The Washington Capitals had a new face on the ice at practice on Tuesday. Rachel Flanagan, an assistant coach with the PWHL’s Toronto Sceptres, served as a guest coach during the skate.
Flanagan has been involved with the hockey coaching scene for almost two decades. She started as the head coach of the University of Guelph Gryphons in 2007 and led them for 16 seasons before departing the school in August to coach full-time with Toronto.
While with the Gryphons, Flanagan, a five-time Ontario University Athletics Coach of the Year, led the school to its only national title in program history during the 2018-19 season and three OUA championship titles (2015-16, 2016-17, and 2018-19). She is also part of Hockey Canada’s national coaching pool.
Last year, she was part of the staff that led the PWHL’s Sceptres to a first-overall finish in the regular season standings during the league’s inaugural season.
Washington has done something similar the past two seasons due to their participation in the NHL Coaches’ Association’s Female Coaches Program. Last year, they brought in Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey head coach Cassie Turner for two skates in December and, in 2022, named Minnesota Duluth assistant coach Laura Schuler a guest coach for Development Camp.
According to its website, the NHL Coaches’ Association Female Coaches Program “aims to support female coaches in several areas, including skills development, leadership strategies, communication tactics, networking, and career advancement opportunities.”
The PWHL’s second season will begin with a doubleheader at the end of November. Flanagan’s Sceptres team will kick things off against the Boston Fleet at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, and then the Montreal Victoire will host the Ottawa Charge at Place Bell in Laval.
