Troy Ryan named coach, GM of expansion PWHL San Jose team
Troy Ryan will be the first person to hold both the head coach and GM positions in a single PWHL season. Jamie Squire / Getty Images
Troy Ryan has been named the head coach and general manager of the PWHL’s expansion team in San Jose, Calif., the league announced Friday.
Ryan served as the head coach of the Toronto Sceptres for the team’s first three seasons, winning coach of the year in 2024. He also spent nearly a decade with the Canadian women’s national team, including six years as head coach, winning Olympic gold in 2022, three world championships and silver at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
“Troy is a consummate professional and culture driver who has excelled in leadership roles both in the PWHL and with Canada’s National Women’s Hockey Team,” PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford said in a statement. “Troy has a keen understanding of what it takes to build and lead a high-performing team, and his diverse set of experiences and competitive spirit make him a strong fit to hold the dual role of General Manager and Coach in San Jose.”
Since the PWHL launched in 2024, Ryan has balanced coaching the Sceptres and Team Canada. With his contract set to expire with the national team, Ryan stepped down from his position to allow the program to transition through the next Olympic cycle.
Now, his focus will be on PWHL San Jose, where Ryan will become the first person in league history to hold both the GM and coach positions in a single season.
“I’m honored and incredibly excited to help build this organization in San Jose,” Ryan said in a statement. “Expansion creates a rare opportunity to shape everything with intention, from the standards and culture to the people and connection to the community. We want to build a team that plays with purpose, represents The Bay Area with pride, and helps to continue to grow women’s hockey on the West Coast. We know there is a lot of work ahead, and that is exactly what makes this opportunity so special.”
The PWHL announced last week that it chose San Jose as its fourth and final expansion team for the 2026-27 season, in addition to Detroit, Las Vegas and Hamilton. The four new teams will join the PWHL’s eight current markets in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, Boston, Minnesota, New York and Seattle.
U.S. women’s hockey legend Meghan Duggan (Hamilton), trailblazer Manon Rhéaume (Detroit) and Dominique DiDia of CAA Sports (Las Vegas) have been named as the league’s newest general managers over the last week.
In San Jose, Ryan will be tasked with assembling the team’s roster through the league’s expansion roster-building process, the 2026 PWHL Draft and free agency. According to a league news release, all phases of the “comprehensive” expansion roster-building process will be finalized and announced by the league in the coming weeks.
A document sent to players by the PWHL Players Association last month, and reviewed by The Athletic, stated there will be a series of signing windows and no traditional expansion draft. That process is expected to begin on June 2.
The Sceptres, which missed the playoffs for the first time this season, have already begun their search for a new head coach, according to a statement from general manager Gina Kingsbury.
“While we are disappointed to see Troy leave, we are genuinely happy for him as he takes this next step in his career,” the statement said. “Although transitions like this are never easy, they also create new opportunities for growth and evolution. We are confident in the people, structure, and environment we have built in Toronto and believe strongly in our ability to continue building something special together.”
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