The game-changers
Progress has been slow to arrive in some areas, but these women aren’t waiting around …
Jayna Hefford is running the CWHL. Sami Jo Small is a general manager. Meet more of the women who are making a difference in a wide range of roles in hockey today.
Women are making inroads in the consciousness of the hockey world — some blazing that trail behind the scenes, others in the forefront. Some work in the NHL, others in broadcasting, with national associations, at the university and grassroots levels and in women’s professional leagues. Here’s a quick look, in alphabetical order, at several of the most influential women in the sport.
TERA BLACK: The chief operating officer of the Charlotte Checkers is the only woman to be voted AHL executive of the year (2015-16). She runs the day-to-day business, including the club’s transition from the ECHL in 2010 and move to a new arena, Bojangles’ Coliseum.
HEIDI BROWNING: The NHL’s chief marketing officer and executive vice-president leads the league’s growth marketing strategy with a focus on digital, innovation and social media. JENNIFER BULLANO
RIDGLEY: The senior director of communications for the Pittsburgh Penguins is one of the highest ranking females in NHL media relations. She tells Sidney Crosby et al how to spend their time in public, balancing the needs of the team with those of the media in what is often a thankless task compared to herding cats. CASSIE CAMPBELL-PASCALL: After winning a pair of Olympic gold medals as Team Canada’s captain, the 44-year-old moved into TV work and now provides colour commentary on Hockey Night In Canada. National team standouts Tessa Bonhomme and Jennifer Botterill have also crossed over into broadcasting. MEGHAN CHAYKA: Co-founder of Stathletes, a hockey analytics company that sells data on player performance to teams, broadcasters and trainers. She also teaches sports statistics at the University of Toronto. MELODY DAVIDSON: The former Team Canada coach had a hand in three Olympic champion teams and recently handed off the role of national team general manager to Gina Kingsbury.
MEGHAN DUGGAN: The Team USA captain, 30, spearheaded a threatened boycott of the 2017 women’s world championship over equal pay and other support, and it worked. They negotiated a better deal to advance women’s and girls’ hockey at youth levels, while also giving female players travel and insurance provisions equal to what the men’s national team gets. Each player also got a $2,000 monthly training stipend yearround from the United States Olympic Committee, and larger performance bonuses for winning medals. CHARLOTTE GRAHAME: The vice-president of hockey administration for the Colorado Avalanche is listed under the assistant general managers in the team’s directory, ahead of the club president. Her name is on the Stanley Cup — the Avs have won two in her 23-year tenure
— as is that of her son, goalie John Grahame. Joanne Holewa has filled a similar role with the New York Islanders since the late 1970s.
CAMMI GRANATO: The Hockey Hall of Fame inductee — Granato and Angela James were the first women selected in 2010 — helped the U.S. win the first Olympic gold in women’s hockey in 1998, a victory that today’s players point to as an inspiration. Now 47, she runs the Golden Dreams for Children Foundation and a hockey camp for girls.
HELENE ELLIOTT: The awardwinning columnist for the Los Angeles Times, where she began in 1989, was the first female winner of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Elmer Ferguson Award for her coverage of the game.
DANIELLE GOYETTE: The Hockey Hall of Famer, two-time Olympic gold medallist and Canadian flag-bearer at the 2006 Games turned to coaching after her playing days. Now 52, she runs the successful
University of Calgary Dinos program while training some Calgary-based NHLers in the off-season and mentoring them in-season.
JAYNA HEFFORD: Set to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November, the 41-yearold Hefford won four Olympic gold medals with Team Canada and is second only to Hayley Wickenheiser in national team scoring with 157 goals and 134 assists. The Canadian Women’s Hockey League MVP trophy is named after Hefford, who recently became interim commissioner of the CWHL — taking over from Brenda Andress, who ran the league for almost 12 years — and has said she hopes to fill the job permanently.
MARIAN ILITCH: The 85-yearold owner and secretary-treasurer of the Detroit Red Wings co-founded Little Caesars pizza with late husband Mike. and was instrumental in turning the NHL club’s fortunes around in the 1990s. The world’s richest self-made woman, according to Forbes magazine, also co- founded the Little Caesars Amateur Hockey Program.
LAURIE KEPRON: The NHL’s group vice-president of partnership marketing since 1996 is responsible for developing the league’s North American marketing strategy, along with expanding the global fan base.
GINA KINGSBURY: The 36year-old two-time Olympic gold medallist retired from national team duty in 2010. This past week, after an apprenticeship at the under-18 and under-22 levels, she took over as head of the Canadian women’s program where her duties will include the hiring of coaches for the Olympics and world championship, and deciding which players are selected for tryout camps.
ANGELA JAMES: The first superstar of women’s hockey — elected to the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2008 and Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010 — helped break down race and gender barriers and, at 53, remains active as a coach at the grassroots level. ALEXANDRA MANDRYCKY: The Minnesota Wild analytics expert might be the only female on the inside of hockey operations with an NHL team. Her role includes data collection and interpretation, including management, coaches and scouts.
MARY McCARTHY: The NHL’s executive vice-president of finance manages day-to-day business for a league that generates $4.54 billion U.S. in revenue.
SHANNON MILLER: The Team Canada pioneer helped form the first girls’ hockey association in 1989 and went on to become one of the most successful coaches in NCAA history. More important, perhaps: In March, she won a lawsuit against her former employer, the University of MinnesotaDuluth, over sex discrimination and equal pay.
KIM PEGULA: The Buffalo Sabres co-owner, at 49, is just getting started in her role as club president, but she was the only female team member on stage for the June draft and one of three listed among the 125 NHL governors for the 2017-18 season, along with Anaheim Ducks co-owner Susan Samueli and Montreal Canadiens executive vice-president FranceMargaret Bélanger.
MARIE-PHILIP POULIN: Perhaps no one has scored more big goals in Canadian hockey. She’s the best female player in the country today and, at 27, an important role model.
FRAN RIDER: The 67-year-old founder of the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association was elected to the IIHF Hall of Fame and named to the Order of Canada in 2015. JACQUIE RYAN/LISA FERKUL: Ryan is vice-president of sponsorship marketing and philanthropy at Scotiabank, while Ferkul is Scotiabank’s director of hockey sponsorship. They were at the forefront on multimilliondollar deals involving arena naming rights, grassroots development and NHL sponsorship.
DANI RYLAN: The 30-year-old founder and commissioner of the American-based National Women’s Hockey League played collegiate hockey at Northwestern. With pressure increasing toward a merger with the CWHL, Rylan is said to be not particularly fond of the way the other league does business.
CHRISTINE SIMPSON: The Sportsnet/Hockey Night In Canada reporter, 53, has been perhaps the most visible female covering strictly hockey in the last decade. She has also worked rinkside for ESPN, ABC and NBCSN.
SAMI JO SMALL: The 42-yearold goalie won Olympic gold with Canada and co-founded the CWHL in 2007. Recently, the Right To Play ambassador was named general manager of the Toronto Furies. BARB UNDERHILL/DAWN
BRAID: The former Olympic figure skaters have saved and kick-started NHL careers with sound skating advice. Underhill is a consultant with the Leafs, while Braid — the first woman named to an NHL coaching staff — works with the Coyotes.