Seattle hires Cammi Granato as NHL's 1st female pro scout

Hockey Hall of Famer Cammi Granato is the first female pro scout in NHL history after Seattle's franchise hired her as part of its first group of scouts.

The club also announced the hiring of Ulf Samuelsson, Stu Barnes, Dave Hunter, and John Goodwin to round out the staff.

"I've had other NHL opportunities to get back into hockey," Granato said, according to NHL.com's Bob Condor. "Seattle is the right fit for me and an exciting organization to join. It lined up as the perfect opportunity."

Granato was a star talent in her playing days with the women's United States hockey program. She captained the Americans to a gold medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympics and a silver at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City.

"For me as a player, I recognized hockey IQ when I would give up the puck to a teammate and it didn't go into a sort of black hole," Granato said. "That high-IQ player would make the right decisions with the puck. They know what to do with the puck and without it. They anticipate plays to be made and see peripherally."

Granato and Canadian Angela James became the first females to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November 2010.

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