PWHL teams announce first head coaches in franchise history

Scott Maxwell
Scott Maxwell
PWHL teams announce first head coaches in franchise history

The Professional Women’s Hockey League have announced the inaugural head coaches for all six franchises as they approach the league’s debut season.

The hirings feature three women head coaches, as Courtney Kessel will coach in Boston, Kori Cheverie will coach in Montreal, and Carla MacLeod will coach in Ottawa. In addition, Charlie Burggraf will coach for Minnesota, Howie Draper will coach for New York, and Troy Ryan will coach for Toronto.

“As a league, we are fortunate to embark on our inaugural season with a distinguished group of head coaches who have demonstrated leadership and a commitment to player development at all levels of women’s hockey,” said PWHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations Jayna Hefford in a statement announcing the hirings.  “I want to credit our General Managers for their efforts in identifying highly qualified candidates that are well respected and motivated to help our athletes reach their full potential in the PWHL.”

Kessel has coaching experience that spans all the way back to 2014, and has served as a head coach for the Toronto Furies in the CWHL in 2018-19 and for the Canada U-18 women’s team in 2022-23. She also spent four seasons as an assistant coach for the Princeton University women’s hockey team. She had a playing career spanning 13 seasons from 2005 to 2018, playing in the CWHL, NCAA, Provincial WHL, and three women’s world championship tournaments.

Burggraf has spent 14 seasons in coaching roles at Bethel University, including four seasons as a head coach of the women’s team before spending eight after that as the head coach for the men’s team. He also had a playing career spanning eight seasons from 1973 to 1981, mostly in the NCAA and in the German hockey league.

Draper has spent the past 25 seasons as the head coach of one of the most successful women’s hockey programs in Canada with the University of Alberta, along with one stint as the assistant coach of the Canadian women’s world championship team in 2015-16, and three years with the Canadian women’s U-18 team from 2018 to 2022. He also played with the men’s team at the University of Alberta for four seasons before moving on to coaching.

Cheverie has coaching experience that spans all the way back to 2016, and has served as a head coach for Scarborough Sharks U18 AA team in the LLFHL in 2016-17, and Team Ontario Red in 2019-20. She also spent four seasons as the assistant coach for Ryerson University. She had a playing career spanning 11 seasons from 2005 to 2016, including five seasons with Saint Mary’s University and six seasons with the Toronto Aeros/Furies in the CWHL.

Ryan has coaching experience that spans all the way back to 2000, including serving as the head coach of the Dalhousie University women’s team from 2020 to 2022, the Canadian women’s world championship team from 2020 to 2023, and for the 2022 Canadian women’s Olympic team. He also had a six-season playing career from 1990 to 1998 with the Halifax Jr. Canadians, Halifax Mooseheads (in the MJAHL), the University of New Brunswick, and Saint Mary’s University.

MacLeod has coaching experience that spans all the way back to 2006, including serving as the head coach for Edge School for the CSSHL U-18 women’s team, the University of Calgary women’s team, and the Czechia Women’s world championship team. She also had an 11-year playing career from 1999 to 2010, playing in the NCAA, WWHL, four Canadian women’s world championship teams, and two Canadian women’s Olympic teams.

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