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Noelle Needham

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Noelle Needham
Born1986 (age 37–38)
Elkton, South Dakota, United States
NationalityAmerican
OccupationAssistant general manager
OrganizationChicago Steel

Noelle Needham is an American ice hockey executive, currently serving as assistant general manager of the Chicago Steel in the USHL.

Career

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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

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  1. ^ "SSM Hockey Alum Noëlle Needham '04 On Track for Success in NHL". www.s-sm.org.
  2. ^ Frederick, Shane. "Frederick column: Ex-Maverick Noëlle Needham breaking barriers in hockey". Mankato Free Press.
  3. ^ "Needham hoping to become first female GM in NHL history". NHL.com.
  4. ^ Wheeler, Scott. "Behind Noelle Needham's journey from a South Dakota pig farm to the Leafs' scouting department". The Athletic.
  5. ^ "How two women are smashing hockey's glass ceiling". ESPN.com. June 20, 2019.
  6. ^ Staff, BarDown (August 26, 2018). "The story behind the Maple Leafs' hiring of female scout Noelle Needham is incredible - Article". BARDOWN.
  7. ^ Steel, Chicago (October 7, 2020). "NOËLLE NEEDHAM HIRED AS ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER". Chicago Steel.
  8. ^ Campbell, Ken. "Ten Women Who Have What it Takes to Become Hockey's Kim Ng". The Hockey News on Sports Illustrated.
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