Howe a groundbreaking hire
In October the Moose Jaw Warriors added Olivia Howe to their hockey operations department making her the league’s first female in a coaching role.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, the Canadian Hockey League reflects on this groundbreaking hire.
The 26-year-old Howe initially began her relationship with the club as a guest instructor at training camp. Her roots are in Saskatchewan where she graduated from the acclaimed Notre Dame Hounds program, then formed a decorated hockey resume highlighted by a four-year playing career at Clarkson University that counted a national championship in 2014.
In her role as a Coaching Assistant, Howe provides a different and unique perspective for both the players and other Warriors staff.
“The hype that followed was unexpected for me, but it’s been good for sure,” Howe said in reflection per Josh Sigurdson of 620 CKRM. “Even just behind the scenes stuff, learning about how to manage your roster, and trades and all the scouting that goes into it. It’s been a lot for me to take in.”
Added Warriors general manager Alan Millar per Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post, “This opportunity evolved for Olivia because of who she is, her background in the game, her knowledge of the game. We were very impressed with her at training camp. Our players were impressed with her knowledge of the game. This for us was about adding good people. Part of that too is the responsibility of giving young people opportunities in the game.”
Despite being the lone female on the team in a male-dominated industry, Howe has established a strong relationship with her new club that has allowed her phenomenal hockey knowledge to truly shine.
“From the first minute being introduced to the guys, they all were very welcoming,” Howe detailed. “They’ve been very easy to work with.”
In breaking gender barriers, Howe also hopes to inspire other young females to pursue their hockey dream.
“Everyone has to kind of learn and adjust and make new ways of doing things,” Howe added. “That’s going to open up a lot of opportunities for a lot of people who may not have had them in the past.”