Erica Kromm, who played nine seasons of pro hockey in Canada after her ECAC Hockey career, has joined the Yale women’s hockey staff as an assistant coach.
Kromm, who was in her first season as an assistant coach at LIU this winter, spent the last two seasons coaching at Mount Royal University in the Canadian U Sports Division.
“We are thrilled to add Erica to our staff and cannot wait for her to mentor, teach and help lead our players,” said Yale head coach Mark Bolding in a statement. “Erica has deep and impactful family roots at the highest levels of hockey. She possesses great passion for the game and brings with her an impressive blend of leadership, coaching and pro-level playing experience to Yale. Erica’s familiarity of the Ivy League and the ECAC will be a big advantage for us as she works with our current and future student-athletes.”
Kromm played defense and forward with the Calgary Inferno of the CWHL and the PWHPA. A two-time Clarkson Cup champion (2016, 2018), Kromm served as team captain in 2017-18 and assistant captain from 2013 to 2015. She finished her nine-year pro career playing in 179 games while collecting 13 goals and 37 points.
“I am elated to join the Yale women’s ice hockey staff and team,” Kromm said. “It is an honor to have the opportunity to contribute to such a prestigious university as Yale. I look forward to being a part of the program’s continued success on and off of the ice.”
Kromm was team captain at Brown under legendary head coach Digit Murphy. She was All-Ivy honorable mention while earning the team’s Pride and Perseverance Award and the Panda Cup (awarded by the coaches to a player who demonstrates leadership and determination). Kromm finished her collegiate career with 16 goals and 42 points in 115 games. She graduated in 2011 with a degree in the Commerce, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship, specializing in Sociology and European Medieval History.
In her first regular season as assistant coach at Mount Royal, the team broke a program-high eight records, including goals scored. Kromm helped lead MRU to a second-round playoff win, and a Canada West silver medal that helped the team claim a berth in the U Sports national championships.
Kromm, who worked at the highly regarded North American Hockey Academy helping elite U-18 prospective student-athletes prepare for college careers, is a third-generation hockey coach. Her grandfather, Bobby Kromm, had a 17-year professional coaching career. He was a player-coach for the Trail Smoke Eaters when they won the 1961 World Hockey Championship and spent three seasons in the NHL as the head coach for the Detroit Red Wings. Her father, Richard, was a professional hockey player for 10 seasons, including stints with the NHL’s Calgary Flames and New York Islanders. Richard, who has also coached and served in various leadership positions at the major junior and professional level, is currently a scout for the Chicago Blackhawks.
