Breaking Barriers in Hockey
PWHL Las Vegas names Kim Weiss, a trailblazing coach, as its first head coach.
Key Points
During Weiss’ two seasons with the AHL Colorado Eagles, the club won the Pacific Division title in 2025, made back-to-back Calder Cup playoff appearances, and reached the 2026 Western Conference Finals before losing in seven games to the Chicago Wolves.
Weiss’ hiring brings the PWHL to four women’s coaches for next season—doubling last year’s total—while Vancouver remains with a coaching vacancy.
In her introductory remarks, Weiss said, “Much of what I’ve experienced over the last few years wasn’t something I dreamed about growing up because those opportunities simply didn’t exist,” adding her gratitude to the Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Eagles.
At Trinity College in 2023-24, Weiss helped lead the men’s program to a 25-4-1 record, a New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) title, and a run to the national championship game—coinciding with her historic milestone as the first woman to serve as an NCAA Division III men’s assistant coach.
Beyond coaching history, Weiss’ player background at Trinity included NESCAC All-Conference honors in all four seasons and program records for career points and goals as a forward.
PWHL Las Vegas named Kim Weiss as its first head coach on June 16, making her one of the youngest head coaches in professional hockey at age 37. Russian Machine Never Breaks reported that Weiss, a Potomac, MD native, comes to Las Vegas after two seasons as an assistant with the Colorado Eagles — the AHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche — where she became just the second woman in AHL history to hold a full-time assistant-coach role.
The hire is a milestone for a league in rapid growth. The PWHL is doubling from six to 12 franchises for the 2026-27 season. With Weiss on board, the league now has four female head coaches — double last year's total.
Weiss Built a Winning Resume in the AHL
Weiss joined the Colorado Eagles in August 2024 as a video assistant. She was promoted to full-time assistant coach by January 2025. During her two seasons there, the Eagles won the AHL Pacific Division title in 2025 and made back-to-back Calder Cup playoff appearances. In 2026, they pushed all the way to the Western Conference Finals before falling in seven games to the Chicago Wolves.
General manager Dominique DiDia, who worked with Weiss at Trinity College, called her "our first and only choice to lead this bench." DiDia praised Weiss as "a culture-builder" who can "relate to players and modernize their development," according to Las Vegas Review-Journal.
A Trail of Firsts Before She Got to Vegas
Weiss's path to the PWHL is full of historic firsts. Before the AHL, she was an assistant coach at Trinity College — the first woman to hold that role for an NCAA Division III men's program. In the 2023-24 season, she helped Trinity go 25-4-1, win the NESCAC title, and reach the Division III national championship game.
As a player at Trinity, Weiss was no stranger to success either. She earned NESCAC All-Conference honors all four seasons and holds the program's records for career points and goals. "Much of what I've experienced over the last few years wasn't something I dreamed about growing up because those opportunities simply didn't exist," Weiss said at her introductory press conference.
Las Vegas Was Built for This Moment
Las Vegas is not a random expansion pick. Youth hockey participation in Nevada has grown over 300% since 2017, driven largely by the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights effect, according to USA Hockey. The new PWHL franchise is expected to play at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, with marquee games potentially at T-Mobile Arena.
Casino.com noted that the Las Vegas franchise is projected to lead the league in merchandise sales. The team's social media engagement jumped 400% within two hours of Weiss's announcement. PWHL Senior VP Jayna Hefford said hiring coaches like Weiss ensures "the level of play remains world-class" as the league expands.
Four Female Coaches Now, One Vacancy Left to Fill
Weiss's hiring moves the needle on gender equity in hockey coaching. The PWHL now has four female head coaches heading into 2026-27, up from two the previous season. Vancouver is the only expansion franchise still without a head coach, and pressure is mounting on its front office to fill that vacancy, according to The Athletic.
Weiss's departure from the Colorado Eagles also leaves an opening in the Avalanche organization — potentially creating another entry point for a woman to break into the AHL coaching pipeline. Fox 5 Vegas reported that local reaction to the hire has been overwhelmingly positive, a strong sign for a franchise set to play its first game in the 2026-27 season.
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