
A decorated career is still to receive one more honor, which will be induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. That, for Wickenheiser, will come sooner rather than later.
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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy