Danvers native Meghan Duggan named general manager of PWHL’s Hamilton franchise

Sport admin May 23, 2026 0 Comments

Danvers native Meghan Duggan named general manager of PWHL’s Hamilton franchise

Three-time US Olympian Meghan Duggan is leaving her player development job with the New Jersey Devils to become general manager of the PWHL’s expansion franchise in Hamilton, Ontario.

Duggan’s hiring, announced on Friday, filled three of the league’s four expansion team GM positions. The PWHL rounded out its hiring process later in the day by announcing that Troy Ryan would leave the Toronto Sceptres to take on the dual role of coach and general manager for its new team in San Jose.

The 38-year-old Duggan brings high-profile name recognition and experience to the PWHL’s fifth Canadian-based franchise. She had already been working with the league as a special consultant for the hockey operations department.

“Meghan has been an effective leader at every stage of her career, and she is a rising star in the front office ranks,” said PWHL executive VP of hockey operations Jayna Hefford, who oversaw the hiring process.

Duggan spent the past five years working for the Devils, including the past four as the team’s director of player development.

“This league represents the future of women’s professional sports. And the opportunity to help build a team, culture, and identity from the ground up is a privilege,” Duggan said. “Hamilton is a passionate sports city with a rich hockey tradition, and my goal is to create an environment where players can thrive and compete for a championship.”

The four new franchises grow the PWHL to 12 teams for next season, doubling the league’s size since it launched in 2024. The league also added teams in Detroit and Las Vegas.

Among Duggan’s immediate responsibilities are hiring a coaching staff while also preparing to begin filling out Hamilton’s roster in an expansion signing process set to begin in two weeks. Then comes the PWHL Draft on June 17.

The Danvers native won Olympic silver medals in 2010 and ’14, before winning gold in at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, with her serving as team captain. She also won seven gold medals and one silver in eight world championships appearances.

Despite her roots with the United States, Duggan has Canadian connections. She’s married to former Team Canada rival Gillian Apps, who is from the Toronto area, about an hour’s drive east of Hamilton.

Duggan played at Cushing Academy before continuing her career at the University of Wisconsin, where she won the 2011 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as women’s college hockey’s top player following her senior season with the Badgers.

Ryan leaves Toronto after coaching the team in its first three seasons to become the PWHL’s first to handle both coaching and GM duties. The move continues an offseason of transition for Ryan. He previously said he’s stepping down after a six-year stint as head coach the Canadian national women’s team.

The 54-year-old Ryan coached Canada to a gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and won silver at the Milan Cortina Games in February.

“Expansion creates a rare opportunity to shape everything with intention, from the standards and culture, to the people and connection to the community,” Ryan said. “We want to build a team that plays with purpose, represents the Bay Area with pride, and helps continue to grow women’s hockey on the West Coast.”

Ryan brings a wealth of hockey front office and coaching experience to the PWHL’s first team in California. He was the PWHL’s first coach of the year in 2024, and has a career record of 52-32-10.

Under Ryan, the Sceptres lost in the semifinal round of the playoffs in their first two seasons, and finished fifth this year after being eliminated on the final day of the regular season. In Toronto, he worked with GM Gina Kingsbury, who held the same role with Team Canada.

Ryan is credited for helping turn around a Canadian national team program that hit its low in winning bronze at the 2019 world championships. In the five following world tournament appearances under Ryan, Canada won three gold medals and two silvers.

Ryan is from Nova Scotia, and worked in several GM and coaching jobs in the men’s Junior A Maritime Hockey League. He then made the switch in becoming head coach of the Dalhousie University women’s team from 2020-23.