Brian Idalski Leaves St. Cloud State to Coach New PWHL Team in Vancouver
The world of professional women’s hockey welcomes a new chapter with the arrival of Brian Idalski at the helm of the PWHL expansion team in Vancouver. The official announcement was made on Monday, marking the beginning of a new stage for this experienced coach. Idalski, 54, has a career spanning more than two decades in women’s hockey. His experience includes coaching the Chinese national team at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, as well as two Russian ZhHL league championships with the KRS Vanke Rays team. The new Vancouver team already has players from the KRS Vanke Rays, such as Michela Cava and Hannah Miller, who also represented China in 2022. Idalski’s arrival comes one day before the PWHL draft, where Vancouver will select in seventh place, followed by Seattle.Before her arrival in the PWHL, Idalski spent three seasons at St. Cloud State, where she was recognized as the college hockey coach of the year in 2023, after matching the school record with 18 wins. Previously, she coached teams in North Dakota and Wisconsin-Stevens Point, accumulating five NCAA tournament appearances.Brian is a proven winner who knows our sport, the players, and has coached at the highest level. 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, in the Olympics, and turning university teams into national ranking contenders.
Cara Gardner Morey, General Manager
In related news, Seattle has already secured its coaching position with the hiring of Steve O’Rourke last week.I have been associated with many PWHL players, either by coaching them personally or competing against them over the years, so this role brings me full circle with the desire to work with the league’s world-class talent.
Brian Idalski
