The Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee dusted themselves off and joined the 21st century on Tuesday afternoon when they selected both potential choices to be the pioneers of the women’s game to become members of the famed building. Toronto’s Angela James and Downers Grove, Illinois native Cammi Granato will become the first females to be inducted in a decision that many believe is years late. However, late is better than never, as they say.

James’ career began as a child where her talents and superiority over other players was displayed at a young age, provided teams allowed her to play. She joined Hockey Canada in 1987 and lead her teams to a number of World Championships. She herself has four gold medals and has been selected MVP at eight international tournaments. She is among the first females to be inducted into the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame, and is also a member of the Canadian Sports, OCAA, Ontario Ball Hockey Association, and the Black Hockey and Sports Halls of Fame. While never a member of the Canadian Women’s Olympic Team, she still stands among the most decorated female hockey players of all-time.

On the other side of the ice from James during much of her career was Granato, who could never seem to best James’ Canadian squad when it mattered most; but that’s not to take anything away from the tremendously-accomplished forward. As with the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame, Granato is also the first female to be induced into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. In her career, she has a gold and silver Olympic medal, one gold and eight silvers in the World Championships, as well as a number of other international medals. She was an inaugural member of Team USA and a captain at one point and was also the USA Women’s Player of the Year in 1996.

Joining the women will be the oft-snubbed Dino Ciccarelli, the only former NHLer to make the cut, and Red Wings exec Jimmy Devellano, and Daryl Seaman, founding owner of the Flames, both into the builder category. While the story of the day must be the women, some are focusing more on those who were not selected, such as Joe Nieuwendyk, Doug Gilmour, and Pavel Bure, and that really is too bad. Some of those overlooked this time around will have to wait one more year, maybe two. Women have had to wait forever, and it’s high time we fairly acknowledge women for what they have done, and certainly for what they can still do.