Rhéaume played a period in goal for the Tampa Bay Lightning in a preseason NHL exhibition, the first woman to play in the NHL.
On September 23, 1992, Manon Rhéaume made international headlines by becoming the first woman to play in a National Hockey League game, appearing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in a preseason exhibition contest against the St. Louis Blues.
Rhéaume played one period in goal, facing NHL-caliber shooters in a legitimate, if preseason, professional hockey environment. Though the game did not count toward the regular-season standings, it was a fully sanctioned NHL contest, and her participation was historic and unprecedented—no woman before or since has played in an NHL game.
The achievement generated massive media attention worldwide, thrusting Rhéaume into the spotlight as a symbol of the possibilities for women in professional sports traditionally reserved for men. Some critics dismissed her appearance as a publicity stunt by the expansion Lightning franchise, but Rhéaume's subsequent career—including further professional appearances in the IHL and Roller Hockey International—demonstrated that she possessed genuine elite goaltending skill, not merely novelty value.
This moment remains one of the most cited breakthroughs in the history of women in professional sports, frequently referenced alongside other pioneering firsts across major North American leagues. It cemented Rhéaume's legacy as a trailblazer who fundamentally challenged assumptions about gender and athletic capability at the highest levels of professional hockey.