PWHL's Vancouver team names Brian Idalski as its first head coach

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The Professional Women’s Hockey League’s new team in Vancouver has named Brian Idalski as its first head coach.

Idalski joins the expansion side following three seasons at St. Cloud State University, where he led the women’s hockey team to a program-record 36 conference points and tied its record of 18 wins.

The 54-year-old from Warren, Mich., joins the PWHL after 18 seasons as a collegiate coach, including time at the University of North Dakota and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and appearances in five NCAA tournament appearances.

Idalski previously coached overseas for the KRS Vanke Rays in Shenzhen, China, where he won two Zhenskaya Hockey League titles in three years, and worked with recent PWHL Vancouver acquisitions Michela Cava and Hannah Miller.

He was also head coach of the China’s women’s hockey team at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, a team that also included Miller.

Idalski said working with so many familiar players in Vancouver is a unique opportunity.

“The PWHL has had a huge impact on the global game, and to be a part of that — with expansion helping push it even further forward — is an unbelievable feeling,” he said in a statement. “I’ve been associated with a lot of players across the PWHL, either coaching them personally or against them over the years, so this role brings me full circle with an eagerness to work with the league’s world-class talent.”

Idalski is a “proven winner who knows our sport, the players, and has coached at the highest levels,” said Vancouver general manager Cara Gardner Morey.

“What stands out in Brian’s experience is his ability to build and transform the programs he is a part of, from his work in professional leagues, at the Olympics, and turning collegiate teams into nationally ranked contenders,” she said in a news release.

“I’m excited that he will lead our incredible group in Vancouver and can’t wait to see his vision and influence shape our foundation.”