Emilie Castonguay established herself as one of hockey's most dynamic agents before transitioning to her current role as the Vancouver Canucks' first female Assistant General Manager. During her agency career, Castonguay built a reputation as a fierce negotiator and strategic advisor, representing elite talent like first overall pick Alexis Lafrenière, Antoine Roussel, Cedric Pacquette, and the Marie-Philip Poulin. Castonguay's success in the competitive agency landscape demonstrated her ability to thrive in hockey's demanding business environment, earning industry-wide respect for her client-centered methodology. Now with the Canucks, she brings this player-first perspective to organizational leadership, applying her extensive experience to player development and recruitment.

@hchickwick

Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser, former Canadian hockey star, is now an emergency medicine doctor and Assistant General Manager of Player Development for the Toronto Maple Leafs. She's a five-time Olympian in hockey, four-time Olympic gold medalist, and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, the IIHF Hall of Fame, and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. At the age of 15, Dr. Wickenheiser was named to Canada’s national team,until her retirement in 2017. Dr. Wickenheiser was inspired to go into the medical field after one of her friends was badly injured in their childhood. Dr. Wickeheiser also recently launched Wick Hockey, a hockey training platform with drills and insights from the Hall of Famer herself.

@nursey16

Sarah Nurse was the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey. She serves on the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA), plays an active role in the PWHL’s labor union, and leads initiatives to make hockey a more inclusive space and introduce the game to young girls. Nurse plays for Team Canada and one of the PWHL’s newest expansion teams, the Vancouver Goldeneyes. At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Nurse broke the points record for a single Olympic tournament with five goals and 13 assists. She scored 18 total points, surpassing the record previously set by Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser.  

@juliechu1321

Juile Chu was the first Asian-American woman to compete for the US in the Winter Olympics outside of figure skating. Chu played college hockey at Harvard, where she won the 2007 Patty Kazmaier Award for the best player in women’s NCAA hockey, and was a three time All-American. She’s won five gold medals at the World Championships, three Olympic silver medals and one bronze medal on the ice with Team USA, and is now the head coach of the Concordia University Stingers women’s hockey team.

@soupy08

In 2024, Jessica Campbell accepted an Assistant Coach position with the Seattle Kraken, becoming the first full-time female coach behind the bench in the NHL. Internationally, Campbell played for the Canadian U18 women’s national team and won a silver medal with the Canadian National Team at the 2015 World Championships. Campbell played collegiately at Cornell, then professionally for the Calgary Inferno (CWHL) before she started coaching. She was an Assistant Coach in Germany for the top men’s professional league, then as an Assistant Coach for the Coachella Valley Firebirds, before taking the position with the Seattle Kraken.

@hilaryknight

Hilary Knight is the captain of the Seattle Torrent (PWHL) and Team USA. She played collegiate hockey at the University of Wisconsin, where she won two NCAA national championships and set school records for goals and points. Since then, Knight has represented the U.S. in four Olympic Games, winning one gold medal in 2018 and three silvers in 2010, 2014, and 2022. Knight is a record-setting player at the IIHF Women’s World Championships, where she holds all-time career records for goals, assists, and points. At Worlds, she led Team USA to 10 gold medals and five silver medals — the most World Championship golds by any hockey player. She played an instrumental role in building the PWHL from the ground up and has been an outspoken advocate for gender equality.

Kim Davis is the Executive Vice President of Social Impact, Growth Initiatives, and Legislative Affairs for the NHL. Since accepting the position in 2017, Davis has led the NHL’s efforts on diversity, equity, and inclusion. She was one of the main people working on the “Hockey Is For Everyone” initiative. Davis works to bring a more diverse fanbase to the NHL, and helps fight against the microaggressions that Black players and fans face.

@casey_obrien

Casey O’Brien is a three-time national champion from the University of Wisconsin, where she also won Patty Kazmaier Award (2025), USCHO Player of the Year (2024), WCHA Player of the Year (2025). In 2018, O'Brien was on the gold medal winning team at the IIHF U18 World Championships, scoring three goals and notching two assists.  After graduating in the class of 2025, she was selected third overall by the NY Sirens in the PWHL Draft.

