The pathway for Angela James was neither simple nor linear. She faced adversity, barriers, obstacles, misogyny, and yet through it all, displayed a level of perseverance and resilience that is difficult to effectively put into words.

You see, Angela grew up in a very difficult neighbourhood, which could have taken her in a much different direction in life. Instead, using hockey as her “saviour,” as she has stated1, Angela pursued a sport despite the sport being resistant to her. No matter the walls she went up against or the number of “no’s” and “you can't’s” she heard, Angela had her sights set on hockey and brought that same tenacity she showed from an early age to each and every game she would end up playing.

Angela’s career really took off when she joined the newly formed Central Ontario Women’s Hockey League, which also featured other familiar names such as Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Jayna Hefford and Vicky Sunohara2. During her time in the COWHL, Angela made a tremendous impact, was named MVP six times, and led the league in scoring eight times from 1980 to 1998.

Her time internationally with Team Canada brought with it both success, in the form of four World Championship gold medals and two gold medals at the 3 Nations Cups, but also controversy. Ahead of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Angela was left off the team despite consistently being one of the country’s best players, a decision that perplexed many in the hockey world. Canada would end up falling to the Americans and struggling to score throughout the tournament3.

Away from the ice, Angela is also a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, IIHF Hall of Fame, Hockey Canada Hall of Fame, Seneca Hall of Fame, Sport Canada Hall of Fame, as well as an Officer of the Order of Canada and was named to the Order of Hockey in Canada4.

Angela’s story is a reminder of the many players whose impact at the time was undeniable, but lacked the spotlight it deserved. And while this text only scratches the surface of the impact that Angela has had on the world of hockey, it will hopefully act as a jumping-off point for many to discover why Angela James is considered the first superstar of the modern women’s game.

Kim Davis has been a Senior Managing Director, President of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, and was named to The Business Journal’s 100 Most Influential Women and Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business. Through every role and accolade, Kim has remained a vocal advocate of diversity, equality and inclusion within sports.

“I’ve always been a proponent, throughout my entire career and my life, of women in leadership roles,” Davis said in an interview with NHL.com’s Christopher Detwiler. “And so the importance of understanding the intersection of gender, race and ethnicity as it relates to women of colour, to be able to see the representation here both as fans, as employees on and off the ice, it tells me that despite what might be appearing to be in some ways setbacks in our country and even across the globe that we should still be very encouraged by what opportunities lie in front of us for women and women of colour.”

Named the Executive Vice President, Social Impact, Growth Initiatives & Legislative Affairs for the NHL on November 27, 2017, and officially joining later that year on December 4, Kim has been working to bring more diversity to the league and create awareness through community engagement and initiatives, such as hosting the NHL Unites Pride Cup and the Hockey is for Everyone campaign and working with the Black Girl Hockey Club.

“Kim’s professional experience uniquely qualifies her to ensure that our League is continuing to improve lives and strengthen and build vibrant communities through hockey as well as provide a safe, positive and inclusive environment for anyone associated with our League,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said via league release at the time of hiring.

Kim’s list of accolades includes:

• Hockey News’ 2019 & 2020 Top 100 Most Influential Leaders in the sport

• Adweek’s 30 Most Powerful Women in Sports

• Sports Business Journal’s GameChangers

• Savoy Magazine’s Most Influential Women in Corporate America

• Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business

• Essence magazine’s 28 Most Influential Black Women in America (with First Lady Michelle Obama)

Sports have long remained stuck in the values and perspectives of the past, and it’s through individuals like Kim Davis that we will see meaningful change, helping to create spaces that feel more diverse and inclusive. That’s what makes Kim Davis, the NHL’s Executive Vice President, Social Impact, Growth Initiatives & Legislative Affairs, a pioneer.

To learn more, here are some resources:

• Meet the woman making the NHL more inclusive - espn.com

• NHL exec Davis drops puck before PWHL game, shows support for women’s hockey - nhl.com

• Meet Kim Davis, The Black Woman Pushing The National Hockey League Forward - becauseofthemwecan.com

A native of Harper Woods, MI, Angela Ruggiero has done it all and at every level. Listing off each one of her accomplishments would likely take the rest of this article, but here’s just a taste:

• 14 Olympic and World Championship medals

• two-time Olympic Best Defender, and four-time World Championship Best Defender

• member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, IIHF Hall of Fame, and the Hockey Hall of Fame

• 2-time NCAA ECAC Champion

Angela played her junior career at Choate Rosemary Hall before heading off to Harvard University, where she played from 1998-2000, before focusing on centralizing with the USA’s national program ahead of the 2002 Olympics. She would return to complete her collegiate career from 2002 to 2004, now with the “C” sewn on her jersey. Following a tremendously successful collegiate career, Angela would go on to pursue hockey in the NWHL, WWHL, and the CWHL.

Her impact goes beyond just accomplishments on the ice, making her story even more fascinating and impactful. Angela is the co-founder of Sports Innovation Lab, which describes itself as the “premier fan graph for sports and entertainment,” as well as an Executive Board member of the International Olympic Committee, World Rugby, and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, and an analyst and broadcaster for NBC Sports, ESPN and advisor to Genius Sports. Angela also served as a Senior Advisor for the New York Rangers, once again showing her impact beyond just the women’s game.

A keynote speaker, author, volunteer coordinator and leader, Angela Ruggiero has, and continues to be, a deeply important voice within the women’s hockey space. Her resume, both on and off the ice, demonstrates her true impact and a legacy that will continue to inspire the next generation of female hockey players to never stop chasing greatness.