Tampa Bay's Title IX Trailblazers: Kelley Steadman

KELLEY STEADMAN

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When Kelley Steadman was a child — and the opportunities for girls and women’s ice hockey were hitting a growth spurt — she attended a camp in Lake Placid, N.Y.  One of the coaches was the legendary Cammi Granato, the Hockey Hall of Fame and 1998 U.S. Olympic gold medalist.

Steadman was inspired.

Now Steadman, a two-time world champion, seeks to inspire others in her role as Hockey Development Ambassador for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Steadman works with the Lightning Made community program, which helps to grow the game of hockey and teach life skills to young people in the Tampa Bay area.

Steadman won two IIHF World Women’s Championship gold medals in 2011 and 2013, while playing professionally in Canada, Russia and the U.S. She was a record-setting scorer at Mercyhurst College, leading the NCAA in goals per game as a senior and becoming the first player from that school to earn a spot on the U.S. Women’s National Team. She also notched a CWHL championship, an NWHL championship, as well as an NWHL all-star game MVP honor.

When Steadman retired from professional hockey in 2017, she became an assistant coach at Mercyhurst, her alma mater, and said, “I will miss everything about getting ready for game day as a player … but I love growing the game and making an impact on the lives of girls and young women.’’

Steadman, who has played hockey since age 5, relocated to the Tampa Bay area and has found the perfect role with the Lightning. Last December, she held a girls-only holiday hockey camp at Amalie Arena. She will continue to develop more camps and clinics to grow the program.

She is excited about the possibility of working with girls who might one day compete in the Olympics and make the national team. She wants to make an impact — kind of like the influence Granato once had on her.

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— Joey Johnston