Former Olympic Gold Medalist making waves as potential candidate to be the NHL's first female GM.

The Florida Panthers have concluded their search for a new general manager and Bill Zito will be the man taking over the reigns of that team. The search was a star-studded one for the Panthers who's list of candidates included a who's who of National Hockey League royalty, but there was a name on that list that was unlike any other. 

According to a report from National Hockey League insider Elliotte Friedman also included on that list was the name of four time Olympian Angela Ruggiero. Friedman reported that the Panther's had made overtures to Ruggiero who asked for some time to consider the offer before officially interviewing for the role. Ruggiero decided to accept the interview but by the time she had made her decision the Panthers had already committed to Bill Zito so the interview never actually happened. Friedman adds however that Ruggiero, who has previous experience working in NHL front offices, has had her curiosity peaked by the offer from the Panthers and it sounds like she may pursue such opportunities more aggressively in the future. 

Long time fans of women's hockey will be very familiar with Ruggiero who won a gold medal, two silvers, and a bronze while representing the United States of America at the Olympics, but her resume since stepping off of the ice has been equally impressive. Ruggiero became a member of the International Olympic Committee in 2010 and during her time there she served as a member of the IOC's Executive Board and was elected Chairperson of the IOC Athletes' Commission in 2016, a position she held until 2018. 

Today Ruggiero is CEO and Co-Founder of Sports Innovation Lab, a market research firm that represents over 70 clients around the globe. This was a role she took on after being a Senior Management Associate at Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund, so you can start to see a picture here of how Ruggiero is extremely competent and successful even outside of the world of hockey. It's no surprise given her resume, as well as her pedigree in the world of hockey, that she has now found herself on the radar of NHL organizations. 

Angela Ruggiero could very well one day be the NHL's first female general manager.