Kim Weiss, who became the second woman to serve as an assistant coach in the AHL earlier this year, was named head coach of the PWHL’s expansion team in Las Vegas on Monday.
Weiss, 37, spent the last two seasons with the Colorado Eagles, the AHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. She started with the Eagles as a video coach in 2024 and was promoted to assistant coach in January 2026, becoming the second woman to be a full-time assistant in AHL history. The first was Jessica Campbell, who was an assistant for Coachella Valley from 2022 to 2024 before she was promoted to the NHL’s Seattle Kraken.
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“I am thrilled to welcome Kim Weiss as the first Head Coach of PWHL Las Vegas,” PWHL Las Vegas general manager Dominique DiDia said in a news release. “Throughout her coaching career, Kim has consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability to develop players, build strong team cultures, and achieve success at the highest levels of the game.”
During her time in Colorado, the Eagles earned a Pacific Division title (2025) and made two trips to the Calder Cup playoffs, including a run to the Western Conference final that ended last week. A native of Potomac, Md., Weiss served as a guest coach for the Avalanche in 2023-24 and worked during the last four Avalanche development camps. She also served as an assistant coach at Trinity College — her alma mater — with the men’s hockey program in 2023-24.
“It’s an honor to become a head coach at the highest level of the women’s game and I couldn’t be more excited to join PWHL Las Vegas,” Weiss said in a statement. “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. I’m incredibly grateful for the people and organizations that have helped me along the way, especially the Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Eagles.
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“I’ll carry many of the lessons I learned from one of the best organizations in hockey as we build a first-class environment for our players, staff, and fans in Las Vegas.”
Weiss and DiDia have some history, having played three seasons together at Trinity College, where Weiss served two seasons as captain and set program records in points (108) and goals (62). Weiss also has experience training forward Hayley Scamurra, who signed with Vegas after winning a Walter Cup with the Montreal Victoire.
“Having played alongside her in college, I have seen firsthand the character, integrity, leadership and competitiveness that define her, and her values align perfectly with the culture we are building in Las Vegas,” DiDia said.
Weiss joins a Vegas team that has already signed eight players to its inaugural roster, including Walter Cup champion teammates Scamurra, Erin Ambrose and Maureen Murphy, and 24-year-old former Minnesota defender Kendall Cooper. Vegas has also signed U.S. star Hilary Knight, but according to a source briefed on the situation, Knight will be traded to Detroit for a 2026 first-round pick when the league’s trade freeze lifts on June 16.
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Vegas has until Monday at 3 p.m. ET to sign two more players in the PWHL’s complicated, six-phase expansion roster-building process. The team will then continue to add to its roster through the PWHL Draft, which is being held in Detroit on Wednesday, and free agency, which opens on Friday.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Colorado Avalanche, NHL, Women’s Hockey, women’s sports
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