The Professional Women’s Hockey League announced today that Meghan Duggan will serve as the General Manager of the new Hamilton franchise, slated to begin play in the 2026‑27 season.
A Strategic Leadership Shift
Duggan, a two‑time Olympic medalist and longtime advocate for women’s hockey, brings a blend of playing excellence and front‑office experience to the role.
Her career includes a decade with the New Jersey Devils, where she most recently served as Director of Player Development, overseeing scouting, analytics and community outreach.
Long before her front‑office appointment, Duggan was a founding member of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association in 2019, a group that has been instrumental in securing sustainable contracts and health benefits for elite female players.
She has also coached Team Kloss at the NHL All‑Star Weekend and contributed to the USA Hockey Player Development Committee, experiences that sharpened her ability to evaluate talent and shape roster construction.
Duggan’s playing résumé is equally impressive: she earned eleven medals with the U.S. Women’s National Team, including an Olympic gold in 2018, and led the University of Wisconsin to three national championships, capturing the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award in 2011.
Beyond the ice, Duggan has been a vocal proponent of gender equality, diversity and LGBTQ+ rights, using her platform to mentor young athletes and push for inclusive policies across the sport.
In her new capacity, she will assemble a dedicated hockey‑operations staff, design the inaugural roster and oversee community‑engagement initiatives that aim to embed the Hamilton franchise within its regional fan base.
The appointment underscores the league’s commitment to building a robust, sustainable structure for women’s professional hockey, a vision that aligns with the PWHL’s broader expansion plans across North America.