It is a great divide that we are still trying to cross in our everyday world, let alone sports. The gender gap is a real social dilemma and whether it is about opportunities or the differences in how much men and women are paid, the fact is, in many ways our society is still a male-dominated world. Leagues like the WNBA and the NWSL are breaking down barriers for female athletes around the world, and hockey isn’t too far behind. Recently the PWHPA (Professional Women’s Hockey Player’s Association) continued its Dream Gap Tour for a second season, as the organization pushes for a North American professional women’s league. The PWHPA played its first official women’s hockey game at Madison Square Garden, a historic event for women’s hockey everywhere.
We all remember the legends of the game that paved the way for young female hockey players around the world. Manon Rheaume stood tall as the first woman to ever play a professional sport in North America. Hayley Wickenheiser and Cammi Granato led the first generation of women’s hockey stars and are rightfully considered to be two of the best to ever suit up. But there are often women behind the scenes, working for NHL front offices and helping the league function on a day to day basis. Recently the NBA and NFL have both embraced hiring female coaches and executives, something that was unheard of until the last few years. Let’s take a look at some of the most powerful women in the NHL and how they are changing the game for the better.
Dawn Braid
Braid was the first woman to ever be hired into a full-time coaching position when she became the skating coach for the Arizona Coyotes in 2016. She has also worked with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, Anaheim Ducks, and the Calgary Flames in various capacities. Braid worked with the Coyotes for two years before leaving the organization to return to consultant work.
Kim Davis
Davis was hired in December of 2017 as the new Executive Vice President of Social Impact, Growth Initiatives, and Legislative Affairs for the NHL. She works tirelessly with grassroots hockey across North America to ensure that a strong and diverse culture is enforced from a young age. As the NHL becomes more diverse both in terms of gender and culture, Davis is the one leading the charge, creating a league where all individuals are welcomed and celebrated.
Heidi Browning
Browning is the current Chief Marketing Officer for the NHL and has the task of drawing interest to hockey at a time where the internet and social media rule. She has started numerous programs including NHL Power Players, which empowers teenagers to help provide feedback and suggestions on how the NHL can better relate to the youth of today. Browning also helps the NHL players market themselves, whether it is building their own brand online or helping them find a platform to help the community.
Cassie Campbell-Pascal
Another legend as a former player, Campbell-Pascal is now trailblazing in the announce booth too as one of the new hosts of Hockey Night in Canada. She has become a mainstay on broadcasts and has provided poignant insights and demonstrated a vast knowledge for the game. She has paved the way for more women broadcasters around the league, and joins a growing contingency of female broadcasters in nearly every professional sport.
Susan Cohig
Cohig is the Executive Vice President of Club Business Affairs, which is a fancy way of saying she ensures NHL teams have their ducks in a row. Cohig is instrumental in things such as the recent expansion team in Las Vegas as well as the upcoming debut of the Seattle Kraken. She has also played a large role in getting female players involved in the NHL all star festivities as well as the extremely popular women’s hockey rivalry series between Canada and the U.S.A.
Cammi Granato
We already mentioned Granato once earlier, but she definitely deserves her own spot as she was recently named the first ever NHL pro scout by the Seattle Kraken. She was hired by another powerful woman, the Director of Hockey Operations in Seattle, Alexandra Mandrycky. There have been female amateur scouts in the past, but Granato is raising the bar, showing that when it comes to identifying talent on the ice, women are just as impactful.
Hayley Wickenheiser
Often called the Wayne Gretzky of women’s hockey, Wickenheiser is now the Assistant Director of Player Development for the Toronto Maple Leafs. She is actively in charge of monitoring the progress and performance of Toronto’s farm system and prospects. Wickenheiser continues to work hard in growing the popularity of women’s hockey with initiatives like her WickFest girl’s hockey tournament.
Katie Million
Million is the USA Hockey Director of Women’s National Team Programs, so she is directly responsible for the recent success of the U.S. Women’s hockey program. She took over the position in 2019, after the U.S. Women’s team won Olympic Gold, and one of her main goals is to repeat in 2022. She is now one of the most powerful figures in the U.S. women’s hockey program, and is tasked with continuing the mounting success that the country has come to enjoy.
Lindsay Artkin
Did you know there is an NHL Coach’s Association? Well Lindsay Artkin is the president of it and is ensuring that the path is cleared for women who want to get involved in coaching at the professional level. Do not be surprised if we see some bigger names in the world of women’s hockey behind the benches of NHL teams at some point in the near future, especially as the role of coach in the NHL continues to evolve!
