Five Things To Know About New Vancouver Goldeneyes General Manager Alison Izzi

The Vancouver Goldeneyes will enter the 2026–27 season with a fresh look to their management and coaching staff. Former General Manager Cara Gardner Morey stepped into the organization’s open Head Coach role after Brian Idalski was fired in June. In Gardner Morey’s place comes Alison Izzi, who brings a plethora of front-office experience from both the NHL and AHL to the Goldeneyes. 

Here are five things to know about the Goldeneyes’ new GM. 

While 2026–27 will be Izzi’s first season working in the PWHL, the new GM will bring plenty of experience to the Goldeneyes from both the NHL and AHL. 

An attorney with a Doctorate in Law from Western New England University School of Law, Izzi’s initial hockey experiences began in communications and social media in the AHL in 2017. She later joined the league as a Director of Hockey Administration in 2018, serving in this role up until 2024. She started the 2024–25 season as the AHL’s Vice President of Hockey Operations/Governance, taking the role for one year. 

After one year in this role, Izzi shifted to the NHL, where she joined the league as a Legal Clerk in September of 2025. 

Her extensive experience with the men’s side of hockey, she said during her opening media availability, factored into why she decided to take on the role. 

“Being able to kind of take that experience and knowledge and bring it into the women’s area and contribute to the women’s game is really special for me, and a big reason why I wanted to take the role.

“My experience has been heavy on the league operation side, but thankfully, with that, I’ve gotten a lot of exposure to the team operation side and have a really deep understanding of how those things mesh together,” she added. “I’m excited about what that means I can bring to the table.” 

There were a number of reasons Vancouver specifically ended up being the right fit for Izzi. While there have been a fair number of open positions across the league throughout the off-season, specifically regarding expansion, the timing with the Goldeneyes just worked out well. 

That aside, however, the city of Vancouver itself played a decent role in why she ultimately went with the Goldeneyes. 

“I’m someone who has always really liked the West Coast, and I’ve heard a lot of great things about Vancouver, how beautiful it is. And personally, I’m someone who loves the beach, and I love to ski, and I love to hike. So I think there couldn’t have been a better spot for me to end up.” 

That’s the off-ice draw of a city like Vancouver. On the ice, however, Izzi is excited to work with a Goldeneyes staff that features Gardner Morey, assistant coach Myles Fitzgerald, and new assistant coach Delaney Collins, as well as a roster featuring stars like Sarah Nurse and KK Harvey.  

“The job, hockey operations. I’m someone who’s extremely passionate about this sport, and to be here working with this staff and these players and and this roster of coaches, it’s a fantastic place to be. And for me to have that passion and drive to continue to grow this sport, it’s really meaningful and something that is going to stay with me every day that I’m in this role.”  

Adding to that, of course, is playing for a fanbase that established themselves as one of the league’s most vocal early on. 

“Just the energy, watching the fans and the team play last year. You can tell that the city is hungry for a cup, and there’s no better place as a GM in hockey.” 

“With Cara, fairly new relationship. We had the opportunity to meet before I was hired,” Izzi explained when asked about her connection to Gardner Morey.  

While their connection is new, Izzi noted that it will be a unique one. The former Goldeneyes GM has helped her settle into the new role and will be integral in giving advice throughout the year. 

“I think it’s a really unique opportunity,” Izzi explained. “I think she’s really strong as a coach, and I really like working with her. So I think we complement each other’s strengths really well — hers in coaching and hockey development, and me obviously in law and hockey operations. And I think we’ll play off of that really well.” 

In her seven years as part of the AHL’s front-office, Izzi formed a tight connection with a fellow Hockey Administration Director and Vice President — none-other than current Minnesota Frost General Manager Melissa Caruso. Caruso served as the AHL’s Vice President of Hockey Operations/Governance from 2019 to 2024, with Izzi taking the role after her departure to work with the Frost. 

“I’m really lucky to be able to call her a friend. She’s been a great supporter. Watching her success bringing the Walter Cup to Minnesota in her first year makes me feel like there’s a lot I can bring to the table and contribute here as well.” 

It goes without saying, but Izzi, like the rest of the Goldeneyes team, is excited to get the 2026–27 season started. PWHL training camps are set to open on November 18, with the Goldeneyes kicking off their regular season on December 5 against the Seattle Torrent. 

For the most part, last year’s Goldeneyes roster remains relatively in-tact heading into 2026–27. While they didn’t make the post-season, they competed hard and forged strong relationships inside the locker room that many believe will help elevate them to a playoff position this year. Izzi shares this belief with both the staff and team. 

“We have a really great roster who’s returned. Most of our players have returned through expansion, and I think that speaks volumes to their beliefs and values, and what they built in year one, and obviously with Cara at the helm and her fantastic coaching staff, hockey’s certainly a focus. But what’s big for me, and what’s also big for Cara, is culture and values and what they’ve built in season one, moving that forward. [...] A team that’s successful on the ice is a team that has [...] great support off the ice.”