PWHL Las Vegas Plans Girls' Hockey Clinics as Its Leaders Meet the City

by Ryan Rose

What Happened

PWHL Las Vegas held a media session inside T-Mobile Arena on the Strip. Three leaders sat at the table. Kim Weiss is the first head coach in team history. Dominique DiDia is the first general manager. Erin Ambrose is a veteran defender who won the Walter Cup, the league's championship trophy, last season. FOX5 Vegas reported that Weiss and DiDia were college teammates. Now they are building a pro team together from scratch.

Weiss previously coached in the American Hockey League, a men's pro league one step below the NHL. The Review-Journal reported that she spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the Colorado Eagles. She told FOX5 that she wants the team's style to fit the city. "We're in Vegas, right? So we have to be exciting," she said. She described the goal as "a fast, exciting product that hopefully scores a lot of goals."

DiDia talked about winning. She pointed to the Golden Knights and the Aces as proof that this city expects results. "This is a city where teams win. They win fast," she told FOX5. She said the front office went from her hiring to the expansion draft in about 10 days. The team focused on players with championship experience, including Walter Cup winners, top college players and national team regulars like goaltender Nicole Hensley and forward Hayley Scamurra.

Ambrose spoke about the community side. She recently drove 39 hours from Ontario to Nevada to join the team, according to FOX5. "This game has skyrocketed for female athletes," she said. She added that "the people in that dressing room are going to make a huge impact on this community." FOX5 reported that giving local girls a pro team to follow is a key part of the mission.

Then came the off-ice plans. DiDia said the next few months will focus on finishing the staff, working with T-Mobile Arena and the team's practice facility in Henderson, and stepping into community events. The two events named were a "Skate to Eliminate Cancer" event on October 10 and local girls' hockey clinics. No dates, locations or prices for the girls' clinics have been announced yet.

The staff part got finished fast. On September 30, the Review-Journal reported four new coaches joining Weiss. Ryan Smith and Jonathan Matsumoto are the assistant coaches. Brad Kirkwood is the goaltending coach. Brendan Flanagan is the video coach. DiDia said in a statement that the group brings "a shared passion for developing and supporting our athletes."

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

If you have a daughter who plays hockey in Las Vegas, this is the story. For years, local girls who loved the game could watch the Golden Knights and the Henderson Silver Knights. Those are great teams, but they are men's teams. Now there is a pro women's team in their own county, with players they can watch, meet and learn from.

That matters more than it sounds. Kids copy what they can see. A girl at a learn-to-skate class in Summerlin or a 10U practice in Henderson now has a real, local answer to the question "where can this take me?" The team is saying out loud that it wants to be part of that answer, with clinics built for local girls.

The coaching staff also has a lot of development background. The Review-Journal reported that Matsumoto worked in player development and coached youth hockey in Germany. Kirkwood has coached and developed goaltenders for Hockey Canada since 2015, was part of three gold medal winning teams, and owns and runs a large goaltending development program. If any of that know-how makes its way into local clinics, young goalies and skaters in the valley stand to benefit.

There is also the family calendar to think about. The Review-Journal reported in August that the team will split home games between T-Mobile Arena on the Strip and Lee's Family Forum in Henderson. The team said playing in two venues lets it reach both residents across the valley and visitors on the Strip. For families in Green Valley, Anthem, Inspirada or Seven Hills, a Henderson game is a short drive with easier parking than a Strip night.

And Henderson is home base. The Review-Journal reported the team will practice at America First Center, the same building the Henderson Silver Knights use. That puts pro women's hockey players in a neighborhood rink, not just a Strip arena. That is where community events and clinics tend to happen.

Background and History

The Professional Women's Hockey League is growing. The Review-Journal reported that Las Vegas is one of four new teams starting play this season. The league played 24 games in its first season in 2024, then 30 games the next season. With more teams joining, the schedule could change again.

Las Vegas has been busy building its roster. The Review-Journal reported the team drafted Tessa Janecke with the No. 3 pick and Wisconsin forward Lacey Eden with the No. 5 pick. Las Vegas got that third pick in a trade with Detroit. Forward Hayley Scamurra and Ambrose, both part of last season's Walter Cup champion Montreal Victoire, signed with Las Vegas. FOX5 also mentioned forwards Katie Knoll and Natalie Snodgrass, two physical players Ambrose said she is happy to play with instead of against.

The coaching staff brings a mix of backgrounds. Here is what the Review-Journal reported about each coach:

Ryan Smith, assistant coach. Spent the past two seasons as associate head coach of the Regina Pats in the Western Hockey League. He played 10 years of pro hockey in Germany, then coached the Winnipeg South Blues and Selkirk Steelers in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
Jonathan Matsumoto, assistant coach. A 2006 third round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers who played 14 NHL games and spent the last 12 years of his career in Germany. He retired last season.
Brad Kirkwood, goaltending coach. Spent the past three years as goalie coach for the Toronto Sceptres, another PWHL team, and has worked with Hockey Canada since 2015.
Brendan Flanagan, video coach. Spent the past two seasons as director of hockey operations for the men's and women's programs at St. Lawrence University, and for Princeton University's men's team.

