Report: Female referees on the way for NHL?

According to a report from TSN NHL insider Darren Dreger hockey fans can expect to see female referees and/or linesmen (lines-person?) in the American Hockey League (AHL) this season.

Here's what Dreger had to say on his most recent segment of TSN's Insider Trading segment: 

"It's very likely that you will see women officiating in the AHL at some point this season."

It's worth noting that the CHL (QMJHL, OHL and WHL) has also announced that it will introduce female officials this season, as well. The AHL though looks to be the first North American professional league open to hiring female officials. And you know what? It's about damn time. If you can keep up with the play, if you can call the game fairly and if you can deal with the pressures of being a professional hockey official then I don't care what gender your birth certificate reads. Male, female... I don't care... just get the call right.

You have to imagine that it's only a matter of time until we have female officials in the NHL. After all, look at both the NBA and the NFL. The NBA hired Violet Palmer as its first official female referee way, way, waaay back in 1997. Today there are five female full-time referees in the NBA. Sarah Thomas was hired as a full-time official by the NHL in 2015 and this past February she became the first woman to officiate in the Super Bowl. It's worth noting that in the 1990s a female hockey referee named Heather McDaniel was one of the most respected officials in the sport and even worked her way up the ranks to ref pro games for several minor leagues. To date though no female official has ever worked an NHL game. Expect that to change, however. 

Of course, where women officials have a distinct distinct advantage over male officials on the ice though is when it comes to the rough stuff. I think it's fair to say that all things being equal, men are better equipped to break up scrums and interject when things get out of hand. Having said that though, if a woman can prove that she's just a capable as a male counterpart in these situations then I have no concerns.