When one thinks of ice hockey, it's hard to think of a more stereotypically masculine sport. A sport where the hits are as hard as football, and fighting is actively encouraged by both coaches and fans. In fact, fighting is an integral part of the culture of ice hockey, so much so that there are players literally referred to as enforcers because their main job is to hit hard, protect the goal scorers on the team, and fight when told to do so by their coach.
A perfect example of enforcer culture is the movie Goon, where the main character is portrayed as an enforcer with a heart of gold.
Those who are keen on the sport know that women have been playing at relatively high levels for quite some time, with many successful college teams and a popular 'frozen four' tournament capping off the season. The support of women in the sport has led to the development of the Professional Women's Hockey League. The league kicked off their first season last year and have seen impressive turnouts to their games across the continent.
According to an article in the Sports Reviewer, the road to developing professional women's hockey came with a slate of challenges.
"Women faced various obstacles, including limited resources, unequal pay, and a lack of visibility compared to their male counterparts," the article states. "However, these challenges only served to fuel the determination and resilience of female hockey players who were committed to breaking down these barriers."
Along with the increased interest in women playing professional hockey, women have also bridged one of the most inaccessible gaps: working in the National Hockey League. At a game last week between the Seattle Kraken and Washington Capitals, two female coaches squared off for the first time in the league's history. Jessica Campbell is the assistant coach for Seattle, while Emily Engle-Natzke is the video coach for the Capitals.
“It’s phenomenal,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery was quoted by the Washington Post as saying about the two coaches. “It’s so impressive what they’ve accomplished in their careers. Em being the first coach at this level in the NHL and then Jessica being the first on-bench coach. It’s great. Not only paving the way for future women to be able to assume those roles, but just what they’ve been able to do in this male-dominated industry to show their skill-set and how they can perform at the highest level in the world, it’s really impressive.”
Although issues such as pay gaps and gender underrepresentation continue to reinforce the masculine dominance of the sport, if the last two years serve to act as a barometer, women have a bright road ahead of them in a sport that has been run by men for well over a century.
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