Sami Jo Small

Sami Jo Small grew up on the outdoor rinks of Winnipeg. Her childhood rink, the Norberry Community Centre in St Vital now bears her name as the Sami Jo Small Hockey facility. She started playing at an early age following in her older brother Luke's footsteps. While he didn't last long in hockey, instead opting to pursue the other family passion of swimming, Small was hooked. Whether playing street hockey with her friends or suiting up alongside her male teammates, Small's drive was evident every time she stepped on the ice or strapped on a pair of pads.

She played in the boys AA and AAA system for the St Vital Victoria's and Winnipeg Warriors before teams for girls existed. She played her first women's hockey tournament at the age of 14, lining up on defense at the Canada Winter Games in 1991 when women's hockey made its debut. Women's hockey was just starting to take off after Canada hosted the first women's world championships in 1990. Despite her involvement in many other sports and school endeavors, Small chose to focus on track and field at Stanford University, where she competed in discus and javelin. She was a valuable member of the Stanford track and field team that competed in NCAA championships. During her time at Stanford, she also played on the men's hockey team, earning PAC-10 MVP honors.

Small first joined Canada's national women's hockey team in the 1997-1998 season as the third goalie at the first women's Olympic hockey tournament in Nagano in 1998, where Canada won silver. She went on to become Canada's starting goaltender in 1999. Canada won five World Championships during her tenure ('99, '00, '01, '04, '07), and Small was twice named Championship MVP. She also competed in two more Olympic Games in 2002 (Salt Lake City, USA) and 2006 (Torino, Italy), helping Canada win two Olympic Gold medals.

Small's professional hockey career began with the Brampton Thunder in 1999, then moving to the Toronto Aeros. She played with the Aeros until 2018, capturing two National and League Championships in 2003 and 2004. In 2007, after the demise of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), Small helped start the Canadian Women's Hockey League and served as the league's first vice chairman. She continued to play elite hockey for the Toronto Furies and served as the General Manager for the team in the 2018-2019 season.

Small has been speaking professionally since 1997, using her extensive experience in sports to convey messages on teamwork, leadership, and motivation. Off the ice, she owns a hockey school that operates across four provinces in Canada. Her speaking topics include Olympics, Leadership, Team Building, Entrepreneurship, Change, Motivation, Inspiration, Success, Women, Diversity, Equity, Workforce, and Athletes/Sports, reflecting her diverse experiences and expertise.

In 2011, Small married PEI native Billy Bridges in a ceremony in Mississauga. Billy is a highly accomplished athlete in sledge hockey, having competed in five Paralympic games. They have a daughter, Kensi, who enjoys dancing.