Cara Morey has been coaching high-level men’s hockey players through her guest coaching role at the Philadelphia Flyers development camp over the past three seasons. With Jessica Campbell’s landmark hiring by the Seattle Kraken as the NHL’s first-ever female assistant coach, new opportunities have emerged for women coaches across all levels of hockey. Campbell previously worked as an assistant under the new Kraken coach Dan Bylsma with Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League for the past two seasons.
“I think it’s really cool, cool for women,” said Morey, who is about to begin her 14th season as the head coach of the women’s hockey team at Princeton University. “I think that she got into a good spot and they must have done a really good job and they brought her along. Just really awesome to see more doors open for us because mostly in my profession, it was U.S. college hockey, then it grew a little bit and they started paying Canadian college hockey [coaches], now we have the pro league [Professional Women’s Hockey League], and now maybe we’ve got some more doors. So for me, it’s just our profession is now expanding, and there’s a lot more doors open.”
On Wednesday, Campbell expressed her hopes for her historic role, stating, “Though I am honored to be the first, I don’t want to be the only,” and Morey appears poised to follow a similar path. Working alongside Flyers prospects has given Morey a unique perspective compared to many of her peers. She has had the privilege of spending time with the Philadelphia coaching staff, engaging in casual conversations with coach John Tortorella.
What Morey finds most gratifying is being viewed on par with the other Flyers development coaches, both on the ice and in meetings. “My communication style is going to be different from a lot of the men,” she said. “I might use different words… hearing it from different voices and different ways of teaching, I think they seem to really appreciate it.
“I don’t know why I’m always surprised, but every year I’m surprised because they’ll come to me and they’re asking questions. Or now they’re just yelling across the ice like, ‘Cara, what do I do on this drill?’ So I think for them, it’s becoming quite normal.”
Prior to her tenure at Princeton, Morey played three seasons as a defenseman with Montreal and Brampton in the National Women’s Hockey League from 2001 to 2004. While she enjoys her current role, the 45-year-old recognizes the potential to advance to the highest levels of the game.
“Your mindset is in one place for a while and then it starts to change as you get older,” she reflected. “I really love what I do, and I love where I am. And right now it’s the best place for me.
“But looking years out, you just never know. The coaching profession is always moving. I’ve already been there for 13 or 14 years, which is long for a coach. I’m pretty happy with where I’m at, but yet the more I go to this, the more I realize that it’s something I could do.”
