Despite the growing visibility and success of women in hockey, the NHL remains overwhelmingly male-dominated at the coaching and leadership levels. The success of the PWHL has shown that women know hockey and can be successful at playing and coaching it. Yet, women are nearly absent from coaching staffs, scouting departments, and operations roles in the NHL.
While leagues like the NBA and MLB have begun welcoming females to positions behind the bench, the NHL stays far behind.
On July 3, 2024, the Seattle Kraken announced that Jessica Campbell was named an assistant coach, making her the first woman to be named assistant, associate, or head coach in NHL history. Immediately upon the team posting on Instagram, hate comments began to flood in.
“DEI hire,” commented user @hl_slt.
Another user, @neildrysdale77, commented, “She is looking for dates.”
“Nice. Some eye candy for the boys,” @mattmedeiros78 commented.
Other users took to defending Campbell, saying that all those asking why she’s qualified for this job wouldn’t have asked that if the team had hired a man.
These negative comments not only reflect ignorance but also contribute to a toxic environment that deters qualified women from pursuing or remaining in these leadership roles.
An analysis of team staff directories reveals a striking gender gap, raising questions about who gets access to the game’s most powerful positions and why women are still stuck behind the glass.
Across all 32 teams, I examined who held the position of President/Governor, CEO, General Manager, Assistant/Associate General Manager, Executive/Senior Vice President, Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Goaltending Coach, Video Coach/Coordinator, and Director of Player Development.
There were a total of 457 employees listed on the sites across these positions. 431 of those positions were held by men, and 26 were held by women. That means that men hold 94% of the executive and hockey operations positions in the NHL.
KATELYN AUTY / SNAPPER
Among these positions, women most often are Executive/Senior Vice President or Assistant/Associate General Manager, with seven females holding each position.
Outside of these “support” positions, the next highest concentration of women is in the President/Governor position. For three of the four teams, the team is owned by a family, and the man is listed first on the website.
Representation in leadership roles matters not just symbolically, but it’s important for creating pathways for future generations of players, coaches, and executives to see themselves reflected. When leadership is diverse, the decision-making becomes more well-rounded, which ultimately makes the sport better positioned across all communities.
The numbers are clear, and so is the message: women in hockey are being kept on the sidelines. The NHL has an opportunity to lead by example and create a more inclusive future with meaningful hires, visible support, and the courage to challenge the old “boys’ club” ideals. The NHL must commit to real change, not just token hires, but building sustainable paths to leadership for women all across the sport. Hiring Jessica Campbell is just the beginning.
“Though I am honored to be the first, I don’t want to be the only,” Campbell shared. “There’s a long list of incredible women that are doing phenomenal jobs, here in management, scouting, player development. I’m just excited to do my part now behind the bench.”
