Women’s History Month: HNO Hockey Profile- Jessica McKenzie
Honouring Women’s History Month Through Hockey
Hockey Northwestern Ontario is recognizing Women’s History Month by highlighting the experiences and contributions of women across our hockey community. As part of this month, Hockey Northwestern Ontario is proud to feature Jessica McKenzie of Dryden Minor Hockey, whose journey from player to volunteer and coach reflects the growing presence and impact of women in leadership roles throughout the game.
For Jessica McKenzie, stepping onto the ice as a coach with Dryden Minor Hockey this season is both a new chapter and a return to a place that has been part of her life for decades.
Jessica first began playing hockey with Dryden Minor Hockey at just four years old. At the time, she was one of very few girls in the league and, for some seasons, the only girl on her team.
She continued playing throughout her childhood and teenage years, including with Dryden Girls Hockey and later at the high school level.
As an adult, Jessica remained involved in the game through recreational leagues, including Dryden Ladies Hockey. Her involvement also extended beyond playing, with time spent as a referee and with the Dryden High School Girls Eagles hockey team.
“Hockey has played an important part of my life and has helped shape many of my experiences, friendships and relationships,” she said. Years later, hockey remains very much a family affair.
With her own children now involved in the game, Jessica found herself giving back to the same hockey community that had provided so many opportunities for her growing up.
“We are very much a hockey family, and we all enjoy being a part of it,” she said. “The organization wouldn’t be what it is without volunteers, and I wanted to do my part to support that effort and help ensure local kids continue to have a positive experience.”
Jessica currently serves as the U9 Convenor with Dryden Minor Hockey Association, a role that includes everything from coordinating with coaches, managers and families to scheduling, facilitating team drafts, organizing tournaments and helping address questions throughout the season.
But this season, she decided it was time to add another role: coach.
It isn’t Jessica’s first experience behind the bench. Before having children, she helped coach and served as trainer for the Dryden High School Girls Eagles. After becoming a mom, however, much of her involvement shifted behind the scenes while her husband, Blair, coached their children.
This year, a need for additional on-ice volunteers provided the push she needed to lace up her skates again.
“I figured since I was at the arena anyway, I might as well be on the ice coaching when needed,” she said. 
The decision has given Jessica the opportunity to see the game from another perspective, getting to know the players and watching their development firsthand. It has also created a new experience for her own family, with Jessica now able to share the ice with her husband and daughter.
For Jessica, stepping onto the ice as a female coach also carries significance when she looks back at her own childhood in hockey. Growing up, Jessica never had a female coach.
“The moms were often volunteering behind the scenes but rarely seen in coaching roles,” she recalled. “It wasn’t until I played high school hockey that I had female trainers involved with the team, and that was the first time I experienced women in a leadership role within hockey.”
Today, the view from the ice looks different.
There are three female coaches involved with DMHA’s U9 division this season. One was once Jessica’s teammate. Another played for her high school rival. Now, they’re coaching the next generation together.
“It feels like a full circle moment to now be coaching our kids,” Jessica said.
Among those kids are 10 female U9 players who are growing up seeing women on the ice and behind the bench from the beginning.
“I think it’s important that they see female coaches on the ice. Representation matters,” Jessica said. “The game has come a long way since I was growing up, but there is still room for growth when it comes to seeing more women in coaching and leadership roles throughout hockey.”
“I think it’s important to see women coaching, leading, and being involved in all aspects of hockey,” said Dryden Minor Hockey Association President Matt Heitto. “As an association, we need to make sure we’re creating those opportunities and encouraging more women to get involved.”
Heitto says Jessica is an example of the impact those volunteers can have within an association.
“Jessica is the kind of person who makes our association stronger by giving back to the game and helping create opportunities for the next generation,” he said. “It’s good for our association, and it’s good for the future of hockey.”
For Jessica, being visible in those roles isn’t about holding a particular title. It’s about continuing to contribute wherever she’s needed, as a convenor, a coach or a volunteer.
For other women who might be considering coaching or volunteering but aren’t sure whether to take that first step, Jessica’s advice is simple.
“If this tired Mom can strap her skates back on, then anyone can,” she said. “Youth sports rely on dedicated volunteers and whether you’re helping behind the scenes, volunteering with the team, or stepping onto the ice as a coach, your time and effort are valuable.”
That spirit of giving back is also something Jessica hopes her own children carry with them long after their minor hockey years are over.
“I hope that they see and appreciate all the time and effort that goes into ensuring that they can play the sports they enjoy,” she said. “I hope they recognize that they wouldn’t be playing hockey without dedicated volunteers and that our kids learn to get involved with volunteering and other community engagement.”
For the girl who once stepped onto the ice as one of the only girls in the league, hockey has changed considerably.
And now, when the next generation of girls step onto the ice in Dryden, women aren’t only volunteering behind the scenes.
They’re there on the ice with them.
Thank you for taking the time to read and reflect with us as we recognize Women’s History Month. We thank Jessica for sharing her story and look forward to continuing to highlight the diverse voices and experiences that help grow the game across Northwestern Ontario.
