How Many Females Have Played In The NHL?

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America, currently consisting of 31 teams: 24 in the United States and
7 in Canada.

Introduction

Since the National Hockey League’s inception in 1917, there have only been a handful of female players. The first woman to play in the NHL was Manon Rheaume, who played one period for the Tampa Bay Lightning in a preseason game in 1992. Rheaume would go on to play six games in the 1992-1993 season for the Atlanta Knights of the International Hockey League, becoming the first woman to play professional hockey.

However, it wasn’t until 1998 that a woman played an official NHL game. That year, goaltender Erin Whitten became the first woman to suit up for an NHL game when she played for the Phoenix Coyotes in a preseason game against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.

Since then, a handful of other women have made appearances in NHL games, most notably goalie Manon Rheaume who appeared in exhibition games for both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers. In 2017, goaltender Shannon Szabados became the first woman to play in an NHL regular season game when she suited up for the Edmonton Oilers in a game against the Los Angeles Kings.

Despite these milestones, there are currently no women playing in the NHL and it is unclear if any will play in the future. However, there are numerous women’s hockey leagues around North America that provide opportunities for female players to compete at a high level.

Women’s Professional Hockey Leagues

While there have been several women’s professional hockey leagues, only one of them- the National Women’s Hockey League- is still in existence today.

The NWHL was founded in 2015 with the hope of creating a sustainable professional league for women’s hockey. The league is made up of 5 teams- the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, and Minnesota Whitecaps.

Since its inception, the NWHL has seen a total of 103 women suit up and play in at least one game.

The First Woman to Play in the NHL

In 1992, Manon Rheaume became the first woman to ever play in the NHL. She played one period of a preseason game for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and she was the first female goalie to ever play in an NHL game.

Since then, a handful of other women have played in the NHL, either in preseason games or in regular season games. These women include:

-Kim St. Pierre: Played two regular season games for the Montreal Canadiens in 2003.
-Veronique Payette: Played one regular season game for the Atlanta Thrashers in 2003.
-Cassie Campbell: Played one regular season game for the Calgary Flames in 2002.

However, no woman has ever played a full season in the NHL.

Women in the NHL Today

Women have been playing ice hockey for over a century, and while there are currently no women in the NHL, there have been a number of women who have played in the league. In fact, as of 2019, there have been 17 women who have played in the NHL, most recently Manon Rheaume in 2003.

However, while there may not currently be any women playing in the NHL, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any female players working their way up through the ranks. There are currently six women playing in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL), which is considered to be one of the top professional women’s hockey leagues in the world. Additionally, there are also a number of female players competing in NCAA Division I ice hockey. So while there may not be any women playing in the NHL today, it’s only a matter of time before we see another woman take to the ice in one of the world’s most prestigious hockey leagues.

Conclusion

It is difficult to determine an exact number of how many women have played in the NHL because the League does not track this information. However, it is estimated that there have been between 1 and 2 dozen women who have played in the NHL either as a result of injury or because they were masquerading as men. This includes such players as Manon Rheaume, who became the first woman to play in an NHL exhibition game when she appeared in goal for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992.