Sheri Hudspeth (centre), the Director of Youth Hockey Programs and Fan Development with the Vegas Golden Knights, shakes hands with Canada's Marie-Philip Poulin (right) and the U.S.'s Kendall Coyne (left) before a 2022 Rivalry Series game.
photo: © Vegas Golden Knights
Sheri Hudspeth has a one-of-a-kind memory to cherish from the IIHF’s World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend in 2023.
It was the year the Vegas Golden Knights won their first Stanley Cup, defeating the Florida Panthers in five games in the finals. Hudspeth, who serves as the Director of Youth Hockey Programs and Fan Development with the Knights, coordinated a street hockey game with 40 Las Vegas-area girls in front of City National Arena. As it happens, Hudspeth was coaching Knights coach Bruce Cassidy’s daughter in the Vegas Jr. Golden Knights U14 girls’ hockey program at the time.
The former Minnesota State forward recalled: “Bruce said to me, ‘Hey, Sheri, wouldn't it be cool if the girls could play hockey for the Cup?’ An incredible offer. I couldn’t even believe he said it! He added: ‘Just be ready. The Cup will be here at this time.’ And you could set your watch to it. The Cup came out of a car, they set it down, and the girls played street hockey with the Cup. All the families got to take pictures. So just a really, really special thing.”
Since then, Hudspeth has continued to pile up meaningful new women’s hockey experiences.
She attended the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship in Ceske Budejovice, Czechia in April. As a youth hockey coach for more than 20 years – including stops in her native Ontario, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Connecticut before coming to Las Vegas – the 43-year-old Canadian was thrilled to be part of the IIHF’s launch of the HER Coaching Network. Powered by Signal, this online networking and mentoring platform brings together international participants at different stages of their coaching journey.
“I was very excited to see the IIHF, the global authority of hockey, intentionally reaching out and trying to connect female coaches from around the world,” Hudspeth said. “It’s very cool to be a part of this. I’m happy they’re doing that because it’s very good networking. You’re going to get to meet new people, including people from smaller countries that are just starting out in hockey. They’ll be able to learn from other countries, including coaches from Canada, the U.S., and so on.”
It was the year the Vegas Golden Knights won their first Stanley Cup, defeating the Florida Panthers in five games in the finals. Hudspeth, who serves as the Director of Youth Hockey Programs and Fan Development with the Knights, coordinated a street hockey game with 40 Las Vegas-area girls in front of City National Arena. As it happens, Hudspeth was coaching Knights coach Bruce Cassidy’s daughter in the Vegas Jr. Golden Knights U14 girls’ hockey program at the time.
The former Minnesota State forward recalled: “Bruce said to me, ‘Hey, Sheri, wouldn't it be cool if the girls could play hockey for the Cup?’ An incredible offer. I couldn’t even believe he said it! He added: ‘Just be ready. The Cup will be here at this time.’ And you could set your watch to it. The Cup came out of a car, they set it down, and the girls played street hockey with the Cup. All the families got to take pictures. So just a really, really special thing.”
Since then, Hudspeth has continued to pile up meaningful new women’s hockey experiences.
She attended the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship in Ceske Budejovice, Czechia in April. As a youth hockey coach for more than 20 years – including stops in her native Ontario, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Connecticut before coming to Las Vegas – the 43-year-old Canadian was thrilled to be part of the IIHF’s launch of the HER Coaching Network. Powered by Signal, this online networking and mentoring platform brings together international participants at different stages of their coaching journey.
“I was very excited to see the IIHF, the global authority of hockey, intentionally reaching out and trying to connect female coaches from around the world,” Hudspeth said. “It’s very cool to be a part of this. I’m happy they’re doing that because it’s very good networking. You’re going to get to meet new people, including people from smaller countries that are just starting out in hockey. They’ll be able to learn from other countries, including coaches from Canada, the U.S., and so on.”
