Expansion team PWHL Las Vegas announced Kim Weiss as the team’s inaugural head coach on Monday night.
“It’s an honor to become a head coach at the highest level of the women’s game and I couldn’t be more excited to join PWHL Las Vegas,” Weiss said in a statement.
Weiss previously served as an assistant coach with the Colorado Eagles in the AHL and was the second woman in AHL/NHL history to serve as an assistant coach full-time, following Jessica Campbell’s tenure with the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Seattle Kraken. Weiss started with the Colorado Avalanche’s AHL affiliate as a video coach in the 2024-25 season before being promoted behind the bench this past January.
Weiss already had a close connection to PWHL Las Vegas, with general manager Dominique DiDia being a former teammate. The pair played together for three seasons at Trinity College.
“Throughout her coaching career, Kim has consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability to develop players, build strong team cultures, and achieve success at the highest levels of the game,” DiDia said. “Having played alongside her in college, I have seen firsthand the character, integrity, leadership, and competitiveness that define her, and her values align perfectly with the culture we are building.”
The move is significant locally as Weiss has deep roots in Maryland hockey. A Potomac, MD native, Weiss played for the Montgomery Ice Devils 16U squad and the Washington Pride 19U AAA before heading to Trinity College for her collegiate career from 2007 to 2011.
Weiss also spent the majority of her early coaching career in Maryland. After one year of coaching in Connecticut, Weiss returned to her home state to coach at the Landon School in the USHS-MD league for five seasons, serving mostly as associate head coach. During the 2018-19 season, she joined the Washington Pride 16u AAA as head coach before spending time as an assistant and associate head coach with the Maryland Black Bears in the NAHL, while also serving as head coach of the Atlantic Girls Selects. She spent a season as an assistant coach for the men’s program at Trinity College, her alma mater, becoming the first woman to coach at an NCAA Division III school, before her time in Colorado.
As an assistant, Weiss helped Trinity College win its first New England Small College Athletic Conference crown and took the Maryland Black Bears to their first-ever East Division Championship in the NAHL. She has also been involved with the U.S. Women’s National Team and is a part of the NHL Coaches Association Female Coaches Program.
Weiss also already has a close connection with one of her players: Hayley Scamurra, daughter of former Capitals player Peter Scamurra. Scamurra has trained with Weiss and the Maryland Jr. Black Bears for the past four years, in addition to offseason skills training with her new head coach.
The announcement brings a welcome distraction to the Vegas hockey community, coming a day after the Golden Knights lost in the Stanley Cup Final to the Carolina Hurricanes. Vegas has quickly become a hockey town, with the NHL squad competing in the Finals in three of its first nine seasons.
“Las Vegas has embraced hockey in a remarkable way and built a passionate sports culture. The city is known for its energy, excitement, and entertainment, and we’re committed to bringing that same passion every time our team takes the ice. I can’t wait to help build something special for this community,” Weiss said.
Vegas was the last of the PWHL’s four expansion teams (San Jose, Hamilton, and Detroit) for the 2026-27 season to name their head coach.
