DETROIT – Manon Rheaume made her first big move as general manager of the PWHL team in Detroit, hiring Josh Sciba to coach the expansion franchise that begins play next season.
Sciba spent the past two years as an assistant with the New York Sirens. He was also on coach John Wroblewksi’s staff when the U.S. women’s national team won gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics in February.
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“Josh is a well-respected coach (who has) got a lot of experience at every level on the women’s game,” Rheaume said during a video call with reporters Thursday. “More importantly, his character, his knowledge of the game and the way he communicate with his players — to me, that’s why I chose him. I think he’s a perfect fit.”
Sciba, 41, is a Michigan native who played his youth hockey there and went through the U.S. National Team Development Program. He played college hockey at Notre Dame from 2003-07 and spent one season in the ECHL before moving into coaching.
From there, Sciba was a women’s hockey assistant at Niagara and Colgate before becoming coach at Union College from 2016-24, after which he joined the Sirens. He’ll soon be coaching against them.
“This is home and especially meaningful for me and my entire family, knowing Detroit’s rich hockey history and identity firsthand and how much the women’s hockey community has been yearning for this moment,” Sciba said in a statement. “Working alongside Manon, someone who has meant so much to the growth of the sport, is a journey I’m so fortunate to be on, with her passion, leadership, and vision that will make Detroit a destination for players.”
Rheaume was a trailblazer in women’s hockey as a goaltender, including a foray on the men’s side. She tried out for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992 and made a pair of preseason appearances for the team that year and the next. In 1998, she backstopped Canada to the final at the first Olympics with women’s hockey and helped the country take home silver.
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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey