From a New York Times obit by Richard Sandomir headlined “Robin Herman, Who Pried Open Doors in the NHL, Dies at 70”:

Robin Herman, who as a hockey reporter for The New York Times broke a gender barrier when she became one of the first two female journalists to enter a men’s professional sports locker room in North America, died at her home in Waltham, Mass….

Ms. Herman began covering the New York Islanders for The Times in 1974, but National Hockey League teams had routinely denied her the same locker room access that they gave to male reporters seeking to interview players after games. Like other reporters, she wanted to quote players to add their insights and perspectives to her game stories, which she had to file under tight deadlines.