Noelle Needham
Noelle Needham | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1986 (age 37–38) Elkton, South Dakota, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Assistant general manager |
| Organization | Chicago Steel |
Noelle Needham is an American ice hockey executive, currently serving as assistant general manager of the Chicago Steel in the USHL.
Career
[edit]In her youth, Needham was a highly touted prospect, attending Shattuck-Saint Mary's, before tearing her ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus when she 15, needing eight reconstructive surgeries.[1] From 2004 to 2007, she played hockey for Minnesota State University as a forward, posting 31 points across 97 NCAA games.[2] She was forced to leave hockey after suffering a life-threatening staph infection and facing limited options for professional careers in women's hockey.[3]
After some time working as a rancher, she returned to hockey, volunteering as a coach for a local girls' team.[4] In 2009, she founded the Legend Hockey development centre, and founded the Sioux Falls Power five years later as a Tier 1 junior team.
In 2018, she was hired as an amateur scout by the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, covering the Midwestern United States region.[5][6]
In 2020, she left the Maple Leafs to join the Chicago Steel of the USHL as assistant general manager.[7] Later that year, The Hockey News named her as one of ten women who could potentially be a future NHL general manager.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "SSM Hockey Alum Noëlle Needham '04 On Track for Success in NHL". www.s-sm.org.
- ^ Frederick, Shane. "Frederick column: Ex-Maverick Noëlle Needham breaking barriers in hockey". Mankato Free Press.
- ^ "Needham hoping to become first female GM in NHL history". NHL.com.
- ^ Wheeler, Scott. "Behind Noelle Needham's journey from a South Dakota pig farm to the Leafs' scouting department". The Athletic.
- ^ "How two women are smashing hockey's glass ceiling". ESPN.com. June 20, 2019.
- ^ Staff, BarDown (August 26, 2018). "The story behind the Maple Leafs' hiring of female scout Noelle Needham is incredible - Article". BARDOWN.
- ^ Steel, Chicago (October 7, 2020). "NOËLLE NEEDHAM HIRED AS ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER". Chicago Steel.
- ^ Campbell, Ken. "Ten Women Who Have What it Takes to Become Hockey's Kim Ng". The Hockey News on Sports Illustrated.
External links
[edit]- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com