Cindy Curley Hockey Hall of Fame induction, Digi Mart USA News: Growing up in Stow, Massachusetts, Cindy Curley never imagined she would one day be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. “I always played for the love of the game.
I love hockey, and I never really played aspiring for what was next, so I got to play in college. I was thrilled.
And then when they started the world cup, I was, again, so thrilled. This would have never been in my wheelhouse,” Curley said.
Curley, only the 15th woman to be inducted into the Hall, was a major pioneer for women’s hockey in its early days. She was a member of Team USA at the unofficial Women’s World Championship in 1987, where the United States won bronze and helped prove to the IIHF that women wanted their own championship.
Three years later, at the first official Women’s World Championship, Curley set tournament records for most points in a single tournament (23), most points (9) and goals (5) in a single game, and most points (6) and goals (4) in a single game. She still holds those records.
She is also tied with fellow Hall of Famers Angela James and Krissy Wendell for most goals in a single tournament, with 11.
Curley went on to captain Team USA in two more tournaments after her record-setting event, helping the United States win silver in all three championships. She also helped the U.S.
earn silver at the IIHF Women’s Pacific Rim Championship in 1995.
Curley praised the women who came before her and encouraged the next generation to keep growing the game. “I’m just excited to see the future women being inducted, and, obviously, Cammy and some of the great plays, Angela James, that came before me, and were already inducted.
It’s just great that they’ve opened a space for women, and there’s so many deserving women, and I look forward to seeing them in the future here.”
For Curley, this induction class is special. An avid Bruins fan since growing up in Massachusetts, she will be inducted alongside Bruins legend Patrice Bergeron.
“I love the way he played. My whole family enjoyed watching him play.
He played with such class. I’m just so proud to be inducted, with all of them, but Patrice definitely is a little special.”
Curley, an alumna of Providence College, also shares a connection with fellow inductee Brian Burke. “Brian’s been to province, like, I did, and he’s been a great mentor to me, so it’s just very special [to be inducted with him].”
Curley’s induction on Monday will place her alongside pioneers such as Cammi Granato, Natalie Darwitz and Angela James in the Hall of Fame.
