Longtime WHL coach, player O’Rourke to helm PWHL Seattle for inaugural season

Steve O’Rourke is heading back to the Pacific Northwest to make history.

The longtime WHL coach and former player has been announced as the Head Coach of the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s Seattle expansion team, which is set to hit the ice for the 2025-26 season.

“We’re proud to welcome Steve as the first head coach in PWHL Seattle’s history,” PWHL Seattle General Manager Meghan Turner said in a statement. “He brings a great hockey mind, a clear vision for the game, and a strong commitment to developing both our team and our players as individuals. We’re confident in his leadership and excited to start this next chapter with him behind the bench.”

O’Rourke has more than 15 years of experience in coaching and player development, including a nine-season stint in the WHL.

He spent three seasons as an associate coach of the Red Deer Rebels before heading north to Prince George as an associate coach and Director of Player Development.

The Summerland, B.C. product has most recently served as the Head Coach of the OHL’s Oshawa Generals.

“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the Professional Women’s Hockey League,” O’Rourke said. “This is something I’ve thought about since the league was first announced. To now be given the opportunity to work with the best players in the world and be part of a professional league that is thriving both on and off the ice is truly amazing. Being from the West and having played hockey in Washington State, I’ve seen firsthand how much the game has grown in this region. The passion and support for hockey here is real, and I’m proud to now be part of it in a new way. To have the opportunity to help shape the Seattle team alongside Meghan Turner and the players is something I don’t take for granted. It’s an exciting challenge, and I’m looking forward to building something special with this group.”

As a young defenceman, O’Rourke spent two seasons with the Tri-City Americans in the early 1990s before going on to a short stint with the Moose Jaw Warriors.

He picked up six goals and 29 assists for 35 points in 115 games over parts of three seasons and was selected by the New York Islanders in the seventh round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft.

While PWHL Seattle’s roster is still under construction, O’Rourke will be working with stars of the game like four-time Olympian and 2025 PWHL points co-leader Hilary Knight, who became Seattle’s first-ever signing as part of the league expansion process in early June.