Former Ontario Hockey League coach first bench boss of PWHL expansion team in Seattle

A coach who began this past season running the bench of the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals has been named the first coach of a new professional womens team in Seattle.

PWHL Seattle has named Steve O’Rourke as its first-ever head coach, marking a major milestone as the team prepares to take the ice for its inaugural season.

“We’re proud to welcome Steve as the first head coach in PWHL Seattle’s history,” said PWHL Seattle General Manager Meghan Turner. “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 brings more than 15 years of coaching experience to PWHL Seattle, most recently serving two-and-a-half seasons with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals. He spent two years as an assistant coach with the Generals before being promoted to head coach for the 2024-25 season.

He was surprisingly let go 30 games into the season with the club sitting in first place in the division with an 18-10-2 record.

“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the Professional Women’s Hockey League,” said O’Rourke. “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 first-hand 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.”

A native of Summerland, B.C., O’Rourke spent six seasons with the WHL’s Prince George Cougars as an associate coach and director of player development. His coaching résumé also includes three seasons as an assistant coach with the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels, one season as general manager and head coach of the BCHL’s Langley Rivermen, and two seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat. On the international stage, O’Rourke served as an assistant coach for Canada’s Team Red at the 2019–20 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

As a player, O’Rourke played for the Tri-City Americans and Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL and the University of Lethbridge before playing semi-pro for seven years.

Next up for PWHL Seattle is the 2025 PWHL Draft taking place Tuesday afternoon, where the team will make six picks including the eighth overall selection.

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) features the best women’s players in the world playing on eight teams: Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa, Toronto and new for the 2025-26 season, expansion clubs in Vancouver and Seattle.