MANON RHÉAUME NAMED GENERAL MANAGER OF PWHL DETROIT | PWHL
NEW YORK AND TORONTO (May 15, 2026) — The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) immediately introduced the appointment of Manon Rhéaume as General Manager of PWHL Detroit. A trailblazer and one of the vital influential figures in girls’s hockey historical past, Rhéaume joins the workforce following 4 seasons with the Los Angeles Kings in Hockey Operations and an impactful 11-year tenure with the Little Caesars AAA (LCAAA) Hockey Club.
“Manon is a pioneer whose impact on the game extends far beyond the ice,” mentioned Jayna Hefford, PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. “She brings an unmatched hockey resume, a championship mindset, and a lifelong commitment to growing the women’s game. Her experience at every level of hockey, combined with her leadership and vision, makes her the perfect person to lead PWHL Detroit into its inaugural season.”
As the long-standing LCAAA Girls’ Division Director, Rhéaume has leveraged her hockey expertise to offer unparalleled mentorship, growth, and management for Detroit’s subsequent technology of elite athletes. Rhéaume continues to be a strong advocate for group engagement, rising the sport, and creating important accessibility and alternatives for younger women within the sport.
Rhéaume made historical past as the primary girl to signal an expert hockey contract and to play in an NHL sport that redefined alternatives for generations of gamers to observe. Internationally, she represented Canada on the highest degree, profitable two gold medals on the IIHF Women’s World Championship and a silver medal on the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. She’s already been part of PWHL historical past, performing the ceremonial puck drop on the first-ever PWHL sport at Little Caesars Arena on March 16, 2024.
“I’m incredibly honored and excited to join the PWHL and help build something special in Detroit,” mentioned Rhéaume. “This city has such a deep hockey tradition, and the passion for hockey here is truly special. The growth of women’s hockey has been incredible to watch, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help shape the future of the sport alongside the PWHL. I can’t wait to get started and build a team that Detroit fans will be proud of.”
Rhéaume will lead PWHL Detroit into its inaugural 2026–27 season by assembling a hockey operations workers and with a roster constructing course of highlighted by the 2026 PWHL Draft, to be hosted at Detroit’s Fox Theater on June 17. All phases of the excellent roster constructing course of shall be finalized and introduced by the league within the coming weeks.
PWHL Detroit was formally launched on May 6 at Little Caesars Arena, with extra PWHL enlargement to Las Vegas and Hamilton, Ontario, introduced on May 13 to deliver the league’s present complete to 11 groups. The third PWHL Walter Cup Finals are presently underway between the Montréal Victoire and Ottawa Charge.
