It was while growing up in Terrace Bay that this future 3-time Olympian first learned the game that would see her become the region's most successful female hockey player to date. Relocating to Thunder Bay with her family, she further developed her skills in minor hockey, taking to the ice in 2001 with the Thunder Bay AAA Kings, becoming the first girl ever to do so.

Moving over to the Thunder Bay AA Queens she joined Team Ontario, getting her first taste of national gold at the 2003 Canada Winter Games, which was followed by gold at the 2005 Esso Women's and U-18 national championships. Her impressive play soon earned her a spot on Canada's National Women's Development Team.

After spending time in the Ontario Provincial Hockey League with the Toronto Aeros, she made her way to the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. A UMD freshman in 2007-08, she led the WCHA in scoring and was named Rookie of the Year, earning 60 points on 23 goals and 37 assists in 37 games.

Helping her team claim the WCHA title by scoring the game-winning overtime goal, she added the 2008 NCAA championship title to close out her rookie year, returning to the NCAA Frozen Four the following year. Her impressive college career was one of the best ever, graduating as the 5th all-time scorer in the programs history.

Not surprisingly, her talents earned her a spot on the National Women's team, donning the maple leaf as a member of Team Canada for over a decade. Representing Canada in World Championships, she earned 4 silver medals, claiming gold in 2012 to go along with four gold from the Nations Cup. Claiming back-to-back Olympic gold medals in 2010 and 2014, she added a silver medal to her collection in 2018. Retiring in 2020 among the top 20 all-time scorers with the national team, her record included 80 points in 108 games with 38 goals and 42 assists. 

Following time in the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) with the Montreal Stars and Calgary Inferno, she moved behind the bench, spending time as an assistant coach with the women's hockey team at Ryerson University and in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) with Ottawa, continuing to serve as a role model for the current and future generations of hockey players.

Inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, September 28, 2024