There is a lot of hiring to be done for a new professional women's hockey league, including coaching staffs for the six new franchises.
There is a lot of hiring to be done for a new professional women's hockey league, including coaching staffs for the six new franchises.
© Antranik Tavitian/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK - Top coaching candidates for the new professional women's hockey leagueThe pool of available coaches for the inaugural season of the new professional women’s hockey league is smaller than many might think. The timing of a January start presents a number of problems, not the least of which being that many of the world’s top coaches will be mid season in the NCAA, USports, or pro hockey.
Despite the fact almost all PHF team staff were recently fired, former PHF and PWHPA staff, recently retired pro players, and a handful of others are the primary candidates to step into coaching roles.
Here’s a look at some of the leading available coaching candidates for the inaugural season of North America’s new pro women’s hockey league, along with a few of the top women in coaching in the world who would be incredible additions to the league.
- Geraldine Heaney - Recently finishing her first season as head coach for the PHF's Toronto Six, Heaney, who is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, only managed to win an Isobel Cup championship. Heaney had the Six playing excellent hockey all season, and brings a wealth of experience to the bench. She's one of the most respected women in hockey, and it would be a shame if she wasn't behind the bench for a Toronto based franchise.
- Kori Cheverie - Brought onto the staff of the Pittsburgh Penguins as a guest coach for this season, the lack of permanency in the role, and the fact Cheverie coached in the PWHPA last season make her presence as a head coach in the new pro league a no brainer. Cheverie was the first woman to coach men's USports hockey, and the first woman to coach in Canada's men's national program. This year, along with joining the NHL's Penguins, Cheverie will also serve as the head coach for Canada's women's development team, a roster full of future members of the pro women's league, and an assistant with Canada's senior women's national team.
- Venla Hovi - Perhaps no coach would be more welcomed aside from Heaney and Cheverie than Hovi, as the Finnish coach who just finished her first season as head coach of the Metropolitan Riveters in the PHF. Hovi is a former teammate of many PWHPA stars such as national team members Blayre Turnbull, Brianne Jenner, and Rebecca Johnston, from their time in the CWHL with the Calgary Inferno. Hovi also has coaching experience with the University of Manitoba. She'd be an excellent addition to the new league.
- Paul Mara - Mara was one of the best recruiters in the PHF, and helped the Boston Pride win a pair of Isobel Cup titles, and remain atop the PHF throughout his tenure. Mara has 734 games of NHL experience, and represented Team USA on multiple occasions as a player. If there's a Boston franchise, he'd be an excellent candidate to step in.
- Peter Smith - Three-time USports coach of the year and nine-time RSEQ coach of the year, Smith has been one of the top coaches in Canadian University hockey, graduating alumni like Melodie Daoust and Ann-Sophie Bettez from his program at McGill, where he also won four national championships. Last year, Smith made the move behind the bench with the Montreal Force, and was scheduled to return again this year. Could he stay in Montreal if a franchise emerges?
- John Wroblewski - Head coaching experience in the ECHL, AHL, and the past two seasons with USA's women's senior national team. Wroblewski guided USA to a gold medal in 2023, and is currently without a full time head coaching position.
- Troy Ryan - Similar to Wroblewski, Ryan's lone coaching responsibility is under the Hockey Canada umbrella as head coach for Canada's senior national team, and an assistant on the men's side. He's got decades of experience in men's and women's hockey at the USports and international level, and coaching Junior A.
- Colton Orr - Similar to Mara, Orr is an NHL alumni and spent five seasons behind the bench of the PHF's Connecticut Whale. Following his retirement as a player, Orr purchased a junior team in Danbury. He's east coast based, but would he be willing to re-locate if the right job opportunity presented itself.
- Carla MacLeod - If there's one coach who can guide a team to bigger things, it's MacLeod. She's proven that by taking Czechia from an afterthought to the leading contender to unseat Canada or the USA from their throne after winning back-to-back bronze medals at the World Championships. As the head coach for Czechia and head coach for the University of Calgary in USports. Having coached some of the best international players in the world, and working alongside members of Canada's national team as her assistant coaches in Calgary, MacLeod could be a key figure in unifying women's hockey. Would she be willing to leave Calgary?
- Vicky Sunohara - Similar to MacLeod, Sunohara is one of the best in the business. She's the back-to-back USports women's hockey coach of the year leading the University of Toronto, and is closely tied to the PWHPA. She's also coached within Hockey Canada meaning Sunohara has worked with many of the league's athletes. She's knowledgeable, has a proven track record, and is a legend of the game. With her family rooted in Toronto, Sunohara may not leave USports, or want to coach in another city, but she's absolutely one of the best candidates on the planet. Sunohara and MacLeod, along with coaches like Tara Watchorn, Julie Chu, Lisa Haley, and Caroline Ouellette, would all be incredible, if they can be lured away from current jobs.
- Laura McIntosh - After several seasons as an assistant coach at the USports level, McIntosh, a former NCAA star with Ohio State and player in the CWHL, stepped into a coaching role last season with the PWHPA's Team Sonnet.
- Laura Schuler - If there's one experienced coach who could be lured into a head coaching role, it's Laura Schuler, who has served as a head coach with Northeastern and Dartmouth in the NCAA and Canada's senior national team. Currently, she's an assistant at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and would be a veteran addition to this fledgling league.
Other Candidates: Lisa Haley, Shannon Miller, Julie Chu, Caroline Ouellette, Tara Watchorn, Matt Leitner, Karolina Urban, Ivo Mocek, Danièle Sauvageau, Alexandre Tremblay, Philipe Trahan, Dean Seymour, Brian Purdy, PJ Micheal, Paul Geiger, Jessica Campbell, Rebecca Johnston, Meghan Duggan, Kelsey Koelzer, Cassandra Turner, Katie Crowley, Lee-J Mirasolo, Ronda Curtin Engelhardt, Candice Moxley, Liz Keady Norton, Margot Page, Katie Lachapelle, Michelle Picard, Jess Turi, Sarah Hilworth.