VSN Presents: Shattering the Glass Ceiling of the VHL

[Doomsday 4,125]

This hilariously awful image by @Doomsday is serving until the real one by @Zetterberg appears.

 

90 seasons is a long amount of time, 16 years in the real world, to be precise. It’s a long time for legacies to be built, for champions to rise, for innovators to find their way to the forefront of the league. However, after 89 seasons, all members who had been general managers of Victory Hockey League teams had one thing in common: they were males. That is not to say that there are not female members in the league, as there have been female members throughout the nearly two decades of the VHL. On the other hand, I’m not about to suggest that there is rampant misogyny going on behind the scenes either, as women have served as general managers in the VHLM and in other league jobs. Regardless, the metaphorical glass ceiling of ascending to becoming a VHL GM was shattered when @samx was announced as the new boss of the Helsinki Titans after the off-season resignation of Frank Funk.

When asked what went through her head when she got the news that she was the new general manager of the Helsinki Titans, Sam’s attitude was rather candid.

“I suppose my first thought was, well, let’s get to work,” she answered. “There was a lot of speculation going around of who was going to be picked. I was excited to take over the reins and bring Sam life into Helsinki.”

Sam brings seven seasons of experience as the general manager of a team, with six in the VHLM and one in the VHLE. She also served as the Assistant General Manager with Helsinki under Frank Funk, giving her crucial familiarity and positive relationships with the players on the team, a crucial aspect to her returning as the General Manager. Her work in the VHLM was recognized when she was named the Jack Reilly Trophy in Season 80 as the top general manager in the VHLM, the second woman to receive the award. The first woman to win the award was Megan Anderson, when she received the award all the way back in Season 22 when she was not only recognized as the top GM of the VHLM, but she also became the first woman to lead a team to a championship when her Brampton Battalion swept the Kolari Panthers in the Founder’s Cup Finals. But if women were showing they were capable general managers that long ago, why did it take 89 seasons for a woman to finally be hired as a VHL GM?

 

The Founder's Cup banner for the Season 22 Brampton Battalion, which Megan Anderson led to championship glory.

“For a while, I think it was just there weren’t women in the league to be hired,” answered Sam. “Until recent seasons, I only knew of one or two women who stuck around the league for a while. There was a period of time where this league wasn’t very female friendly. Luckily that has faded and women are able to feel more comfortable and confident going for jobs and just being around the league.”

As it turns out, sticking around was an issue for Anderson. She served as the Brampton General Manager from Season 21 to 24, two seasons with the Minot Gladiators in Seasons 33 and 34, and returned one last time to manage the Oslo Storm in Season 56. While Anderson no doubt had proven that she had the ability and skills to build a championship roster, her ultimate undoing was her lack of lasting power, keeping her from making the leap to the professional level. Another prominent female general manager was Katherine Blade, who burst onto the scene as the inaugural general manager of the Philadelphia Reapers in Season 65 and quickly established them as a franchise. Her passion for the job was second to none, and she quickly cultivated a culture of ferocious loyalty and tenacity with her Reapers, but it came with an unfortunate cost.

“Her passion was a double-edged sword,” spoke Thomas Landry II about Blade. “Blade was so fully devoted to developing her players that they became fiercely loyal, which in itself is a good thing. However, slights against them, whether actual or perceived, were met with her full fury, along with that of the Reapers. Again, on the ice, this was a good thing, but off the ice, it was not. It led to division, and while I obviously can’t prove it, I feel like it was what prevented her from making the jump to the VHL. She had the ability and the means, and I believe that she was running the show during Bushito’s absence in Calgary. I just don’t think they wanted the potential drama making its way to the VHL.”

 

Thomas Landry II, owner of praise for Katherine Blade, a poor choice of NHL fandom, and one fine mustache.

 

However, in spite of what may have held previous potential general managers, Sam pushed on, and as it turned out, the historic achievement of becoming the first female general manager in the VHL came as somewhat of a surprise.

 

“I had (known that I would be the first female VHL GM) when I was applying in the past,” Sam recalled. “But it wasn’t something that I remembered till some time later.”

What was clear, however, was her purpose and motivation for her new role.

“I’ve always said that I want to make some sort of impact any place I go,” Sam elaborated. “To me, the ability to do that had to come from getting some sort of role within the league. For the M specifically, my former GMs were crucial in my love for the league and I wanted to be that for someone else. As for the VHL, it just seemed like a natural progression at some point.”

When asked what she envisioned her impact being in Helsinki, Titans fans were utterly delighted with an answer that they no doubt had hoped to hear.

“Ideally winning the Cup,” Sam proclaimed. “Helsinki has been a bit of a meme team for a while now, so I’d like to hopefully get rid of that and make it a team people fear to play against.”

Sam wasted no time making an impact, acquiring cap space and Season 92 2nd and 3rd round picks from Malmo in exchange for Mo Probert, setting her up to bring in forward Landon Wolanin and defenseman Lloyd Braun from Calgary in exchange for a Season 91 1st round pick. On top of bolstering the roster for the upcoming season, Sam also brought in a wealth of talent through the draft, including using the first overall pick on defenseman YaBoi Oven, who made the pro roster in his first season of eligibility. Forwards Bruise Banner and Alexandre Crosby were added with the 16th and 17th overall picks, with hulking defenseman Tommy Sleeves selected at 23rd overall. Late round selections Barry McOckiner and Gremlis Lielais could also potentially factor into Helsinki’s future as well, and suddenly, the Titans have gone from a team stuck in limbo to a legitimate threat to contend while also giving themselves a pool of prospects worth being excited about. The immediate impact Sam desired has given Helsinki both a present and a future, neither of which seemed in the cards as Season 89 ended.

 

Helsinki Titans fans are once again ecstatic to cheer on their hometown team.

Sam also provided words of encouragement for aspiring general managers looking to make a similar impact in the VHL as well:

“Keep applying,” she implored. “Don’t give up if you don’t get a job your first, second, third, twelfth time. 95% of the time you aren’t doing anything wrong, there’s just not enough spots for the amounts of talented candidates you have. Don’t be afraid to ask why you didn’t get a job. As long as you aren’t a brat about it, generally people will be pretty willing to talk to you.”

It’s not only perseverance, however, and continuing to learn and increase your knowledge is just as important to getting your foot in the door.

“Pick other GM’s brains,” continued Sam. “You’ll gain a lot of knowledge before you are a GM and it will help you in the long run.”

The Helsinki Titans are on the rise, and while this is a story that is far from over, it could hardly have gotten off to a better start. But while this story is blossoming, there are even more waiting to begin. Perhaps the time isn’t right, maybe they aren’t experienced enough, or there’s more to learn first. But new innovators, pioneers, and leaders are out there, and sometime soon, their journeys will begin as well. We’re closing in on 100 seasons, and perhaps we’ll witness even more amazing feats along the way.

Congratulations to Sam on smashing the proverbial glass ceiling of the VHL and becoming the first female general manager of a VHL team!
 

[samx 1,169]

I'm disappointed my meme quote wasn't used. You totally could have fit it in.

[Enorama 2,033]

Just now, samx said:

You totally could have fit it in.

 

[samx 1,169]

Just now, Enorama said:

 

Well said eno, well said

[Enorama 2,033]

17 minutes ago, samx said:

Well said eno, well said

 

[Doomsday 4,125]

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