Erin Hamlen

Erin Hamlen’s (née Whitten) career is a story of groundbreaking firsts, yet she speaks of her journey with a quiet humility, focusing not on her achievements but on her love for the game. Her dedication has paved the way for countless women to follow her into the world of professional hockey.

When Hamlen first laced up her skates, women’s leagues did not exist. She began playing on boys’ teams and eventually graduated to men’s professional teams after high school—a remarkable path made even more challenging by her position as a goaltender, where opportunities were already scarce. But for Hamlen, it was never about making history.

“When you’re only given certain opportunities or avenues to do the things that you love, you do them without thinking about the impact they’ll have later,” she reflected. “I didn’t do anything different than anybody else who wanted to play hockey at the time. I just played.”

With no regard for the glass ceilings shattering to the floor around her, she continued her playing career through college, men’s professional hockey and a concurrent, almost 10-year long stint with the United States Women’s National Team. 

Hamlen grew up in Glens Falls, New York, a town that lived and breathed hockey. Their thriving hockey community was formative for her.

“You felt like you were just immersed in it all the time.”

“It was one of those communities where if you didn’t play hockey as a male you were an outlier. As a female it was unique, but I relished being just a little different than everybody else,” she smiles.  

After high school hockey she played for four years at the University of New Hampshire before graduating in 1993. While she was there she helped lead the team to two ECAC championships.

The NCAA did not sponsor a women’s ice hockey championship until 2001. The ECAC hosted a league championship starting in 1984, which was the only women’s collegiate championship for over 15 years. 

After graduating from UNH, Hamlen tried out for the Adirondack Red Wings (AHL) which played in her hometown and she grew up watching. She was picked up by their ECHL affiliate, the Toledo Storm.

During her time with the Storm, she became the first woman to earn a victory in a professional hockey game as a goaltender.

“I went in at the beginning of the second period because supposedly our starting goalie was injured. I’m pretty positive that was the plan from the beginning and they just didn’t fill me in,” she laughed. “I ended up getting the win and it was a huge splash for so many people. It was a cool experience because a lot of those doors opened up for me.”

Hamlen’s eager personality likely made it easier for her to fit in. 

“Because I just tried to blend in and try to be one of them, I wasn’t thought of as something completely different,” she explained. “From an internal perspective, most of the teams were supportive and I never really felt too isolated.”

Over the course of her professional career, Hamlen bounced around to a number of different teams.

“The beginning was always the hardest, when I didn’t know how I was going to be received,” she shared. “[I experienced] both ends of the spectrum, some people wanted to make my life miserable but for the most part I had really great support with every team I played with.”

Aside from her teammates and coaches who were often encouraging, she explains that outsiders had the most to say about her career.

“There were moments when a reporter would decide that they didn’t like me or wanted to take an angle that a woman [didn’t] belong in [that] environment. I had that happen to me a couple of times,” she remembered. 

“Then it became harder because it was people on the outside who wanted to judge me and what I was doing. They didn’t take the time to know why I was doing it, they just wanted to judge.”

During her career, she became one of the first women to play in the ECHL and the first woman to play in both the Central Hockey League and the Colonial Hockey League. At the same time she was playing for the U.S. Women’s National team as their starting goalie.

“With the national team, there are so many memories, some really, really good and some definitely heartbreaking,” she admitted.

Women’s ice hockey was not an Olympic sport until 1998, and the U.S.the national team was a vessel for spreading awareness for the game and increasing the level of competition.

“We were traveling to international tournaments, it seemed like a big deal to us, but at the same time the world didn’t really know about us so it was understated in a lot of ways.”

Competing in the Olympics is the ultimate dream for most athletes, and for many, joining the national team is the first step toward that goal. Pulling on your country’s jersey becomes a defining moment: a symbol of pride and connection to the generations of athletes who came before. That jersey carries the weight of history, representing everyone who has ever worn it.  

But for the first group of women to don that jersey, it held a different significance. There was no nostalgia tied to it yet, no legacy to uphold. Instead, they were the ones creating the history that future generations would honor. 

“At the time I didn’t recognize just how big it was. The women today who have seen so many come before and so much more hype around the game. I would imagine that their first experience putting on the USA jersey might be a little different than mine.”

When the U.S. National Team finalized its inaugural women’s roster for the 1998 Winter Olympics, Hamlen was ultimately left off the team, missing the chance to compete in the historic games.

“Not making the Olympics was crushing,” she remembered. “I got cut three days before Christmas and all my teammates went on [to win the gold medal].”

“It was really hard for a long time. But I’ve taken that and used it for myself as a way to inspire other young athletes through adversity and I became very resilient.”

A few years later, Hamlen chose to retire to pursue her coaching career.

After hanging up her skates, she returned to her alma mater, the University of New Hampshire, as an assistant coach and would go on to coach the Boston Blades (Canadian Women’s Hockey league), assisting with the U.S. Women’s National Team. She also led Under-18 Teams for the U.S., China, and Japan. 

In 2012, she then started the Division III program at the University of New England. And ten years ago she began the Division I team at Merrimack College and has remained the sole head coach of the program since then.

After early success with the young Merrimack team, the program faced some challenges and Hamlen is working to rebuild a strong team culture.

“The possibility to win every night is there and I don’t think I could have said that two, three years ago,” she shared. “We’re now at a place where we’re creating a renewed belief that we can become a winning program again and become more established.”

Part of Hamlen’s role as a Division I coach is preparing her players for what comes after their college careers. With the success of the PWHL, the landscape of women’s hockey for postgraduates has completely changed. 

“The PWHL has become this league that everybody aspires to go to,” she said. “Now [after college], your life isn’t over, your hockey career isn’t over.” 

“It’s an opportunity I wish I had. Instead of looking up to Conor Bedard or any of the men’s pro players, you’re looking up to Hillary Knight and Aerin Frankel.”

Hamlen also noted that her parents are an incredible influence on her even today. 

“The things they sacrificed and what they did to make sure I got everything I wanted. When you get older in life you recognize it more,” she explained. “I wouldn’t be anywhere near the person or player that I was, or the coach that I am, without them.”

Hamlen’s story is more than a tale of breaking barriers and achieving firsts– it is a testament to resilience, quiet leadership, and an unwavering love for the game of hockey. From playing on ponds and backyard rinks in Glens Falls to paving the way for future generations as a player and coach, her legacy is one of grit, perseverance, and selflessness.

Hamlen never sought recognition or acclaim; she simply wanted to play the game she loved and help others do the same. In doing so, she became a symbol of possibility for countless women in hockey, proving that success is not only measured by accolades but by the impact left on others.

As she continues to shape the next generation of players at Merrimack College, Hamlen remains driven by the same passion that carried her through years of groundbreaking achievements. The doors she opened and the culture she helped build will resonate far beyond her own career, inspiring others to dream bigger and aim higher.

Even though Hamlen did not set out to break barriers or redefine what was possible for women in hockey, she managed to do just that.