PWHL Las Vegas has completed the coaching staff that will guide its players through the team’s inaugural 2026-27 season, bringing experience in international women’s hockey, junior hockey and player development to the expansion club.
Ryan Smith and Jonathan Matsumoto join as assistant coaches, with Brad Kirkwood appointed goaltending coach and Brendan Flanagan named video coach. The four join head coach Kim Weiss, who was appointed in June.
Experience behind the bench
Kirkwood arrives after three seasons as goaltending coach for the Toronto Sceptres, bringing more than 20 years of experience coaching elite goaltenders. He has worked with Canada’s National Women’s Team since 2015, helping its goaltenders win three Olympic medals and seven IIHF Women’s World Championship medals.
His background also includes Hockey Canada’s men’s programs, European professional teams, the WHL and the University of Calgary. Kirkwood owns and operates Top Prospects Goaltending Canada, which has an established Las Vegas branch.
Smith joins after two seasons as associate head coach of the WHL’s Regina Pats. His coaching career includes 11 seasons in head and associate coaching roles across Swift Current, Medicine Hat, Spokane and Regina, following a decade-long professional playing career in Germany.
Smith also served on Canada’s coaching staffs for the U16 men’s team at the 2024 Youth Olympics and the U18 men’s team that won IIHF gold in Finland later that year.
Player development and video support
Matsumoto brings experience from more than 1,000 games across the NCAA, NHL, AHL and top European leagues, as well as international appearances for Canada. He spent the past 10 seasons in Germany, coached elite youth hockey programs there and founded the coaching video platform Chasing Goals.
Most recently, Matsumoto coached the North Shore Sharks Elite Hockey team and contributed to prep showcases throughout New England.
Flanagan has spent the past two seasons working in NCAA hockey operations and video coaching, most recently with the men’s and women’s programs at St. Lawrence University and previously with Princeton University’s men’s team. His development background includes overseeing more than 250 athletes as hockey director for a New Jersey youth program.
A Canton, NY native, Flanagan grew up around the women’s game through his father, Paul, whose coaching career spanned more than 30 years with the St. Lawrence and Syracuse women’s programs.
In their words
“We’re incredibly proud to welcome Ryan Smith, Jonathan Matsumoto, Brad Kirkwood, and Brendan Flanagan to Vegas to complete our coaching staff,”
Dominique DiDia, PWHL Las Vegas General Manager
Las Vegas will debut at T-Mobile Arena in the fall. Fans can place a time-stamped deposit to secure priority access to season tickets once packages are released.
Source: official PWHL release.
