Hockey has conventionally been regarded as a masculine sport dominated by male athletes. However, over the past few decades, women have made remarkable advancements in increasing visibility and access in hockey. Greater numbers of female players are breaking into professional and Olympic leagues, girls’ youth participation is rapidly rising, and women are taking on more coaching and executive positions. Despite ongoing obstacles of sexism and inequitable funding/resources compared to men’s programs, women continue shattering barriers in hockey through skill, determination and tireless effort.

The Surge of Women in Professional Hockey Leagues

Women have played professionally in hockey leagues since the 1990s, but their presence and prominence have expanded substantially in the past 10-15 years. The National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL), founded in 2015, was the first North American women’s hockey league to pay players – marking a major milestone. The Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL), founded in 2007, operated for 12 seasons before disbanding in 2019 due to financial issues. In 2021, the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) was formed, offering higher salaries to attract top talent. While these leagues have struggled with profitability and logistics, they have provided elite platforms for female players to showcase their extraordinary command of the game against top-tier competition and gain valuable media exposure and fans. Standout superstars such as Hilary Knight, Marie-Philip Poulin, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Amanda Kessel and Brianna Decker have emerged through these leagues and become household names in the sport. 

Beyond the highest echelons of pro hockey, women’s minor and junior leagues have also proliferated across North America. Notable ones include the Western Women’s Hockey League (WWHL), the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL), and the Junior Women’s Hockey League (JWHL) for players under age 20. These develop talent pipelines feeding into college and pro ranks. The growth of women’s leagues at all skill levels demonstrates that female hockey participation is flourishing and here to stay. While not yet achieving pay equity with men’s leagues, women’s hockey has made undeniable progress professionalizing the sport.

Year	Milestone
1990	Central Ontario Women’s Hockey League forms – first women’s pro hockey league in Canada
1993	Manon Rheaume becomes first woman to play in an NHL exhibition game
1999	Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) founded, paying small stipends to players
2007	Western Women’s Hockey League founded in United States
2010	CWHL begins paying players stipends and travel costs
2015	National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) debuts as first North American league to offer women salaries
2016	NWHL cuts salaries 50% due to financial constraints
2017	Team USA threatens boycott over pay equity disputes
2019	CWHL shuts down citing economic issues
2021	Premier Hockey Federation launches, offering improved salaries vs NWHL
2022	Over 200 players announce they will not play in NWHL/PHF citing need for sustainable league

Girls Youth Hockey Participation Skyrockets

Women’s hockey is also exploding at the youth level, indicating a promising future. In the United States, girls’ youth hockey registration exploded from just 6,336 players in 1990-91 to over 83,000 participants in 2018-19 – a meteoric rise exceeding 1200%. Canada has seen similar dramatic growth, with girls signing up for Hockey Canada programs swelling over 850% since 1995. Girls are bucking outdated gender norms by flocking to hockey in droves. 

The proliferation of college varsity programs and scholarships has further motivated girls to take up hockey from a young age to hone skills and get recruited. High profile pioneers like Cammi Granato, Angela Ruggiero, and Hayley Wickenheiser have also inspired generations of girls to try hockey through their historic achievements. The massive upsurge in female youth registration suggests women’s hockey will only advance further in competitiveness, speed and skill in the coming years as these young athletes mature. 

Women Assuming More Leadership Roles as Coaches and Executives

Coaching and executive management in hockey have also traditionally been male-centric positions. But women have gradually increased in numbers and stature in leadership roles over the past decade. In 2016, Dawn Braid became the first full-time female coach in the NHL when hired by the Arizona Coyotes. In 2020, the Toronto Maple Leafs made waves by recruiting Olympic gold medalist Hayley Wickenheiser as Assistant Director of Player Development. The PHF currently mandates each team have a female head coach, creating opportunities. 

While female coaches remain a minority, their presence is undoubtedly growing at all levels from youth to professional leagues. These pioneering women exhibit deep knowledge of the game while shattering outdated assumptions about capabilities of female coaches. More female players are transitioning into coaching roles, bringing relevant experiences to develop young talent. On the management side, women like Emilie Castonguay and Élizabeth Mantha are becoming player agents shaping rosters. Women providing diverse perspectives strengthen the sport.

So, despite hockey’s male-dominated reputation historically, women have clearly left an indelible impact on the sport and continue to gain influence. From breaking into professional leagues to spearheading massive youth participation increases to landing pivotal coaching and management jobs, female players are realizing their full potential and driving hockey’s feminization. Systemic inequities persist, but women have demonstrated their merit as tough competitors with elite skills, passion and knowledge for the game. The meteoric rise of women in hockey demolishes lingering sexist myths and proves that hockey is increasingly a sport for everyone. The future is bright for women’s hockey as these trailblazers inspire young girls and change mindsets.