Former U.S. Olympic hockey standout Meghan Duggan has stepped away from her role in player development with the NHL New Jersey Devils to take the helm as general manager of the PWHL’s newest franchise in Hamilton, Ontario.
The appointment, revealed Friday, completes three of four general manager positions for the league’s expansion teams. The PWHL was expected to finish its hiring by naming the San Jose, California team’s general manager later the same day.
At 38 years old, Duggan delivers both star power and professional expertise to the PWHL’s fifth team based in Canada. She had been serving the league in a consulting capacity within hockey operations before this promotion.
Her tenure with the Devils spanned five years, with the most recent four as director of player development.
These four additional franchises will expand the PWHL to 12 teams for the upcoming season, effectively doubling the league’s roster since its 2024 debut. Detroit and Las Vegas also received new teams in this expansion.
Duggan faces urgent tasks including assembling a coaching staff and preparing to build Hamilton’s player roster through an expansion signing period starting in two weeks. The PWHL draft follows on June 17.
The Danvers, Massachusetts native earned Olympic silver in 2010 and 2014 before capturing gold as team captain at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. Her international resume includes seven gold medals and one silver across eight world championship tournaments.
Though American-born, Duggan maintains strong Canadian ties through her marriage to former Team Canada competitor Gillian Apps, who hails from the Toronto region, roughly an hour east of Hamilton.
During her college career at Wisconsin, Duggan claimed the 2011 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recognizing women’s college hockey’s most valuable player in her final season with the Badgers.
