“First” is a word often associated with Leah Hextall, who is blazing a trail for women in sports and beyond.

The National Hockey League Broadcaster is the first female to call play-by-play commentary for a nationally televised NHL game as part of Sportsnet’s first all-female broadcast team. Hextall also made history as the first woman to call an NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship game for ESPN in 2019.

In the face of convention and, on occasion - harassment, Hextall stands on a stage, at the podium, or behind the microphone, reminding anyone who can hear that she is not one of the boys and inviting more women to join her.

A veteran broadcaster of nearly 20 years,...