Kelley Steadman, Adult Player of the Year, Achieves Success at Every Level
Kelley Steadman has consistently advocated for girls and women’s hockey.
As an athlete, she has secured championships in various leagues and international competitions. Steadman has also played a significant role in introducing the sport to numerous girls in the Tampa, Florida, region through her current position with the Lightning.
In recognition of her achievements both on and off the ice, Steadman has been awarded USA Hockey’s Adult Player of the Year Award for this year. She will receive this honor at the USA Hockey President’s Awards Dinner on June 5 in Denver.
“When you are passionate about the sport and it’s been a big part of your life, you want to leave the sport better than you found it,” Steadman remarked. “It’s a huge honor and it’s exciting.”
The USA Hockey Adult Player of the Year award has been awarded annually since 2005 to acknowledge the exceptional achievements of an American-born adult ice hockey player.
Steadman currently serves as the girls hockey development coordinator with the Tampa Bay Lightning. In this capacity, her emphasis is on creating opportunities for girls to engage with the sport of hockey.
In her free time, Steadman continues to play. In April, she participated with the Carolina Lady Hurricanes A team, which secured the 21 and older Tier 1 title during the USA Hockey-Long Drink Adult Women’s National Championships.
“I feel like any time I get to actually put my equipment back on and play, it’s a blast,” Steadman stated. “Every year after this tournament, I text some of my friends from the national team and tell them that I’m feeling good and maybe I could give it another run. But then I think about how sore I am the next day. It’s a ton of fun though.”
Steadman’s team had previously finished as runners-up in the last two national championships before finally winning the title this year.
“Every year I’ve been either the oldest or one of the oldest players,” Steadman noted. “It’s a great group of girls and it was just a lot of fun to be able to win it this year. We had a great time.”
Steadman, a former standout at Mercyhurst, contributed to the U.S. Women’s National Team’s victories in IIHF Women’s World Championship gold medals in 2011 and 2013. She also earned gold at the 2008 Under-18 Women’s World Championship.
In addition to her international achievements, Steadman won a Clarkson Cup in 2013 with the Boston Blades of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, a European Women’s Championship Cup in 2014 with Moscow’s Hockey Club Tornado, and an Isobel Cup in 2017 with the Buffalo Beauts of the National Women’s Hockey League.
“The fact that she’s been a champion at every level shows how great of a player she is,” said Gloria Smith, the girls and diversity community and hockey development coordinator with the Lightning. “And from her history, it’s amazing to see what she does to give back to her community. She puts in so much work, and it really shows her passion for wanting to grow the game.”
Steadman obtained a master’s degree in instructional leadership at Robert Morris University and held the position of director of women’s hockey operations there from 2014 until 2017. She then returned to Mercyhurst University as an assistant for four seasons.
Steadman began her journey with the Lightning in a part-time ambassador role in 2021 before transitioning to a full-time position, leading girls hockey the following year. Since her arrival, the Lightning have seen a 36% increase in female participation.
“The impact she’s had in the Tampa area growing the game from the grassroots level all the way to the competitive side has been tremendous. It’s day and night,” Smith stated. “She’s a role model and someone to emulate within the community as a coach or a player.”
Steadman has played a crucial role in initiating the pathway for girls hockey in the Tampa area, starting with ball hockey, followed by Try Hockey for Free events, Learn to Play programs, and increased involvement on youth teams.
Smith mentioned that Steadman has helped develop the Tier 2 level at four different age groups, starting at 10U and extending to 16U hockey. There are also multiple Learn to Play and Learn to Skate programs, enhancing the foundation at the youngest levels.
This past year alone, the Tampa area saw an 8% increase in girls hockey.
“I’ve been around the Lightning for about 10 years and when Kelley started, she let us know that her sole purpose was to help grow the girls game, and she wanted to do things right,” said Aaron Humphrey, community and hockey development manager for the Lightning. “It’s been an amazing ride to see what she’s been able to accomplish.”
While her work with the Lightning is Steadman’s primary focus now, she still finds time to occasionally hit the ice and reconnect with her love for hockey.
“Any time I get to play, it makes me feel like a kid again and you can forget about anything else going on in your life,” Steadman expressed. “It was really fun to be back in the locker room again and to be in that environment. I got to meet new people and play against individuals I haven’t seen in a long time. I had a ton of fun and just being back on the ice again was awesome.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
