new york and toronto – The Women’s Professional Hockey League (PWHL) announced today that Troy Ryan has been named general manager and head coach of PWHL San Jose. Ryan, a veteran coach with a long track record rooted in talent evaluation and development, will be the first person in the PWHL to hold this dual role. Prior to joining PWHL San Jose, Ryan served as the head coach of the Toronto Septrees for the team’s first three seasons and was named the PWHL’s inaugural Coach of the Year in 2024.
“Troy is a consummate professional and culture champion who has demonstrated great leadership in leadership roles on the international stage with both the PWHL and the Canadian Women’s National Hockey Team,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. “Troy has a keen understanding of what it takes to build and lead a high-performing team, and his diverse experience and competitive spirit make him well-suited to serve in the dual roles of general manager and coach in San Jose.”
Ryan leaves Toronto after leading Sceptre to the league’s best regular-season record in 2024 and the league’s second-best record in 2024-25, both of which qualified for the playoffs. She also spent nine years with the Canadian Women’s National Hockey Team, the last six as head coach, leading Canada to a gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games, three IIHF Women’s World Championships (2021, 2022, 2024), and two World Championship silver medals. The Halifax, Nova Scotia, native resigned after the conclusion of the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics, where he led Canada to a silver medal.
Prior to the PWHL and Canada Women’s National Team, Ryan coached for over 20 years at the collegiate and junior hockey levels, most recently serving as the head coach of the Dalhousie University women’s hockey team from 2020-2023. Prior to his time at Dalhousie, Ryan held various coaching and executive roles including head coach, general manager and president of the Campbellton Tigers and Metro Marauders of the Maritime Hockey League. Ryan is a four-time Hockey Nova Scotia and Maritime Junior A Hockey League Coach of the Year and was named the 2011 Hockey Nova Scotia Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. As a player, he skated for the Halifax Mooseheads of the Maritime Junior Hockey League, the University of New Brunswick in Halifax and Saint Mary’s University.
“I am honored and incredibly excited to help build this organization in San Jose,” Ryan said. “Expansion creates a rare opportunity to shape everything with intention, from our standards and culture to our connections with our people and community. We want to build a team that plays with purpose, represents the Bay Area with pride, and helps continue the growth of women’s hockey on the West Coast. We know we have a lot of work ahead of us, and that’s exactly what makes this opportunity special.”
Ryan will be tasked with building the hockey operations staff and leading the roster construction process for PWHL San Jose’s inaugural 2026-27 season, including the 2026 PWHL Draft to be held June 17 in Detroit. All stages of the comprehensive roster construction process have been finalized and are expected to be announced by the league in the coming weeks.
About the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL)
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is a North American professional ice hockey league featuring the best women’s players in the world. The 2025-26 season currently consists of eight teams: Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver, with Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas, and San Jose to be added as the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th teams for the 2026-27 season. Launched on January 1, 2024, the PWHL has broken multiple attendance records and holds the all-time record for a women’s hockey game in world history. The league was recognized as a Sports Breakthrough of the Year by the Sports Business Journal and ranked No. 1 in Canadian corporate reputation in both 2024 and 2025, according to the Harris Poll. Visit thepwhl.com to purchase tickets and merchandise and subscribe to PWHL’s e-newsletter for updates. Follow the league on social media @thepwhlofficial.
PWHL, the PWHL logo, and the PWHL team name and logo are trademarks of PWHL. © PWHL 2026. All rights reserved.
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