Speaker

The Role I Played is a memoir of Sami Jo Small’s ten years with Canada’s National Women’s Hockey Team. Beginning with her experience as a rookie at the first-ever women’s Olympic hockey tournament in Nagano in 1998 and culminating with Canada’ third straight Olympic gold medal in Vancouver in 2010, the veteran goaltender gives the reader behind-the-scenes insight into one of the most successful teams in sports history. Small offers insider access, writing with unflinching honesty about the triumphs of her greatest games and the anguish of difficult times. As a goalie for the Canadian women’s hockey team, Small has won five World Championships, twice named championship MVP, and is a three-time Olympian, who played on two gold medal-winning teams. Small was one of the founders of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League and worked as the general manager of the Toronto Furies. She is also an owner of a hockey school that runs throughout four provinces.