The Carolina Hurricanes just had a first! It was so exciting! Not every day do you get to witness something for the first time, but we as Canes fans did! Alyssa Gagliardi joined the Carolina Hurricanes coaching staff meaning she became the first female coach with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Gagliardi was born in Pittsburgh but was raised in Raleigh.
She went to play hockey at Cornell University in New York. Not only does Cornell have a women’s hockey team, it is a VERY good school. It’s part of what is called the Ivy League.
At Cornell, Alyssa Gagliardi played with a Big Red team that won four championships.
FOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS! WOW!
She played a five-year professional career in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League and National Women’s Hockey League that ended in 2019.
While playing with the Boston Pride, she won the first ever Isobel Cup in 2015-16.
That means Alyssa Gagliardi won FIVE CHAMPIONSHIPS as a hockey player!
WOW WOW WOW!
Alyssa Gagliardi’s job with the Hurricanes was to help with the prospect camp where young players come to show just how good they are.
This is so exciting for everyone BUT it is even more so for our young girls Kids Canes readers who are maybe just getting into hockey.
They get to see a really really good lady hockey player out there coaching the Canes!
What an inspiration!
We will be sure to keep our eyes peeled for more news about Alyssa Gagliardi as she goes on to other great things in the world of hockey.
Kids Canes Challenge Answer:
We challenged you to think about famous firsts you might know about. They might be Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the Moon. Or Elizabeth Blackwell who was the first woman to become a doctor.
Being the first simply means you are doing something no one else has..
Alyssa Gagliardi is the first female to help coach the Carolina Hurricanes. No other lady has been a coach with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Being the first is exciting, but it can be challenging.
You might not know what to do, because no one else does either.
Think, if you can, about the first time you tied your shoes or rode a bike!
You did not do it perfectly the first time. You fell off your bike, or tied a knot that couldn’t be untied or didn’t stay tied.
That happens! It’s ok. You just keep practicing and getting better.
Alyssa Gagliardi has practiced a lot at hockey, and she will keep practicing.
Kids Canes Challenge
Can you name all the penalties in hockey???