Ian Kennedy discusses women coaching at NHL development camps, the Hockey Diversity Alliance's statement on the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition, Black Girl Hockey Club's first-ever Canadian camp and details on a new women's hockey league.

Growing the Game is Ian Kennedy’s weekly feature examining the global game, how social issues impact the sport, and how hockey’s important cultural shift continues to evolve.

Women Playing an Important Role at NHL Development Camps

Through the NHL Coaches Association Female Coaches Development Program, a growing number of women are working at NHL development camps each year.

This season, that number is at 10, with Kori Cheverie (Pittsburgh Penguins), Sydney Baldwin (Buffalo Sabres), Kelsey Cline (Colorado Avalanche), Allie LaCombe (Vancouver Canucks), Cara Morey (Philadelphia Flyers), Nadine Muzerall (Columbus Blue Jackets), Katelyn Parker (Seattle Kraken), Michelle Picard (Buffalo Sabres), Chelsea Walkland (Buffalo Sabres), and Kim Weiss (Colorado Avalanche) are all coaching at NHL development camps this week.

Cheverie was also recently named a guest coach for the Penguins this coming season. She is a groundbreaking coach who was the first woman to serve as a full-time assistant coach in men’s U Sports hockey and then the first woman to coach in the Canadian men’s national program with Canada’s U-18 World Championship team.

The Avalanche also announced Weiss and Cline will also be guest coaches during parts of training camp and periodically during the 2023-24 NHL season. Weiss is the first-ever woman to coach a North American junior hockey team, while Cline is entering her first season as an assistant coach for Ohio State's women's hockey team after being named director of operations in 2021.

Others on the list, including coaches like Baldwin and Picard, are past or present professional women’s hockey players.

Dodgers President Discusses What’s Next for Pro Women’s Hockey

More details continue to emerge about the newly announced professional women’s hockey league. While a name for the league and locations for franchises have yet to be determined, the league has big plans and is looking to make industry connections.

One of those partners could be the NHL. The NHL could again be in conversation for support of the professional women’s hockey league now that one league only exists, a stipulation long held by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman for support. 

The NHL has been in constant contact, according to Los Angeles Dodgers president and part owner Stan Kasten, who is among the leaders in guiding the PWHPA and acquiring the PHF to form this league.

"I can tell you (the NHL has) reached out to us every day since," said Stan Kasten. "Any help they could give us would save us steps and time, but also in the quality of what we put out there to the public and our fans."

Much criticism of the new professional women’s hockey league has surrounded a lack of opportunities for women as the number of professional teams in North America dropped from 11 to potentially six in the new league’s first season, but it won’t stay that way forever. According to Kasten, expansion will come.

"Once we really do have our own internal proof of concept, we certainly have plans to expand, and I mean eventually expand, not only domestically but eventually internationally; that's what our plan is going forward."

Hockey Diversity Alliance Reacts to NHL Player Inclusion Coalition

Last week, a new NHL Player Inclusion Coalition was formed. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the group's formation in Nashville as part of the NHL draft week festivities, along with new chairs for the group P.K. Subban and Anson Carter.

It was a move that drew criticism from the Hockey Diversity Alliance, a group of past and present NHL players who could not gain league support despite attempts. 

Reacting to the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition, Hockey Diversity Alliance released a statement on social media.

“The NHL is neither involved with the HDA nor does it support the organization,” the statement said. “When we approached the NHL three years ago for financial and strategic support with our initiatives, their rebuttal to us was, “We don’t have history” (notwithstanding that our group is comprised of current and former players of the league). In three short years, history has already proven who is doing the real work and who is on the right side of it.”

The statement continued to say, “History would indicate that the league’s commitment to the new inclusion program will be purely performative: brand-building and messaging and attaching the league’s logo to a cause but going no further.”

“The work of the HDA is at once difficult and rewarding, and the NHL’s expression of interest in promoting diversity is late in its arrival, suspect on its face and in no way helpful to our cause. We will continue to do this important work.”

Black Girl Hockey Club to Host First-Ever Canadian Camp

Black Girl Hockey Club Canada is set to host a free camp for young women of color ages 10 to 18 on July 22 and July 23. The camp is the first-ever hosted by the organization in Canada.

Leading the camp will be Black Girl Hockey Club Canada’s executive director and Isobel Cup champion Saroya Tinker, as well as the 2023 Patty Kazmaier winner and 2022 NCAA national champion Sophie Jacques.

The camp will offer will offer on-ice sessions, dryland training, a hair-care seminar and a variety of other guest speakers.