Annelies Bergmann, an incredibly talented goaltender from Detroit, is set to make American junior hockey history next week.

The North American Hockey League’s Janesville (Wisc.) Jets announced that it has added Bergmann to its active roster and plans to start her in their game April 7 against the Springfield Jr. Blues. She will become the first woman to appear in a regular-season game for a Tier I or II junior hockey team in the United States.

The NAHL is the only Tier II Junior A hockey league in the U.S. and has helped develop famous alumni like Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and three-time Stanley Cup champion Patrick Maroon, among scores of others.

The 17-year-old Detroit native was invited to Janesville's preseason camp last summer and performed well enough to earn a spot in the camp's all-star game and put her on the team's radar for a roster spot.

“A core mission of the Jets is giving elite hockey players an opportunity to develop and advance to the highest level if they earn it. Annelies Bergmann is a rising star in USA Hockey, and we believe she earned this unique opportunity,” said Jets President Bill McCoshen in a statement released by the team. "We also understand the inspiration this will give to female hockey players across the county.”

Bergmann has spent most of this season playing for the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 18 and under team, which plays in the highest level of youth hockey in the United States, Tier 1 AAA. At the club level, she has primarily played on boys teams throughout her youth hockey career.

Bergmann checks in at 6-feet and is one of the top women’s hockey prospects in the country, having played for the U.S. Women’s National Under-18 Team in each of the last two IIHF World U18 Women’s Championships. She is currently committed to play Division I women’s hockey at Cornell University.

Over her two trips to Women’s U18 Worlds, Bergmann posted a sparkling .933 save percentage while going 5-3-0, with the U.S. collecting silver and bronze in each of her appearances.

"She uses her athleticism to get around the net to be able to find the puck. She can either look over players or around players. She's not afraid to battle."
- @SamiJoSmall on 6'1 Team USA Goaltender Annelies Bergmann
Bergmann is 16. From Lancaster, PA. pic.twitter.com/kgGqXSbTaQ

— Mike Murphy (@DigDeepBSB) June 7, 2022

That U18 team has been a stepping stone for many women to the U.S. Olympic Women's Hockey Team. Based on her current track record, Bergmann appears poised to be on the Olympic radar for Team USA in the very near future with the next Olympic games slated for 2026.

Over the last five seasons, Bergmann has played with and against boys for some of Michigan’s most competitive club programs. As a 12-year-old, she played in the popular World Selects Invitational, on the same team as 2023 NHL Draft top prospect Connor Bedard and represented the Pittsburgh Penguins at the historic Quebec International Peewee Tournament.

Unprecedented In The United States

When Bergmann steps between the pipes for Janesville, she will become the first woman to play goalie in one of the top two tiers of junior hockey in the United States. Women have played in games in prominent junior hockey leagues in Canada over the years as well, but never south of the border.

Just last season, Ève Gascon, who appeared in two games in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Gatineau Olympiques. She became the first woman to win a game in Canada’s major junior ranks when she stopped 23 of 26 shots against the Drummondville Voltigeurs in a 7-3 victory last April. 

Gascon was the third woman to play in the league, following Charline Labonte, who played for Acadie-Bathurst Titan in 2000 and the legendary Manon Rheaume, who also famously appeared in an NHL preseason game with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992.

Additionally, former Canada national team goalie Shannon Szabados played the bulk of her club and collegiate career in men’s hockey. That included an extended stint in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, which is one of the top junior A leagues in Canada.

In 2009, the Chicago Steel of the USHL, the only Tier 1 junior A league in the United States, made goalie Alex Rigsby the first woman to be drafted into the league. Rigsby, who is now Alex Cavallini, never got into a USHL game. She did, however, go on to a decorated career at the University of Wisconsin and with the U.S. Women's National Team. She is an Olympic gold and silver medalist and a five-time world champion.

American women have also played in men’s professional leagues in the United States, including both goalie Erin Whitten and defender Angela Ruggiero. Szabados also played parts of three seasons professionally in the Southern Professional Hockey League.

The first woman to play in a professional men’s game is believed to be Karen Koch, who was a goaltender for the Marquette (Mich.) Iron Rangers when the United States Hockey League was a professional league in 1969-70. 

Bergmann, however, is entering uncharted waters for a women’s player at the U20 level in American hockey. Junior hockey is the primary pipeline for both the collegiate and professional ranks in men's hockey. 

The NAHL was also the home of another landmark event for women in hockey just last week as Maryland Black Bears assistant coach Kim Weiss became the first woman to lead a team to a win in American junior hockey. She served as acting head coach for the Black Bears as they won each of their three games against the Johnstown Tomahawks while regular head coach Clint Mylymok was unavailable for the weekend series. In the process, Maryland also clinched a playoff spot.

Beyond The Fanfare

Bergmann is one of the brightest young goaltenders in her age group. She has proven herself against boys' teams throughout her entire career and has enjoyed tremendous success internationally in women’s hockey. When she was invited to Janesville's camp this summer, she earned her spot and then continued to earn her way to the camp all-star game with her play. That also landed her on the radar for another opportunity at the junior level when her club team’s season ended.

#AnneleisBergmann is the first female @JanesvilleJets1 ever had in Main Camp and she earned a spot in our all-star game! Keep an eye on her. She’ll be on the @usahockey Olympic team someday. pic.twitter.com/spgvIPFSpW

— Bill McCoshen (@billmccoshen) July 27, 2022

With the Jr. Grizzlies this season, playing in a variety of events, tournaments and leagues, the teenage sensation went 16-9 with a 2.08 goals-against average and .945 save percentage.

Part of what makes her so unique among her women's hockey peers is her height. Bergmann's 6-foot frame allows her to take up more of the top of the net. Many of the women goalies that have achieved the highest levels of success against men have been 5-foot-6 or shorter. Szabados, one of the most decorated women's goalies of all time, was among the tallest at 5-foot-9.

Bergmann has to rely less on quickness and overly aggressive plays to take away the net like shorter goalies do. As a result, she's able play sound positionally, and plays a contained style which leaves her less prone to losing her net. She does a good job of taking the bottom of the net away, and staying upright to prevent good looks off of rebounds. She's also a lot harder to screen.

While the height is a key factor, Bergmann's quickness and athleticism help her make some of those big saves goalies have to make for their teams to trust them in all situations.

At just 17 years old, Bergmann has a remarkably high ceiling and appears on the fast track for tremendous success in the game.

Cornell has grown into one of the top women's programs in the country, having made it to the NCAA tournament seven times since 2010, which included four Women's Frozen Four trips in that span, most recently in 2019.

There's also a strong chance she's in net for Team USA in at least one Olympics for Team USA and likely gets a lot of opportunities to represent her country on the biggest stages. Before she can do that, though, she's got a chance to make significant history within USA's vast junior hockey landscape.

“We were all very impressed with Annelies’ performance when she came here for main camp last year, and this is a direct result of the work she’s put in,” said Jets Head Coach and GM Joe Dibble in a statement. “She played through a tough goaltenders camp and showed great potential, and continued on to perform in our All Star Game at camp against some high talent. Annelies has worked extremely hard to get to this point in her young career, and she’s absolutely earned this opportunity. We’re all greatly excited to see her suit up and skate wearing the Jets logo.”

Bergmann will start the team's second-to-last game of the season. The team will be selling discounted tickets to girls under 18 to be on hand for this momentous night in U.S. junior hockey history.

The game will stream exclusively on FloSports subsidiary HockeyTV at 7:05 p.m.