Olympic hockey medalist and WSF Trustee Angela Ruggiero to retire
Angela Ruggiero, a four-time Olympian who has played more games in a Team USA jersey than any other hockey player in history, announced her retirement from the sport last Wednesday.
Ruggiero is considered one of the best defenders in hockey history. She played in 256 games for the United States, finishing her international career with 67 goals and 141 assists. She led Team USA to an Olympic gold medal in 1998, silver medals in 2002 and 2010 and a bronze medal in 2006. She played in 10 world championships, winning four gold and six silver medals.
“I feel honored and privileged to have represented the U.S.A. program over the past 16 years,” Ruggiero said in a statement distributed last week by USA Hockey.
She is a member of the WSF Board of Trustees, the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee. Ruggiero said that she will continue in those roles.
"USA Hockey will always be a part of me, and I will cherish the experiences and memories with this team. Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way,” Ruggiero said. “I am now looking forward to my next career, as well as continuing my work representing the athletes of the world through my roles on the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee."
A Harvard graduate, she won the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given to the top player in NCAA Division I women's hockey, in 2004. In 2005, Ruggiero made history when she and her brother, Bill, played for the Central Hockey League's Tulsa Oilers, becoming the first brother-sister combo to compete in a professional hockey game in North America.