The ultimate goal of HER is to increase the number of female coaches, which remains a concern in both the IIHF and pro ranks. According to Hudspeth, it’s a vital next step in the sport’s evolution, especially considering that top-level IIHF women’s hockey competitions feature all-female on-ice officiating crews.
“It’s time,” said Hudspeth. “Women’s hockey is exploding. Look at the PWHL and college hockey. We need more women coaches. We need more women who have finished their playing careers to give back to the game and help it grow. When there is an avenue [like the HER Coaching Network] where you can get involved and develop your skills and learn from other coaches. I think it’s going to be very encouraging for other women to get involved.”
She has witnessed that phenomenon firsthand. Having played her junior hockey with the Toronto Jr. Aeros at the turn of the millennium, she occasionally got called up to the senior Aeros to practice or suit up alongside Team Canada legends like Cheryl Pounder, Cassie Campbell-Pascal, Angela James, and Geraldine Heaney. All of the aforementioned names have added to their legacies by pursuing either coaching or broadcasting in retirement.
“It’s time,” said Hudspeth. “Women’s hockey is exploding. Look at the PWHL and college hockey. We need more women coaches. We need more women who have finished their playing careers to give back to the game and help it grow. When there is an avenue [like the HER Coaching Network] where you can get involved and develop your skills and learn from other coaches. I think it’s going to be very encouraging for other women to get involved.”
She has witnessed that phenomenon firsthand. Having played her junior hockey with the Toronto Jr. Aeros at the turn of the millennium, she occasionally got called up to the senior Aeros to practice or suit up alongside Team Canada legends like Cheryl Pounder, Cassie Campbell-Pascal, Angela James, and Geraldine Heaney. All of the aforementioned names have added to their legacies by pursuing either coaching or broadcasting in retirement.
Meanwhile, the game is growing rapidly in Las Vegas. High-visibility events like the Rivalry Series game in nearby Henderson, Nevada on 15 December 2022 – a 3-2 Canadian win over the U.S. – have spurred growth at the grassroots level. (Hudspeth counts a commemorative puck from that game among her favourite pieces of hockey memorabilia.) As one indicator, enrolment in the Vegas Golden Knights Hockey League – the team’s house hockey league – has skyrocketed from fewer than 100 when the NHL franchise debuted in 2018 to more than 1,200 today (including both girls and boys).
With the Knights’ strong support, Hudspeth is already looking forward to making more one-of-a-kind memories in 2025-26. From 5 to 8 February, she will be especially busy as Las Vegas will host the first U.S. edition ever of WickFest. The annual girls’ hockey festival was founded by Hayley Wickenheiser in 2010. About 750 female players from the U10 through U16 categories, representing some 50 teams, are expected to take part. There will be sister events in Calgary, Surrey (British Columbia), and Milton (Ontario).
With the Knights’ strong support, Hudspeth is already looking forward to making more one-of-a-kind memories in 2025-26. From 5 to 8 February, she will be especially busy as Las Vegas will host the first U.S. edition ever of WickFest. The annual girls’ hockey festival was founded by Hayley Wickenheiser in 2010. About 750 female players from the U10 through U16 categories, representing some 50 teams, are expected to take part. There will be sister events in Calgary, Surrey (British Columbia), and Milton (Ontario).
With the Vegas Golden Knights, Sheri Hudspeth enjoys working to build up girls' hockey at the grassroots level in Nevada.
photo: © Vegas Golden Knights
And tapping into the HER Coaching Network should also help Hudspeth achieve new goals as she brings along the next generation of women’s hockey stars in the Sun Belt.
“I’m excited to meet coaches that coach around the world, more people that work in the IIHF space and at these international tournaments, just connecting with more people and expanding my hockey bubble,” Hudspeth said.
“I’m excited to meet coaches that coach around the world, more people that work in the IIHF space and at these international tournaments, just connecting with more people and expanding my hockey bubble,” Hudspeth said.