@laila_edwards

Laila Edwards is a current senior on the University of Wisconsin’s women’s hockey team and a member of Team USA’s Olympic squad. As a junior, Edwards was aFirst-Team All-American, Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Top-Three Finalist, First-Team All-WCHA, WCHA Forward of the Year Finalist, and a Forbes 2025 North America 30 Athletes under 30 Selection. At the 2026 Olympics, Laila will become the first Black woman to take the ice as a member of Team USA.

@jenni_hiirikoski

Jenni Hiirikoski is the current Finland captain and a member of Luleå HF in the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL), where she’s won six championships. She is widely considered one of the world’s best defensive players, as she has won the IIHF Directorate Best Defender award seven times, and Best Defender at the Olympics twice. As of January 21, Hiirikoski's has already racked up 20 assists and six goals with Luleå HF this season, despite playing the defender position. In July 2025, Hiirikoski underwent heart surgery and is already back on the ice, ready to take her talents to the Olympics.

@pou29

Known as “Captain Clutch”, Marie-Philip Poulin is the captain of Team Canada and the Montreal Victoire in the PWHL. She is the all-time leading scorer in Boston University history (81 goals, 100 assists, and 181 points), and has won four golds, eight silvers, and a bronze at the World Championships. She also medaled in all four Olympics she’s competed in, earning three golds and one silver. Poulin earned the moniker “Captain Clutch” because she has scored multiple gold medal-clinching goals, and is looking forward to fighting for gold at her upcoming fifth Olympic appearance. In 2025, she won the PWHL, IIHF and World Women’s Hockey Championship MVP awards.

@s.akane11

Akane Shiga is widely considered one of Japan’s best women’s hockey players. The forward is known for her speed, discipline, and her signature “Shiga Shot”, an incredibly strong and accurate shot on goal. Shiga played in the PWHL’s inaugural season with Ottawa and was the PWHL’s first Japanese born player. Shiga currently plays for Luleå HF in the Swedish Women’s Hockey League (SDHL). She has represented Japan at the IIHF Women’s World Championship from 2019-2024, and was Japan’s leading scorer during the tournament in ’21 and ’24. Shiga played on Japan’s Olympic team in Beijing, and will represent Japan in the highly anticipated 2026 Olympics. Her sister, Aoi Shiga, has also been selected for the Olympic roster.

@sportblake

Blake Bolden is an NHL analyst and a scout for the Los Angeles Kings, becoming just the second woman at the time to hold an NHL scouting role. A trailblazer in the sport, she became the first Black player drafted in the first round of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) and the first to compete in the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL), later earning Defensive Player of the Year honors and multiple All-Star selections. Bolden has also served as the Kings’ Growth and Inclusion Specialist since 2020. Through her mentorship initiatives and advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion, she continues to use her platform to expand opportunity and visibility for the next generation of athletes, living by the belief that “if you can see it, you can be it.”

@cammigranato21

Cammi Granato — an Olympic gold medalist, Hockey Hall of Famer, and NHL executive — is one of the most influential figures in the history of women’s hockey. She captained the U.S. Women’s National Team to its first Olympic gold medal in 1998, finishing her international career as a two-time Olympian and nine-time World Championship medalist. She retired as the as the all-time leading scorer in women’s world championship history and one of two players in the inaugural class of women inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Now serving as Assistant General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks, Granato continues to break barriers as one of the first women in NHL front-office leadership.

@kelsey.diclaudio

Kelsey DiClaudio is one of the most dominant international players in international para ice hockey. A member of Team USA since 2011, she led the Americans to gold at the inaugural Women’s World Para Ice Hockey Championships in 2025, scoring four goals in the final against Canada and earning tournament MVP and Best Forward honors. As the scorer of the first goal in championship history and a driving force behind the rise of the U.S. program, DiClaudio continues to shape the global future of women’s para ice hockey and redefine what excellence looks like on the international stage.

