Detroit Red Wings
Duffer’s Dabbles: Female Goaltending Legend Rheaume Joining Red Wings Broadcasts
It was 29 years ago that Manon Rheaume made NHL history, becoming the first woman to play in an NHL game when she suited up for the Tampa Bay Lightning in a preseason game against the St. Louis Blues. The female goaltending pioneer will be back in the NHL as the Lightning visit the Detroit Red Wings to open the 2021-22 on Wednesday.
Rheaume will be part of the broadcast team on Red Wings telecasts for Bally Sports Detroit. She is living in the Detroit area. Rheaume is working as the Girls Program Coordinator for the Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club. As well, she is serving as the head coach of the 12U girls team in Detroit.
Manon Rhéaume became the first woman to play in any of the major professional North American sports leagues when she appeared in an exhibition game for the Tampa Bay Lightning on September 23, 1992 #GoBolts #InternationalWomensDay pic.twitter.com/WKTZgEWTVO
— Mike Commito (@mikecommito) March 8, 2019
It was on September 23, 1992 that Rheaume saw her NHL tour of duty. That night saw her playing the first period of a preseason game in Tamp Bay. She stopped seven of nine shots in her 20 minutes of action. One of the two players scoring on her was future three-time Red Wings Stanley Cup champion Brendan Shanahan.
Rheaume’s son Dylan St. Cyr is a goaltender for the Quinnipiac Bobcats. He previously played at Notre Dame and for USA Hockey’s NTDP in Plymouth, Michigan. Her brother Pascal Rheaume was a forward who played 318 games with six NHL teams. Pascal ended up winning the Stanley Cup with the 2002-03 New Jersey Devils.
Around The League
Detroit: With the preseason at a conclusion, the Red Wings still face decisions regarding rookie forwards Joe Veleno and Lucas Raymond and veteran forward Bobby Ryan (pro tryout). Might injuries be opening the door to opportunity for any or all of them?
Washington: The team is assigning defenseman Michal Kempny, a member of the Capitals’ 2017-18 Stanley Cup-winning team, to the AHL Hershey Bears.
Vegas: Already missing forwards William Carrier and Nicolas Roy and defenseman Shea Theodore through ailments, the Golden Knights lost their final NHL preseason game to the Arizona Coyotes and ending up losing defenseman Zach Whitecloud to injury.