Vicky Sunohara

Vicky Sunohara (born May 18, 1970) is a Canadian ice hockey coach, former ice hockey player, and three-time Olympic medallist. In 2020, Sunohara was named to "TSN Hockey’s All-Time Women’s Team Canada," in recognition of her status as one of Canada’s best female hockey players of all time. She was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2025.

Sunohara is currently the head coach of the Varsity Blues women's ice hockey team of the University of Toronto. She was nationally recognized in 2019–20 and 2021-22 as the U Sports Women's Ice Hockey Coach of the Year and was named the 2019–20 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Female Coach of the Year across all sports.

Playing career

Sunohara began to play hockey as a small child. Her late father, David Sunohara, was a hockey enthusiast who played college ice hockey with the Ryerson Rams.

Sunohara's father built a backyard rink in the winters and introduced his daughter to skating at the age of two and a half. "My mother said that from the minute my father introduced me to hockey, I wouldn't do anything else," Sunohara commented, "I just loved it."

She began playing organized hockey on a boys team at age 5, but was eventually banned from the boys' leagues due to her gender.

Sunohara attended Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute in Scarborough, a suburban district of Toronto, where she was a standout on the women's ice hockey, field hockey, soccer, and flag football teams.

Following high school, Sunohara received a full athletic scholarship to Northeastern University in Boston, where she played two seasons with the Northeastern Huskies women's ice hockey program in the ECAC Hockey conference of the NCAA Division I. In her freshman season, she led the Huskies in scoring as they claimed the 1989 ECAC Hockey conference championship title and was recognized as the ECAC Rookie of the Year. In the 1989–90 season, she led the team in scoring again and was named to the NCAA All-American team. Across 45 games with Northeastern, she scored 122 points (78 goals and 44 assists).

Sunohara also played hockey for the University of Toronto, where her team won the Ontario University Athletics women's ice hockey championships in 1990–91 and 1991–92. She was named the OUA women's ice hockey Rookie of the Year in 1990–91.

Sunohara also played in the Central Ontario Women's Hockey League with the Scarborough Firefighters (1990–1994), Toronto Red Wings (1994–1996), and the Newtonbrook Panthers (1996–97).

In 1995-96, she was a goal-a-game player with the Toronto Red Wings when she scored 28 goals in 25 games. She finished sixth in the scoring race with 44 points. In March 1996, she played at her first National Championships in Moncton when she was picked up on loan by the North York Aeros. The Aeros lost the Canadian Final 3-2 in overtime to Hockey Québec.

In 1996-97, she scored a career-best 42 goals in 29 games with the Newtonbrook Panthers and finished third in the league scoring race with 70 points. In March 1997, she was again picked up on loan by the Aeros to participate at the National Championships. This time, the Aeros finished in third place

She was named the top forward of the tournament in 2005 and her team, the Brampton Thunder, won the national title in 2006.

At Hockey Canada's 2006 National Championships, she helped Brampton capture their first Abby Hoffman Cup after a 2-1 win over the Montréal Axion. Sunohara scored the 2-1 winner late in the second period.

In 2006-07, she captained Brampton to their first NWHL Cup in the playoffs. The Thunder won 4-0 over the Montréal Axion in the playoff final.

International play

Sunohara won an Olympic silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. She continued with an Olympic gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, and another gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

Besides the 1998, 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics, Sunohara represented Canada in numerous international ice hockey competitions. She won seven gold medals at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships, the first one coming in 1990. In total, she won 15 gold medals and 3 silver medals as a member of Canada's national team.

Sunohara excelled for Team Canada in major tournaments. As of 2020, she continued to rank in Canada's all-time top ten for games played, goals, and points.

Coaching and leadership Sunohara is credited with helping to expand the popularity of women's ice hockey, having trained and mentored many young girls in the sport. which won gold at the world championships. For two years, she was the Director of Women's Hockey at The Hill Academy in Vaughan, Ontario.

In 2011, Sunohara was named head coach of the University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's ice hockey team.

Sunohara's has described coaching as "more than just teaching a wrist shot or slap shot." She believes in instilling "Olympic values," like integrity, accountability, commitment and endeavors to mold her team members into better players and better people.

Sunohara has been described as "one of the nicest people in all of hockey," as well as a "focused and intense competitor".

A former Team Canada teammate, Jennifer Botterill, described Sunohara as "the most positive, supportive, energetic person you'll meet."

About Sunohara, Sami Jo Small, another former Team Canada teammate, said:

I have had the privilege of playing with some pretty amazing people but none have struck me as born leaders like Vicky Sunohara...She rallies the troops in desperate times and tells funny jokes when the pressure is mounting...She's always there for her teammates and always willing to do whatever it takes to win. She makes those around her not only better hockey players but also better people...In the ten years I played on the team I never saw another player touch as many people in such a positive way as Vicky Sunohara.

