The National Hockey League has long had a diversity problem. Approximately ninety-seven percent of players are white per Wikipedia and management and coaching positions for People of Color and women are even rarer.
But Tuesday, days after the Capitals hired Emily Engel-Natzke to become the first full-time female coach of an NHL team, several historic hirings were announced across the sport that shattered glass ceilings.
San Jose Sharks hire Mike Grier as new GM
A post shared by San Jose Sharks (@sanjosesharks)
Former Capitals forward Mike Grier became the first Black general manager in the NHL’s 105-year history after the Sharks hired him for the job. After spending 14 seasons in the NHL as a player, Grier moved on to several off-the-ice positions, serving as a scout, coach, and later an executive. Per the Sharks, Grier was most recently the New York Rangers’ hockey operations advisor where he assisted in hockey-related decisions with GM Chris Drury and handled off-ice player development.
Grier also served as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils (2018-20), a scout for the Chicago Blackhawks (2014-2018), and an assistant coach at St. Sebastian’s Prep School in Needham, Mass (2013-2017). Team USA also asked Grier serve on its selection committee for the 2022 World Championships.
“While we were intrigued and appreciative of many candidates, especially those that ended up being the finalists, Mike separated himself from the pack by his continued commitment to culture,” Sharks president Jonathan Becher said. “Culture, not just on the ice, but off the ice as well. Mike is a true testament to one of our organization’s principles, and that is say what you mean, and then do what you say.”
Grier is not the first member of the family to serve as a GM. His brother, Chris, is the general manager of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.
Statement from Chris Grier on his brother Mike being named General Manager of the @SanJoseSharks. pic.twitter.com/vv59hH7OFN
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) July 5, 2022
Grier’s hiring was first reported by the NHL’s most preeminent Black reporter, Kevin Weekes.
**Breaking News** 🚨 📰 I’m told Mike Grier will be named the new GM of the @SanJoseSharks tomorrow. He becomes the first Black Person in over 100 years of @NHL Hockey to make history in doing so.@espn #HockeyTwitter pic.twitter.com/wbGcLlU7qX
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) July 5, 2022
“This is monumental,” Weekes said to TSN explaining the hiring’s significance. “This is literally like someone landing on the moon in our sport. This is amazing for a whole host of reasons. Number one, it really shows that the growth of our game isn’t limited to certain corners of our game. So we’re continuing to expand that which is paramount to the success of the sport. Number two, it says that people who look like you and me, and some of the different viewing audiences out there, are certainly qualified for these jobs. For the longest time, these jobs have been very exclusive to older white males and it’s nice to see that that ceiling has been shattered. This represents even more hope and possibility for young girls and boys and family members that are out there who aspire to do great things in this game and not only on the ice necessarily by playing.”
There is no better source to confirm the news than himself.
Please say hello and hear from our new #SJSharks General Manager, Mike Grier. 👋 pic.twitter.com/kIrBGAU14i
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) July 5, 2022
Toronto Maple Leafs promote Hayley Wickenheiser to assistant GM position
General Manager Kyle Dubas announced today that the hockey club has promoted Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser, Ryan Hardy & Darryl Metcalf to the roles of Assistant General Manager & hired Curtis Sanford as Goaltending Coach.
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 5, 2022
IIHF and Hockey Hall of Famer, Dr. Haley Wickenheiser, got a big promotion on Tuesday after spending four seasons in various player development roles. The Leafs promoted Haley Wickenheiser (five Olympic medals) to Assistant General Manager (Player Development). Wickenheiser will be the lead figure in charge of developing all Leafs players and prospects. Danielle Goyette, a fellow former hockey player and IIHF Hall of Famer, also serves in the serves Leafs’ Player Development program.
While there’s never been a female GM in the NHL, that could soon change. Wickenheiser will likely be on many teams’ radars in the future. Three other women have been named to assistant GM roles this summer as well: Meghan Hunter (Chicago), Cammi Granato (Vancouver), and Emilie Castonguay (Vancouver).
Jessica Campbell hired by Coachella Valley Firebirds as assistant coach
Please welcome to the team, Jessica Campbell, our new assistant coach! Learn more about Jessica here –> https://t.co/15ikUSd1Co@boof_campbell #AssistantCoach #BuildingATeam #WomenInHockey #IgniteTheSeason #BuildingAnOasis #OneValley #Firebirds #CoachellaValley #AHL #Hockey pic.twitter.com/fGjBigYix4
— Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) July 5, 2022
Campbell became the first female assistant coach in American Hockey League history on Tuesday after being hired to Dan Bylsma’s staff. The Coachella Valley Firebirds are the new AHL affiliate of the Seattle Kraken and will be the league’s 32nd franchise.
Campbell was a talented player in her younger days. She represented Canada at two U-18 World Junior Championships, scoring the golden goal and being named tournament MVP in 2010, and played collegiate hockey for Cornell, serving as the team’s captain her senior year. Campbell also played professionally for the CWHL Calgary Inferno from from 2014 to 2017.
Then she got into coaching. Per a Kraken press release:
Campbell has worked as a private skating and skills instructor with players of all levels, including a multitude of NHL players and prospects. Luke Schenn, who won two Stanley Cups with Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021, is a big proponent who asked Campbell to run practices with him and other NHLers based in the Kelowna, BC, area preparing to return to play in the bubble during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Other NHL players included Tyson Jost, Shea Weber, Joel Edmundson and Mat Barzal among others.
This past year, Campbell made the transition to coaching, first with the Windy City Storm Girl’s Hockey Program in Chicago, then with the Nurnberg Ice Tigers in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), where she served as an assistant coach and skills coach.
“I always had a belief as a young girl, playing boys’ hockey until I was 17, that I was equal and capable too. I’ve never focused on my gender,” Campbell said to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. “Growing up, I never dreamed of coaching, because I didn’t see it and therefore didn’t know what that path looked like. But for young athletes now, it’s so important to have that visibility for them to understand they can literally be anything they want. Some of the guys I will be coaching, their daughters can now watch them have a female coach. And that opens up the conversation, which can inspire young girls for something they might not have seen as possible.”
Change in hockey has come slow and for many fans, despite the NHL’s declaration that Hockey Is For Everyone, the phrase can ring hollow. But Tuesday was truly a remarkable day for the sport.
Congratulations to Mike Grier on becoming the first black GM in the NHL’s 100 + year history. What a momentous day this is for our community. This will inspire future generations to believe anything is possible and they too can reach the highest of highs.
— Akim Aliu (@Dreamer_Aliu78) July 5, 2022
7/6 update: The New Jersey Devils hired Kate Madigan on Wednsday as an assistant GM, making her the fifth woman elevated to that position this year.
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