Kelly Hayes - Former Professional Women's Hockey Player - She's One of Only 6 Women Ever To Play Both Professional Men's & Women's Hockey While Being a Member of Team USA

The Sports Deli

At age 11 Kelly told her parents she wanted to play football and ice hockey, her father said, "there is no future in either sport for you, so just pick one". Kelly picked hockey and went on to play for 24 years including college back-to-back champions, 7 years on Team USA and 4 years playing men's professional ice hockey -- once retired she went on to develop a line of sticks and protective equipment for women with a major hockey company while also becoming an NHL pro rep creating sticks and gear for some of the greatest men’s players in the game.

She is a four-time Team USA Ice Hockey goaltender and was one of the first three females to play in a men’s professional hockey league, January 7th, 1994, with the West Palm Beach Blaze. She is a member of the Massachusetts USA Hockey Hall of Fame, and the Northeastern University Hall of Fame.

Kelly paved the way and created her our own future in sports and in business and is passionate in inspiring others to do the same. Living the slogan created when they launched the women’s ice hockey line, “don’t tell me what I can’t do”.

Breaking glass ceilings and while doing so opening paths for others by showing all people in diverse rolls -- helping to stimulate dreams of young people to become what they want to be. She has been a distinguished Athlete Representative to the Executive Committee of USA Hockey, member of the Girls/Women's Committee for USA Hockey and for the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), representative for the sports for the Women’s Sports Foundation, spokesperson at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, to IIHF IOC Manager for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

Kelly has always been a recognized leader and ambassador for women in sports.

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