Sochi 2014 Olympics: Hayley Wickenheiser Leads Canada vs. Switzerland

Just because Hayley Wickenheiser doesn’t wear the C on her Team Canada sweater anymore doesn’t mean she won’t be the heartbeat of this squad when it plays its first game of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics women’s hockey tournament against Switzerland.

When Kevin Dineen replaced Dan Church as the team’s coach, he made a very controversial decision in taking the captaincy from Wickenheiser and handing it to the Caroline Ouellette.

“My feeling was, with the dynamics of this team, that Caroline was an excellent choice,” Dineen told reporters. “Not an easy decision. Not very fun for Hayley, but it’s a decision I made and we’ve moved forward from that.”

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Of course, that’s easier said than done. However, judging from everything we’ve seen from Wickenheiser in the past, this is something she’ll use as fuel in this tournament. She’s arguably the greatest female hockey player of all time and just represented the entire country as Team Canada’s flag-bearer at the Opening Ceremonies.

This will be Wickenheiser’s sixth Games and she leads is the Olympic all-time leading scorer with 16 goals. She was named to the Order of Canada in 2011 and one of the “25 Toughest Athletes” by Sports Interaction. So, it’s not like she needs any more accolades.

She’s been battling injuries and all this Team Canada drama behind closed doors for the better part of a year, but she’s reportedly healthy now and maybe carrying Canada’s flag will boost her spirits. She certainly hasn’t lost to the confidence of her teammates.

“If she didn’t have a lot left, she wouldn’t be on the team,” coach Danielle Goyette told reporters of her former teammate. “She’s been through a lot (this year). This might be the first time she feels this good. For me, as long as she’s healthy she’s a big part of the team. I think she’s going to have a great Olympics. I feel that.”

Goyette isn’t alone there. Wickenheiser has made a living proving people wrong and now she has more motivation than ever to show that she’s still one of the best and that Team Canada is ready to make a run for a gold medal.

Sports Interaction has Canada set as a whopping -11364 favorite against Switzerland.

Let’s go, Canada and the #WeAreWinter campaign! Don’t forget to follow Sports Interaction on Twitter.!