If anyone from North America was watching the 2018 Winter Olympics, they were most likely watching one of two things: figure skating and hockey. During the 2018 Winter Olympics, the United States Women’s Hockey Team was set to face Canada for yet another gold medal game. This was not a surprising matchup as the two are often seen in the finals of any world competition in hockey. All eyes, however, were on Team USA, watching to see if they would finally win gold again for the first time since 1998.
Two players contributed greatly to Team USA in that fateful game: Monique Lamoureux-Morando and Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson.The twin sisters had been playing for Team USA for years at this point. In the gold medal game, however, people all over the United States saw and felt both of their efforts. It was Lamoureux-Morando who tied the game 2-2 to force it into overtime. Later, Lamoureux-Davidson scored in the shootout to win the gold medal for Team USA.
It wasn’t just their efforts in the 2018 Winter Olympics that put the sisters’ names in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. The pair have played for the United States since 2004, which has earned them numerous accolades.The two ultimately ended their successful professional hockey careers in 2021. However, their fight for growing the game of hockey for young girls and women has not and will never stop.
Both sisters acknowledge their time and achievements with USA Hockey, as well as their collegiate years. They also reveal and speak out more about their work to end inequality in hockey. They know what it is like to grow up with limited resources and being denied access to play a sport they love. As discussed in their book “Dare to Make History: Chasing a Dream and Fighting for Equity”, the two recount plenty of times they faced inequality and inequity from as young as their U-8 years to even when they went to the Olympics. By speaking out and standing up for girls and women in the sport, the twins have made groundbreaking developments in the progression of women’s hockey.
In their effort to change USA Hockey, the Lamoureux twins and other American female players championed the deal made in 2017 with USA Hockey. This deal called for equal pay in women’s hockey, better marketing and fundraising, and advancing the women’s and girls’ hockey programs. The twins are also a part of the Professional Women’s Hockey Player Association which allows them to have the ability to make decisions on creating more opportunities for young girls to play hockey. This also allows them to create viable professional playing options for women who want to continue their hockey career post-college. Their foundation provides grants to level the playing field for disadvantaged communities to play hockey. These efforts tie back to their never-ending fight to make hockey equitable for all.
Finally, the twins have helped grow the game for girls across America by showing them that anything, like playing hockey at the professional level, is possible. It’s like the saying goes, if you can see her, you can be her. The Lamoureux twins encouraged young girls to play hockey due to their efforts over their playing careers and winning gold in 2018. And the numbers prove it. The registration for females playing hockey in the U.S. increased from 3% to 6% after every Winter Olympic, according to an article by The Ice Garden. This small percentage may not seem like much, but there has been a 46% increase from 2006 to 2018 in female registration, showing that the game is growing.
This type of growth in females playing hockey all starts by achieving what seems like the impossible and using those achievements to help others achieve the same dream. The Lamoureux twins did just that with their platform of professional, and highly decorated, hockey players.
So when the Lamoureux twins get inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame this fall, it is important to note their numerous awards. Still, it is even more noteworthy to highlight all the two have done to grow the game that many have come to love to play because of their efforts.
Comments