Seattle’s NHL expansion team made some history on Wednesday, as they named Cammi Granato as the league’s first female pro scout.
Granato, 48, was announced along with four other scouts, including some other familiar names: Ulf Samuelsson, Stu Barnes, Dave Hunter, and John Goodwin. This continues a standout hockey career for Granato, who captained the gold-medal winning U.S. women’s team during the 1998 Winter Olympics, and was eventually inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010.
This continues a small-but-promising trend of NHL teams adding diversity to their front offices. Seattle already made strides in that regard, making Alexandra Mandrycky such a prominent hire (under the title “director of hockey administration”) that they actually brought Mandrycky on board before selecting Ron Francis as GM.
“What a time in sports right now, seeing all sorts of ceilings shattered by women,” Granato told Bob Condor of the Seattle expansion team’s website. “If I can inspire someone to become a scout or work in an NHL front office, that’s amazing.”
While the first reaction is “What took so long?,” it remains a promising trend, and savvy teams stand to earn a significant competitive advantage by expanding their view to a wider range or qualified candidates. The Toronto Maple Leafs are another team that stands out in this regard with their hire of Hayley Wickenheiser back in 2018.
(The San Jose Sharks were ahead of their time in hiring Deborah Wright as a part-time amateur scout back in 1992, although it doesn’t look like that lasted long.)
It sure seems like Granato has grown up surrounded by hockey people. Her brother Tony Granato had a memorable NHL career, and is currently coaching the University of Wisconsin’s men’s team. Her husband Ray Ferraro also had a noteworthy NHL career, and now serves as a fantastic television analyst, while Cammi’s other brother Don is an assistant coach with the Buffalo Sabres.
“Don has been my primary mentor over the years,” Cammi Granato said, via Condor. “I feel like I can ask him anything about the game and get great advice. Of course, I talk with Tony and Ray too.”
It wouldn’t be one bit surprising if Cammi Granato served as a mentor and inspiration for other people who dream of finding a job in the NHL, even if it means blazing a new trail or shattering a ceiling or two.
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.