SC Bern hires 1st female GM in men's pro hockey

SC Bern of the National League in Switzerland has hired Florence Schelling as the team's new general manager, making her the first female GM in top-level men's pro hockey.

"In the evaluation process, we ended up with Florence Schelling," SC Bern CEO Marc Luthi said in a statement, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "We came to the conclusion: Florence is the person we are looking for and want. Yes, Florence will be a pioneer, probably worldwide in her new role. But she's young, fresh, she'll bring a new perspective and break up existing structures."

The 31-year-old has been Switzerland's starting goaltender for years, representing her country at 11 world championships and four Olympics. She was named tournament MVP in Sochi in 2014 after leading her team to a bronze medal.

Schelling is also the first and only woman to play professionally with men in Switzerland, previously suiting up in the Men's National B League.

SC Bern finished in ninth place out of 12 teams in 2019-20. The National League canceled the remainder of its season in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.