Manon Rheaume, the pioneering Canadian goaltender who made history as the first woman to appear in an exhibition game across North America’s four major sports, has been named general manager of the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s newest franchise in Detroit.
Rheaume’s appointment follows a four‑year tenure in the Los Angeles Kings’ hockey operations department and more than a decade of service with the Little Caesars youth hockey program in Detroit, where she helped build a girls’ program that has produced several future stars.
Her playing résumé includes a silver medal at the 1998 Nagano Games and gold medals at the 1992 and 1994 world championships, underscoring a career that has long broken barriers for women in ice hockey.
Expanding Horizons
The PWHL, which recently added clubs in Las Vegas and Hamilton, Ontario, is charting an ambitious expansion to a 12‑team league for the upcoming season, a move that has already seen eight of its ten general managers appointed from among women.
Alongside Rheaume, the league announced Dominique DiDia as GM of its Las Vegas expansion team; DiDia brings a track record of representing PWHL players and building the women’s hockey department at CAA Sports.
Both new GMs will soon oversee a free‑agent signing process and the league’s inaugural draft, events that will be staged in Detroit and are expected to draw significant attention from fans, sponsors, and media outlets.
Rheaume’s elevation to the executive suite is being celebrated as a watershed moment for gender equity in professional hockey, signaling that the sport’s leadership is finally reflecting the talent and dedication of its female athletes.