Coyotes hire Dawn Braid as NHL’s first full-time female coach

Dawn Braid will be the Coyotes’ new skating coach.

The Coyotes have added Dawn Braid as full-time member of their coaching staff, making her the first full-time female NHL coach, the team announced Wednesday. 

Braid was previously a part-time skating consultant with the team. She has also worked with the Maple Leafs, Ducks, Sabres and Flames. Braid began coaching Islanders star John Tavares on his skating when he was 17 and has worked with multiple major junior teams. 

Several women have worked as skating consultants for NHL players and teams, including Barb Underhill, Laura Stamm and Cathy Andrade. 

Women have recently made progress in coaching professional men’s sports. Becky Hammon and Nancy Lieberman are coaches for NBA teams, and Jen Welter spent the 2015 preseason as an intern coach with the Arizona Cardinals. Justine Siegal was a guest instructor during the Arizona Fall League with the Oakland A’s last year.