Manon Rhéaume Named General Manager of PWHL Detroit Franchise

Manon Rhéaume has been hired as the general manager of the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s expansion team in Detroit, the league announced Friday, as the PWHL prepares for the franchise’s inaugural season. The 54-year-old Canadian goaltender will oversee team-building efforts in a fast-moving offseason that includes an expansion free-agent signing window and a league draft scheduled in Detroit.

Rhéaume, who spent the past four years working in hockey operations with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, also brings more than a decade of experience in youth hockey development in the Detroit area. For 11 years, she worked in a girls division role with the Little Caesars AAA Hockey program based in the Detroit region.

League officials said the hiring is intended to pair her playing-era achievements with front-office experience. Jayna Hefford, the PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations who oversees the hiring process, said Rhéaume brings an extensive hockey resume and a commitment to growing the women’s game, and will lead the team as it enters the league’s next phase of expansion. Rhéaume said she is honored to join the PWHL and help build the team in Detroit, citing the...