Seattle NHL hires former US team captain Cammi Granato as scout

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle's expansion NHL franchise has hired former U.S. Olympic team captain Cammi Granato as a pro scout.

Granato is one of a handful of women working on the hockey operations side of an NHL franchise and she is the only female pro scout currently in the league. Last year, Toronto hired Hayley Wickenheiser as their assistant director of player development and Noelle Needham as an amateur scout.

Granato, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010, is one of five pro scouts Seattle announced Wednesday. The franchise also added former NHL players Stu Barnes and Ulf Samuelsson, both of whom worked as assistant coaches in the league following the end of their playing careers. John Goodwin and Dave Hunter round out the pro scouting staff.