GRYPHON
SPORTS MANAGEMENT
July 10, 2020
A Future for Women's Hockey
Written by: Austin Broad 4 Minute Read
Rachel Armstrong playing at Western University
Armstrong, 22, knows what it’s like to play hockey at a high-level and to be kept in the dark about playing opportunities after college.
“Growing up, there wasn’t a lot of information presented to us about the opportunities post-university; if you didn’t make Team Canada, that was the end of the road”.
That’s been an issue for the sport, as athletes don’t know that there are opportunities to keep playing the game once they graduate from school. The days of only trying to make the national team are gone, and leagues exist worldwide for players to play the game professionally.
The National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) has been around since 2015 and just awarded an expansion team to Toronto (the league’s sixth franchise). Only having six teams means there are limited spots up for grabs, but the team at Gryphon wants to help players connect with teams in North America and all over the world. “The NWHL in North America, which is obviously growing as a league has only 6 teams, so it doesn’t provide many opportunities for athletes, but there are leagues in Sweden and Russia including the European Women’s Hockey League,” said Armstrong.
Women’s hockey is a sport on the rise and now players have many opportunities to continue their playing career, and even pursue a professional career in hockey.
One obstacle that the sport has been facing is awareness, and that applies to more than just the fans.
For the longest time, young women have only ever considered playing college hockey or playing for their national program, but the truth is, more opportunities exist today.
Rachel Armstrong and her team at Gryphon Sports Management have made it their mission to educate female hockey players and provide them with all the necessary information to make an informed decision in furthering their playing careers.
Like many in the sport, Armstrong was not fully aware of all the opportunities that exist for high-caliber athletes, but she quickly learned after joining Gryphon.
“I knew about the North American opportunities and I heard about some former teammates going overseas, but it wasn’t until I took this job that I found out about the variety of opportunities.”
The team at Gryphon Sports Management is working diligently to build a network amongst leagues and athletes, so that both sides know many avenues that exist for everyone.
The NWHL has six teams competing for the Isobel Cup and the European Women’s Hockey League provides international competition for high-level clubs all over the continent. While most people know about the existence of the NWHL and are aware of the league in Europe, it can be difficult for players to gain access to league personnel, and vice versa.
Agents and Advisors employed at Gryphon are working to reach out to both players and team managers at all levels to help with player recruitment.
It is essential that Armstrong and her team build an established network and develop helpful resources for all parties involved, a tall task for anyone trying to take it on.
“Right now, there’s a disconnect. Even if students finish school and want to play professionally, they don’t know where to go or how to get in contact with people.”
“At the moment, the most important thing for us is establishing those connections and building the network".
There’s a massive talent pool, with limited spots for the talent to land, but even with a few hitches in the road, Armstrong feels that the game is gaining traction and has a bright future. “I think it’s unfortunate that the CWHL had to fold, but I believe that with growing awareness of women’s hockey and its opportunities, that female players will have chances to continue playing”.
Gryphon Sports Management is taking on something that is yet to be done in women’s hockey, they have already begun to make a positive impact on the game.
“No one’s done this yet in women’s hockey so we are pretty optimistic that we can. It may not be on the same scale as mens, but we hope to encourage women to continue their professional athletic careers,” said Armstrong.
Rachel Armstrong and Western Team
“The players and coaches we’ve reached out to so far have given us really positive feedback.”
The team at Gryphon wants to make sure that players know all their options before hanging up their skates too early, something that wasn’t available to Armstrong after her college career. “After University, it was basically the end of the road for us".
"I want to provide information and opportunities for women who don’t want to end their careers,” said the current Western Mustang.
With continued growth of the game, and the efforts of Armstrong and Gryphon Sports Management, there is the potential to gain traction for talented female athletes who wish to play professional hockey.
Contributors: Rachel Armstrong
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