Laurentian grad striving to be 1st female NHL team GM

A graduate of Laurentian University's sport management program has set her sights on what would be some groundbreaking territory.

While women have started to make inroads in professional sports, like becoming assistant coaches in basketball, football and hockey, the management of pro franchises continues to be a male-dominated field.

Rachel Doerrie wants to change that. The 20 year-old recently wrote a popular online piece on why she wants to become the first general manager of a National Hockey League franchise.

"I knew that I would never be a professional hockey player but I always loved things like trades and coaching," she told CBC's Up North host Jason Turnbull.

"Once the salary cap came into effect, I love looking at how teams could use that to their advantage, or how it could be a disadvantage."

I always loved things like trades and coaching- Rachel Doerrie

Doerrie has already gotten her feet wet in the hockey world, having worked with the Sudbury Wolves major junior franchise as a video coach.

"My mom still jokes about ... that I used to be able to rhyme off things like [NHL players'] faceoff percentage or somebody's powerplay percentage, and she would always say 'what are these silly numbers in your head?'" she said.

"She doesn't think they're so silly anymore."

Doerrie said she knows that it won't be easy starting next season, there will be 31 teams in the NHL, meaning few opportunities present themselves but she said she's received words of encouragement along the way.

"They think I can do it," she said of some people in the industry that she's gotten to know and speak to. "Or at least, that I'm on the right path."

"I think people are starting to realize that women bring a lot to the table and perhaps maybe they've been overlooked in the past, and maybe that that has been an oversight," she continued.

"So people are more open to the fact that females are entering the [pro] sports world and I think that kind of helps my case."

'I've learned to watch the game a little bit differently'

Doerrie's time as a coach with the Sudbury Wolves which she said she continues to do "when it works for the both of us," has been very positive, she said, adding that she's learned a lot from coaches, management and team ownership.

The organization has also been very welcoming in having her work with the team.

"I've learned to watch the game a little bit differently," she said. "In terms of analysing and watching it more from a coaching perspective."

"That's something that came from [head coach] Dave [Matsos] and it's something I'm really thankful for."