Christine Bumstead’s path to coaching in a preseason game for the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers began in an unconventional way—on a deer hunting trip.
Her journey to coaching at the NHL level took off during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when she accompanied her father and Paul Maurice, then head coach of the Winnipeg Jets, on a hunting trip. During their 25-minute drive, they discussed hockey, strategies, and philosophy. Maurice was immediately impressed, recognizing her potential as a coach.
Fast forward to four years later, and Bumstead was invited to the Panthers’ development camp in the summer. She was invited back for the team’s training camp and, to her surprise, was on the bench during a preseason game against Nashville. Reflecting on the experience, Bumstead described it as “super special.”
Bumstead is part of the NHL Coaches Association Female Coaches Program, which is supporting the development of around 100 women in the sport. In addition to her work with the Panthers, she is also an assistant coach for the University of Saskatchewan women’s hockey team and a performance coach for the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL. She also coaches Canada’s national deaf women’s hockey team.
Initially, Bumstead saw coaching as a temporary endeavor. However, it soon became clear that coaching was her passion. She now feels more competitive as a coach than she ever was as a player, and she attributes some of her success to Maurice, who helped her get into the NHLCA program.
Bumstead’s experience is part of a broader momentum for women in the NHL. Jessica Campbell recently became the first on-the-bench assistant coach in NHL history with the Seattle Kraken, and other women like Emily Engel-Natzke have also taken on coaching roles in the league. Maurice believes that a female head coach in the NHL is not a question of “if,” but “when.”
Throughout her time with the Panthers, Bumstead gained valuable insights into the meticulous preparation required at the NHL level. She emphasized how much she learned from observing Maurice and the team’s star players up close, which she plans to take back to her other coaching roles.
Maurice made it clear that having Bumstead next to him during the game was not just for show. He wanted her to experience the NHL from the bench, believing that this exposure would help her in her coaching career. He expressed confidence that Bumstead would eventually become a head coach, remarking, “She’ll get there.”