Susan Cohig oversees broad business functions across the National Hockey League office and its 32 teams, including digital media, events, finance, marketing, integrated sales, broadcasting, and policy implementation. She also manages the annual NHL Club Business Meetings, where executives share best practices and collaborate on business opportunities. Cohig has also overseen the onboarding of NHL expansion franchises, helping integrate them successfully into the league’s business ecosystem.

@jaynahefford

Jayna Hefford is one of Team Canada's hockey legends, winning five Olympic medals (including four consecutive gold medals from 2002 to 2014) and 12 IIHF World Women’s Championship medals (seven golds). She famously scored the gold-medal winning goal in the 2002 Olympic final against the United States. Hefford is the sixth woman ever inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Currently, Hefford serves as the Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations for the PWHL, a first-of-its-kind league, where she oversees everything from player acquisition to the establishment of new, innovative on-ice rules.

Amy Scheer, now the Executive Vice President of Business Operations in the PWHL, is known for her long track record of leadership in professional sports, with four decades of sports industry excellence from a variety of teams and leagues across the NFL, NBA, WNBA, and MLS. In her current role, Scheer helps guide the PWHL’s business strategy, with a focus on fan engagement, expansion, commercial partnerships, and long-term market growth.

@angela.m.ruggiero

A four-time Olympian and Olympic medalist for the United States, Angela Ruggiero, helped guide the US to gold in 1998, silver in 2002 and 2010, and bronze in 2006. She played a record 256 games for Team USA. Ruggiero’s excellence earned her induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame (the fourth woman ever), the IIHF Hall of Fame, and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. In her post-playing career, Ruggiero has served on the International Olympic Committee and its Executive Board, helped with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic bid, and co-founded the Sports Innovation Lab. She will also be a commentator for the 2026 Olympics.

@emilymkaplan

Emily Kaplan is a sports journalist and NHL reporter for ESPN, becoming a prominent voice in NHL media. Kaplan has appeared on studio shows, reported rink-side during games, and provided analysis and features on all things NHL. Recently, her role has evolved as she has become the primary NHL insider, where she delivers breaking news and offers deeper context for ESPN’s hockey coverage.

As the Vice President of Club Business Affairs for the NHL, Beth Conroy supports each team’s business operations, builds partnerships, and contributes to whole league objectives that grow successes across the sport. She manages the day-to-day engagement with Ticketmaster for the league and each club to drive increased revenue and innovation. Conroy also spearheaded the new NHL Events user friendly app, which has been used at events like the Club Business Meetings, player combines, and the All-Star Weekend for the NHL.

Melissa Parnagian is the NHL's Senior Manager for Player Programs and Culture Initiatives, specializing in player development and social impact initiatives, where she helps players elevate the causes they’re passionate about. One of Parnagian’s career highlights was helping to lead the push that led to Willie O'Ree, the NHL's first Black player, receiving a Congressional Gold Medal in 2022.

Kendall Coyne Schofield is the captain of the Minnesota Frost (PWHL) and has represented the United States at three Olympic Winter Games, winning a gold medal in 2018 and silver medals in 2014 and 2022. She’s a cornerstone of the national program, having represented the USA at 11 IIHF World Champions, earning seven gold and four silver medals. Off the ice, Coyne Schofield was the preseident of the PWHPA from 2019-2023 and was instrumental in helping shape the early foundation and visibility of the PWHL. As captain of the Frost, she has led the team to back-to-back Walter Cup championships, becoming the first team in league history to repeat as champions. Known for her elite speed and competitiveness, she also made history as the first woman to compete in an NHL All-Star skills event.

Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss are lifelong advocates for equality, opportunity, and the advancement of women’s professional sports. Together, they have helped reshape the sports landscape by championing athlete rights, building sustainable leagues, and driving structural change that creates opportunity for future generations. As Advisory Board members of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, King and Kloss brought decades of leadership and advocacy to help establish a world-class professional environment and were instrumental in the league’s creation.