Burlington has a long and notable sports history that includes many outstanding athletes, coaches, officials, media, and volunteers. The Burlington Sports Hall of Fame (BSHOF) is dedicated to identifying and honouring these individuals who have contributed to this rich tradition. BSHOF will be installing five new honourees at their 2022 induction ceremony on Tuesday, May 31, at the Burlington Golf and Country Club.
Women’s hockey made its long-awaited debut at the winter Olympics in 1998. That wait kept one 2022 BSHOF inductee, Cathy Phillips, from being a potential Olympian.
Cathy Phillips was a trailblazer who ultimately led to Canada being the best women’s hockey nation on earth. At Burlington Central High School, Cathy was a multi-sport athlete in basketball and track and field, but she was, quite simply, the best hockey goalie in the world for a long time.
At the world level, Cathy won two world championship gold medals. In 1987 — the first “unofficial” Women’s World Championships — she was named the outstanding goalie of the tournament as she backstopped Canada to the gold medal. In 1990, the first “official” world championship that was sanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), she again was in the pipes for Canada and recorded a tournament goals-against average of 1.15 as Canada defeated the U.S. 5–2 in the gold medal game. Her jersey from that tournament is on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
As the women’s game of hockey grew at the local and national level, Cathy won gold in the inaugural Esso Women’s Nationals in 1982. She played in six subsequent national tournaments and came away with three more gold medals, one silver and two bronze.
Cathy began playing in the Central Ontario Women’s Hockey League (COWHL) when she was 13. She played in the league for 17 years and was named the top goalie an amazing 14 times and league MVP twice. She is considered the most distinguished goalie to ever play in the COWHL. Cathy’s idol was Vladislav Tretiak and she was thrilled to meet the goaltending icon as he came to watch a game.
Cathy Phillips, if women’s hockey had been in the Olympics in the 1980s and ‘90s, would have been an Olympian and a gold medallist, but the true impact of this great athlete was in how she has inspired future generations.
After her playing career, Cathy gave back to the game as she served as an assistant coach for Team Ontario at the 1995 Canada Games and has acted as a clinician, motivational speaker, and mentor.
In her post-career life, Cathy was honoured for her contribution to women’s hockey with the Isobel Gathorne-Hardy Award in 2005. Gathorne-Hardy was a pioneer of women’s hockey in Canada and subsequent winners include Canadian Olympic heroes Caroline Ouellette and Marie-Philip Poulin. Cathy also won the female breakthrough award in 2009 from Hockey Canada, which recognizes leadership and contributions to the advancement of women’s hockey.
Cathy Phillips is listed among other famous Burlingtonians by Tourism Burlington and now she is also a Hall of Famer. The Burlington Sports Hall of Fame is proud to induct a true trailblazer, Cathy Phillips, into the athlete category.
There is still a chance to meet Cathy and the other inductees, as tickets to the induction event are still available.
Tickets are $60, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m., a cocktail social from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., followed by the inductions at 7:00 p.m. There will be a cash bar and hors d’oeuvres will be served throughout the evening. To buy your tickets email BSHOF at burlingtonsportshof@gmail.com.
