In a stunning turn of events, Christine Bumstead, a former deer hunter turned hockey coach, found herself on the bench as an assistant coach for the Florida Panthers in a preseason game. The journey to this momentous occasion began when the world, including the hockey world, came to a screeching halt in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the lockdown, Bumstead had a chance encounter with Paul Maurice, then the coach of the Winnipeg Jets, during a hunting trip with her father. In the span of a 25-minute drive, they discussed hockey, philosophy, and systems, leaving Maurice thoroughly impressed.
“We got out of the car and I went, ‘Oh, that’s a coach,’” Maurice recounted of their first meeting.
Fast forward four years and Bumstead was invited to a Panthers development camp, then to training camp, and eventually found herself on the bench with the Stanley Cup champions for a preseason game against Nashville.
“It’s probably the best seats you can get,” Bumstead shared after the game. “It’s super special to me.”
Part of the NHL Coaches Association Female Coaches Program, Bumstead is one of about 100 women working on their development in the game. Melissa Samoskevich, sister of Panthers prospect Mackie Samoskevich, is also part of the program. Bumstead juggles multiple coaching roles, including assistant coach for the University of Saskatchewan women’s team, performance coach for the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL, and head coach of Canada’s national deaf women’s hockey team.
When Bumstead initially turned her focus to coaching, she thought it might be just a short-term gig. However, she quickly realized her true calling. Maurice played a pivotal role in getting her into the NHLCA program and has been a vocal advocate for her coaching talents.
“I played competitively, and I thought I was driven, but now as a coach I’m realizing that I had no drive as a player at all in comparison,” Bumstead reflected. “I am way more competitive as a coach than I ever was as a player. So, I just think that’s obviously I’m on the right side of the bench. I didn’t know that until I started coaching at a higher level. And I realized I had the juice for this way more than I ever did as a player.”
The NHL is seeing a surge in female representation within coaching ranks. Jessica Campbell will make history this season as the first on-the-bench assistant coach in league history with the Seattle Kraken. She was hired after two years as an assistant for the team’s AHL affiliate. The Washington Capitals also made waves in 2022 by hiring Emily Engel-Natzke as a video coach, making her the first woman with a full-time assistant role in the league.
Indeed, the tide is turning for women in the NHL, with Bumstead and others breaking barriers and paving the way for future generations of female coaches in the world of hockey.
