September 6, 2024

Five women breaking barriers in the NHL

Hockey Friday with The Ice Garden, Sept. 6, 2024

A view of the Vancouver Canucks logo on the jersey of goaltender Thatcher Demko (35). (Photo Credit: Jerome Miron | USA TODAY Sports)

With the recent announcement of Amanda Kessel as the Pittsburgh Penguins manager of minor league operations, it’s clear women are more prevalent than ever at the highest level of men’s hockey. Until recently, if women wanted a full-time job in hockey, men’s leagues were really the only option available to them. There has been an explosion of women in the NHL, many of whom played professionally and have ties to the PWHL. Now that the PWHL is up and running, we may see some make the move to women’s hockey. PWHL Minnesota recently announced the hiring of Melissa Caruso as its general manager, enticing her away from her position as the vice president of hockey operations and governance for the American Hockey League (AHL). Either way, these women are creating a path for countless others to join them at the highest levels of hockey.

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NHL power players

Kim Davis — NHL

Kim Davis is the senior executive vice president of social impact, growth initiatives and legislative affairs at the NHL and was the first Black woman to be hired in the C-suite at the NHL. Davis comes from a family of trailblazers and draws inspiration from her grandmother, who was the first Black woman to graduate from Harvard’s Ph.D. program in 1939.

In her role with the NHL, Davis works to promote women and other unrepresented communities in hockey. She employs a number of strategies, including making the NHL more culturally relevant and visible to different communities and creating inclusive environments for new fans to engage with the game.

In a guest column for Sportico, Davis stated, “The future business of men’s hockey will thrive when it invests in women, and women of color, at all levels. This will require all of us within the game today to be intentional about the culture and opportunities we create for women. Women supporting women, and men as allies and promoters.”

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Cammi Granato — Vancouver Canucks

Cammi Granato made headlines when she was hired by the Seattle Kraken in 2019 as the NHL’s first female scout. Granato was used to making headlines by then after a long and storied career as one of the best women’s hockey players of all time and the first woman to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, along with Angela James.

In 2021, the Vancouver Canucks approached the Kraken and asked permission to interview Grannato. The Canucks had recently hired Émilie Castonguay as the second-ever female assistant coach in the NHL. Still, they weren’t done yet and hired Grannato, making them the first NHL team with multiple female assistant GMs.

In an interview with the Seattle Times, Grannoto stated, “Now, more people will know women can fill those positions and you might see more hires in these positions. So, I think that’s a positive. Growing up, I never even thought that was a possibility. So, it’s pretty cool to know that I’m here and getting this opportunity.”

Jessica Campbell — Seattle Kraken

When the Seattle Kraken announced Jessica Campbell’s promotion to assistant coach in July, she became the first female full-time coach in the NHL.

Campbell has a long history of playing and coaching hockey, starting as a player with Cornell University. She went on to play for the Canadian Women’s Hockey League and Hockey Canada until she made the switch to coaching, starting as a power skating coach. Most recently, Campbell was an assistant coach for the Coachella Firebirds, Seattle’s AHL affiliate. Campbell was also the first female assistant coach in the AHL.

In an interview with the NHL, Campbell spoke on her historic achievement, stating, “Though I am honored to be the first, I don’t want to be the only, and I honestly don’t feel like I’m the only in this organization. That’s also a very special feeling to be part of the Seattle Kraken organization and the staff and to stand by all the other remarkable women in this this league that are maybe not behind the benches.”

Katerina Wu — Pittsburgh Penguins

When Katerina Wu was only 22 she was hired by the Pittsburgh Penguins as a senior data scientist and became the first woman to be hired by Pittsburgh to the scouting and evaluation side of hockey operations. Wu herself didn’t even believe such a job was possible for herself until she saw Namita Nandakumar, at the time a data analyst for the Philadelphia Eagles, on social media and realized women could hold those kinds of roles.

When she started, she worked on puck tracking software, which logged who was doing what on the ice at any particular time during a game. Now, Wu uses data from a variety of different sources to help the front office make informed decisions and build a successful team.

In an interview with ESPN, Wu talked about the importance of being your own advocate, saying “If you put your work out there and do your own research, there’s a lot that can happen … All it takes is doing a project and putting your work out there and attending conferences and speaking out. I am very lucky to be where I am, but that never would have been possible if I hadn’t done the first step of doing my own projects and putting myself out there.”

Amanda Kessel — Pittsburgh Penguins, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Finally, the woman herself, Amanda Kessel. Kessel has spent the last three years with the Penguins, starting in its executive management program and most recently serving as a special assistant to the Penguins’ general manager and president of hockey operations, Kyle Dubas. For the 2024-25 season, Kessel was promoted to manager of minor league operations and assistant general manager of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Kessel is a legend in women’s hockey, winning a gold medal and two silvers in the last three Olympics. Kessel has hit pause on playing hockey but is adamant she is not retired and was drafted by PWHL Montreal. The Penguins support her efforts and have stated they would support her decision to start playing again if that’s what she chooses. Either way, Kessel has had a huge impact on women in hockey and is on the path to becoming the first female general manager in the NHL, if that’s what she decides she wants.

In her new role, Kessel will work with the general manager of the Penguins’ AHL affiliate and oversee their ECHL affiliate, the Wheeling Nailers.