(Los Angeles) Aisha Visram would have become the first woman to work behind the bench in an NHL regular season game in any capacity when she acted as a therapist with the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night. in their 6-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Posted at 1:32 p.m.
According to the Professional Society of Athletic Therapists and the Professional Society of Equipment Managers, Visram likely made history when she found herself on duty because three members of the Kings’ support staff were unavailable due to COVID-19 protocols.
” It’s incredible. It’s awesome. We need more of that in our game,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said.
Visram is the head therapist of the Kings’ American Hockey League academy. She previously worked with the Adirondack Team in ECHL and at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.
McLellan added that having Visram behind the bench was a reminder that it takes more than players and coaches to make a professional hockey team work and succeed.
“I can tell you Aisha plays a big role in our organization,” McLellan said. And we’re not talking about those people. We’re not talking about the therapists or the equipment people, but she’s mentored by (Kings’ chief athletic therapist) Chris Kingsley and the rest of the staff, and has taken on a big role there and is doing a job. terrific. So it’s a reward for her. »