CALGARY - Jayna Hefford left the Canadian women's hockey team the way she arrived -- winning gold in overtime against the United States.
After 17 years, four Olympic gold medals and multiple world championships, the 38-year-old forward from Kingston, Ont., was among three players announcing their retirements from Canadian women's team hockey Thursday.
Hefford, forward Gillian Apps of Unionville, Ont., and Montreal defenceman Catherine Ward wore the Maple Leaf for the last time in Canada's 3-2 overtime win over the U.S. in the final of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
The three women did not play for Canada last season as they stepped away from hockey and pondered their futures. Apps, 31, won three Olympic gold medals during her career and the 28-year-old Ward earned two.
Hefford leaves the game with a body of work few women can match. She ranks second behind Canadian teammate Hayley Wickenheiser in all-time games played (267), goals (157) and points (291) for Canada.
Hefford appeared in 12 of 16 women's world hockey championships and took home gold in seven of them.