Other awards and accomplishments Sunohara was inducted into the City of Brampton Sports Hall of Fame, alongside national team teammates Jayna Hefford and Sami Jo Small. In 2006, she was named an inaugural member of the Scarborough Walk of Fame.

At the age of 36, Sunohara was named Ontario's Female Athlete of the Year for 2006.

Sunohara has been acknowledged by the Hockey Hall of Fame as one of the most notable women ice hockey players of all time.

In 2009, Sunohara was selected by the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee to be Toronto's final torchbearer in the 2010 Winter Olympics torch relay as the Vancouver-bound Olympic flame passed through Ontario on its cross-country journey. She lit the cauldron before thousands of spectators at Nathan Phillips Square.

In 2012, Sunohara was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame with the roster of the 2006 Canadian women's national team that participated in the women's ice hockey tournament of the 2006 Winter Olympics.

In 2018, Sunohara was inducted into the Toronto Sport Hall of Honour in the sport legends category.

In 2018, Sunohara was featured in the Canadian Olympic Committee “Virtue and Victory” campaign, showcasing the stories of athletes who exemplify both Canadian and Olympic values. Sunohara, along with Hayley Wickenheiser and Caroline Ouellette, were recognized for leadership and excellence.

In 2019, Sunohara was appointed Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, a Primary Reserve regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces, based in Toronto. “I was shocked and humbled,” said HLCol Sunohara. “What came to my mind was ‘not worthy.’ But obviously I have a tremendous amount of respect and gratitude for those who serve our country. To be able to contribute in some small way is quite rewarding.”

According to Regimental Sergeant Major Donovan O’Halloran, Sunohara was a “natural choice” for this appointment, commenting:Vicky is a leader in our community on several levels. She is a role model for the pursuit of excellence, she has achieved the highest measure of success in her sport and she continues to serve her community through coaching, mentoring and volunteering. It is a great privilege to have a woman of such distinction accept this important role. In 2020, Sunohara was named to "TSN Hockey’s All-Time Women’s Team Canada" and described as "the ultimate glue player," meaning an egoless leader who put the needs of her team above everything else and held the team together. Sunohara was the epitome of a team player.

In 2020, the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre named Sunohara a recipient of the Sakura Award, which recognizes exceptional contributions made by individuals to the promotion and exchange of Japanese culture and enhancing awareness of Japanese heritage within Canada and abroad. Sunohara's grandparents grew up in Japan; they moved to Ontario from BC after being released from World War II internment camps in that province.

Personal life Sunohara was born in Scarborough, Ontario. She is of Japanese and Ukrainian heritage.

Following her retirement from international hockey in 2008, Sunohara and her husband Tal welcomed twin boys in 2009. She coaches her sons' hockey team. In 2010, Sunohara was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Canadian Sport Centre Ontario (CSCO), a non-profit organization committed to assisting high-performance athletes and coaches achieve excellence in international competition.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1988-89 Northeastern University ECAC 25 51 27 78 — — — — — 1989-1990 Northeastern University ECAC 20 27 17 44 — — — — — 1990-91 University of Toronto CIAU — — — — — — — — — — 1992-93 Scarborough Firefighters COWHL 21 12 8 20 16 — — — — — 1993-94 Scarborough Firefighters COWHL — — — — — — — — — — 1994-95 Toronto Red Wings COWHL — — — — — — — — — — 1995-96 Toronto Red Wings COWHL 25 28 16 44 30 — — — — — 1996-97 Newtonbrook Panthers COWHL 29 42 28 70 12 — — — — — 1998-99 Brampton Thunder NWHL 24 22 18 40 18 — — — — — 1999-00 Brampton Thunder NWHL 31 18 34 52 18 — — — — — 2000-01 Brampton Thunder NWHL 30 19 31 50 30 4 2 3 5 6 2001-02 Brampton Thunder NWHL 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 6 7 0 2002-03 Brampton Thunder NWHL 30 20 27 47 24 — — — — — 2003-04 Brampton Thunder NWHL 34 19 28 47 18 5 3 3 6 2 2004-05 Brampton Thunder NWHL 31 28 28 56 33 — — — — — 2005-06 Brampton Thunder NWHL 2 0 3 3 0 5 5 2 7 2 2006-07 Brampton Thunder NWHL — — — — — — — — — — 2007-08 Brampton Thunder NWHL 28 13 25 38 22 — — — — — 2008-09 Brampton Thunder NWHL 21 5 14 19 22 — — — — —

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 1990 Canada WC 5 6 3 9 2 1997 Canada WC 5 4 1 5 2 1998 Canada OG 6 1 3 4 0 1999 Canada WC 5 2 3 5 2 2000 Canada WC 5 1 2 3 4 2001 Canada WC 5 2 5 7 2 2002 Canada OG 5 4 2 6 6 2004 Canada WC 5 2 0 2 0 2005 Canada WC 5 2 3 5 6 2006 Canada OG 5 1 2 3 2 2007 Canada WC 5 0 5 5 2