The name is still the missing piece. FOX5 reported the team is still waiting on its official name and logo from the league. DiDia said she likes the team's green color scheme and how it fits with the sports identity already in Las Vegas. For now, fans are cheering for "PWHL Las Vegas."

The cancer skate has local roots too. The Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer event is run by the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation, founded by the Olympic figure skating champion. The Golden Knights reported in 2024 that the event was then in its third straight year in the valley. The 2026 event is billed as the 5th annual Frozen 5K at City National Arena, the Golden Knights practice facility and headquarters in Summerlin.

What Happens Next

The first date on the calendar is the cancer fundraiser. According to the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation event page, Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer Vegas runs October 10 and 11 at City National Arena, 1550 Pavilion Center Drive in Summerlin. On Saturday, October 10, the Frozen 5K has start times of 4 p.m. and 4:50 p.m. Skaters do 35 laps to honor people they know who have been touched by cancer. Pre-registration is required, and registered skaters get an event t-shirt. The page does not list a registration price, so check it directly before you sign up.

This is where PWHL Las Vegas shows up in person. The event page lists an exclusive hockey skills clinic with PWHL Las Vegas staff and players on Saturday, October 10, from 5:40 to 6:20 p.m. It names Hayley Scamurra, Kim Weiss and Dominique DiDia. The clinic is for the event's Top 25 hockey fundraisers, of any age and skating ability. So kids who raise money for cancer research have a shot at time on the ice with the pros. On Sunday, October 11 at 5 p.m., there is a Celebration Ice Show hosted by Scott Hamilton. Proceeds benefit the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation and Cure 4 the Kids.

The ice show has a guest star too. The event page lists 2026 Olympian Andrew Torgashev alongside Hamilton, and it says show tickets went on sale Sunday, September 27 at 9 a.m. That makes the weekend a good fit for families with a figure skater and a hockey player under the same roof. One kid can skate the Frozen 5K on Saturday, and the whole family can come back for the show on Sunday.

After that, the hockey calendar fills in. The Review-Journal reported that training camps across the league open November 18. Las Vegas will scrimmage the Minnesota Frost on November 22 and the Vancouver Goldeneyes on November 24. The first real game is Sunday, December 6, against PWHL Detroit at T-Mobile Arena, one night after the Golden Knights host the Winnipeg Jets there. The full regular season schedule was set to be released on Friday, October 2. Season ticket members can already pick seats.

Still to come: the official team name and logo, and dates for the girls' clinics. Watch the team's channels and local news for both.

Ryan's Take

I coach 8U hockey in this town, so I will be honest. This one makes me happy. The girls on local teams work just as hard as the boys, and most of them have never had a pro team that looks like them in their backyard. A pro coach and GM running a skills clinic in Summerlin a few weeks after they got here is a good sign. Promises are easy. Showing up on the ice is the part that counts, and the October 10 clinic is the first real test.

From a housing view, hockey has quietly become part of why families pick certain parts of the valley. Parents ask me about drive times to rinks the same way they ask about schools and parks. Summerlin has City National Arena. Henderson has America First Center, and now it is home base for a second pro team plus half of the PWHL home games. That adds to what already makes Green Valley, Inspirada and the southeast valley attractive to active families. It will not move home prices on its own. But it is one more real reason families give when they tell me why they chose a neighborhood, and those reasons add up over time.

What You Can Do

If your kid plays hockey, look at the Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer event now. Registration is through the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation's Vegas event page. The skills clinic with PWHL Las Vegas is limited to the Top 25 hockey fundraisers, so if your player wants a shot at it, start fundraising early and share the page with family. Even if you do not make the top 25, the Frozen 5K is open to registered participants and supports cancer research.

For the girls' clinics, there are no dates yet. Keep an eye on the team's announcements and on local news. If your child plays in a local program, ask the coaches or the rink to share details when they come out.

Here is a quick checklist for hockey parents this fall:

Now: Look at the Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer Vegas page and decide if your family wants to register for the Frozen 5K on October 10.
Before October 10: If your player is aiming for the PWHL Las Vegas skills clinic, share the fundraising page with grandparents, neighbors and teammates' families.
Early October: Look for the full PWHL regular season schedule and the Henderson game dates.
This fall: Watch for the team's official name, logo and girls' clinic dates.

And if you want to see the team play, mark December 6 at T-Mobile Arena for the home opener, and watch for the full schedule to find the games in Henderson. A Henderson game could be an easy first pro hockey night for younger kids.

Have questions about how this affects your home or neighborhood? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime. Ryan Rose | Real Broker, LLC | 702-747-5921 | ryan@rosehomeslv.com | rosehomeslv.com