Back in February during the Winter Olympics in Turin, Angela Ruggiero made headlines in Canada.
Ruggiero, a member of the U.S. women’s hockey team, in an interview with Sports Illustrated’s website, accused the Canadian team of running up the score after beating Italy 16-0 and Russia 12-0 in preliminary-round games. Most Canadians dismissed this as the bitter rivals from south of the border playing mind games with the Canadians in anticipation of the two teams meeting in the final.
Later in the week, the U.S. were shocked by Sweden in their semi-final. I turned to my friend at work and said, “at least now, Angela Ruggiero doesn’t have to worry about Canada running up the score on her team.” Canada won gold while the U.S. won bronze.
Three months later, Ruggiero made news again, this time as the person chosen from an NBC.com poll of 12 American Olympic athletes to compete on the sixth season of The Apprentice, which premieres on Sunday. This marked the first time the public were involved in the casting process for a non all-star version of a major reality show.
First of all, that was a shock. Women’s hockey gets negligible coverage in the U.S. Heck, the NHL gets less coverage in the U.S. than the Canadian WOMEN’S team gets in Canada. So for Ruggiero to be chosen over better known athletes such as speedskaters Casey FitzRandolph and Chad Hendrick and bobsledder Todd Hays was already a victory in itself.
Now it’s on to L.A. where she spent part of her years growing up (along with Harper Woods, MI) and where she faces 17 other candidates for the $250,000 year-long gig in Donald Trump’s empire.
If The Apprentice were a hockey game, she’d have no problem. The defenseman is a gold, silver, and bronze medal holder from her three Olympic appearances and a member of the 2005 women’s world championship team. She won multiple honors at Harvard including the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Trophy winner as the nation’s top women’s hockey player in 2004. In 2003, The Hockey News voted her the best female player in the world. She was also considered one of the top female athletes in all of the NCAA, all that while graduating cum laude in government.
In 2005, she teamed with brother Bill and became the first female player (non-goalie) to play in a professional game when she suited for the Central Hockey League’s Tulsa Oilers. Recently, she joined Canadian stars Hayley Wickenheiser and Geraldine Healey in a tour with former NHL stars, playing with and against men.
However, skates are not permitted in Trump’s boardroom so based on what we know from her bio and based on what we know about what it takes to hear “You’re Hired.” We can guess if Ruggiero has the right stuff.
First of all, let’s be honest. She’ll be a target. No, she won’t have Jennifer Botterill skating in on her to get a scoring chance, just 17 people whispering “That’s the Olympian broad the fans voted in.” Even small mistakes might be an opening for other candidates to point her out in the boardroom, regardless of how little she contributed to the team loss.
Otherwise, her credentials are solid.
She runs hockey schools and camps for girls and women’s players, and she is also a director of Project Hope, an initiative of New York Islanders owner Charles Wang to develop hockey in China.
One would think that this demonstrates patience, a good temprament, strong work ethic, and a natural ability to both work well with employees and present herself well to clients and customers.
On top of that, as an ambassador of a growing sport that needs as much positive promotion as possible, she no doubt has developed an ability to keep her thoughts and feelings well in check.
Whatever patience she has will be severely tested if and when she takes a turn as project manager, but she should pass that test.
All that remains for Angela Ruggiero, is the same question that applies to all candidates. How creative is she and how effective can she be working outside her comfort zone?
Can she win? It’s gonna be tough. But we should be getting a top effort. I wouldn’t be surprised if she outlasts half the candidates in the process. Win or lose, expect her to do herself and USA Hockey proud.
She might even endear herself to fans of the Canadian women’s team who are accustomed to cheering against her.
