Jayna Hefford has been on the receiving end of many tributes during her storied hockey career. But, perhaps, PWHL New York defenseman Jaime Bourbonnais hit on the most fitting, when discussing what Hefford has meant to the women’s game.

“Jayna is a real-life Superhero, honestly,” Bourbonnais told Clutch Points. “I don’t even have the words to describe how incredible a human being she is.”

Hefford’s Hall of Fame playing career, which includes four Olympic gold medals and one silver with Canada, would be enough to draw such praise. But it’s what Hefford has done in her post-playing career that stands out most to Bourbonnais.

Galvanizing the best women’s players in the world to form their own union and then being a driving force to help create the Professional Women’s Hockey League, which is set to begin its inaugural season Jan. 1, lifts Hefford into exalted status.

“She genuinely wants what’s best for us and for us to experience a professional league that we deserve,” Bourbonnais explained. “We’re so lucky to have her on our side.”

PWHL players find it ‘comforting’ that Jayna Hefford works for new women’s hockey league

Bourbonnais, the No. 9 pick in the first-ever PWHL draft in September, added that having Hefford working for the league as its senior vice president of hockey operations is a security blanket of sorts for the players.

“Comforting is a great word to use,” Bourbonnais said. “She’s going to fight for what she knows we deserve and won’t settle for anything less than that.”

From 1996-2013, Hefford scored a whopping 439 goals in 418 games in three different professional leagues. However, she’ll be the first to say those leagues were “professional” in name only with the lack of proper pay, insurance, equipment and facilities.

When the Canadian Women’s Hockey League shut down on May 1, 2019, Hefford helped create the PWHPA and convinced top players not to join the fledgling Premier Hockey Federation and instead unite to strive for a viable professional league.

It took four years but the PWHL was born this past summer, with sports luminaries Billie Jean King and Stan Kasten among its board members.

“We all grew up idolizing [Hefford] on the ice and now as players we strive to play under her leadership,” said Jill Saulnier, a New York forward and Canadian gold and silver Olympic medalist. “She’s such an incredible leader and it’s an honor to be affiliated in the same league with her.

“The biggest thing is the trust factor. Canada trusted her when she wore the jersey. Her teammates always trusted her. And us as players now trust her in her role with this league.”

And players need not be from Hefford’s home country in Canada to appreciate what she’s done for the sport.

American star Alex Carpenter, who played against Hefford in the 2014 Sochi Olympics when Canada defeated the United States in the gold medal game, is in lockstep with the other players when it comes to Hefford’s impact.

“She’s done a tremendous job, and not all of what she does is publicized,” Carpenter told Clutch Points. “We owe a lot to her for putting so much work into this and finally making it a reality.”