KIRKKONUMMI, Finland -- Hayley Wickenheiser knew it was just a matter of time before she would put the puck in the net.
The Canadian women's hockey star scored her first goal for Kirkkonummi Salamat in a 5-4 loss to Titaanit on Saturday making her the first woman to record a goal in a men's pro league.
Wickenheiser, who has been with the second division men's team in the Finnish Elite League since mid-January, scored in the first period to tie the game 1-1. She also added an assist to bring her point total to a goal and two assists in six games with the team. She was named star of the game.
“I would say it's a relief to get it over with but I would say the last few games I've been getting some chances,” she said. “It would have been better if we won.”
It had been thought Wickenheiser, who helped Canada's women's team to a gold medal at the 2002 Olympics, was making hockey history by becoming the first female position player -- three others have played goalie -- to play with a professional men's team, but a German woman apparently beat her to it in 1998-99. Maren Valenti didn't register a point in 24 games for Freiburg of Germany's second division.
