KRIS SPARRE APPOINTED HEAD COACH OF PWHL HAMILTON | PWHL

NEW YORK AND TORONTO (MAY 27, 2026) – PWHL Hamilton today announced the appointment of Kris Sparre as Head Coach ahead of the expansion team’s inaugural season in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). Sparre is a finalist for the 2026 PWHL Coach of the Year award and joins PWHL Hamilton after spending the 2025-2026 season with the Boston Fleet, where he produced the biggest year-over-year improvement in the league’s history.

“I am thrilled that Kris is the first head coach in PWHL Hamilton history who brings a combination of hockey knowledge, leadership and player development expertise that makes him the ideal fit,” said Meghan Duggan, general manager of PWHL Hamilton. “I wanted someone who aligns with my core values ​​and who can create a culture and standard that players want to be a part of as we forge the foundation and shape the identity of PWHL Hamilton. I believe Kris is the right person to help lead this, with a strong understanding of what it takes to build an environment where players can thrive individually while competing as a team.”

A native of nearby Mississauga, ON, Sparre’s first season as PWHL head coach saw the Fleet compile a 16-5-4-5 record, good for the second-best mark in the league, and an improvement of six wins from the 2024-2025 season. The fleet recorded a single-season league record of 62 points, representing an improvement of 18 points in the league compared to the 2024-2025 season. After missing the playoffs the previous season, Boston became the fastest team in league history to clinch a playoff spot in 2025–26, needing just 24 games to accomplish the feat.

“I am excited about the opportunity to build a foundation in Hamilton with Meghan, and living closer to home and close to family makes this the right move for me personally and professionally,” said Sparre. “I will always be grateful for my time in Boston and the relationships built along the way. I am incredibly grateful to Danielle Marmer for believing in me and giving me my first opportunity as Head Coach with the Fleet, and to the staff and players for their dedication and passion that truly made it a privilege. The entire Boston organization and fans have shown me how special it is to be a part of the PWHL community, and I will carry those memories and experiences with me as I begin this next chapter. I look forward to help lead a new chapter of a team that Hamilton can be proud of.”

Sparre began his coaching career with the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), spending three seasons with the club from 2016 to 2019, while helping the team to postseason appearances each year and a Central Division crown in 2019. He also spent two seasons as an assistant coach for Red Bull Salzburg in Austria’s top professional hockey league from 2019 to 21, then returned to the OHL as a contributor for the season 2021-2022. coach with the Flint Firebirds, leading the club to its first-ever Western Conference Finals appearance. Before beginning his PWHL career, the 39-year-old served three seasons as an assistant coach with the San Diego Gulls in the American Hockey League (AHL), the Anaheim Ducks’ top club.

Before stepping behind the bench, Sparre played nine seasons in the OHL and professionally as a forward, including stints in the ECHL and the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), Germany’s top professional hockey league.

PWHL Hamilton was officially announced on May 13 as one of the league’s four new expansion teams and will debut at TD Coliseum in the fall. Fans can place a time-stamped deposithereopens in a new tab to secure priority access to season tickets for PWHL Hamilton’s historic inaugural season, once ticket packages are released. For more information and to stay informed, visit HamiltonPWHL.com and subscribe to the PWHL Hamilton newsletter hereopens in a new taband follow the team on Facebook PWHL Hamiltonopens in a new tabInstagram @PWHL_Hamiltonopens in a new tabX @PWHL_Hamiltonopens in a new tabTikTok @PWHL_Hamiltonopens in a new tabYouTube PWHL Hamiltonopens in a new tabWires @PWHL_Hamiltonopens in a new tabBlue sky @PWHL-Hamiltonopens in a new taband LinkedIn PWHL Hamiltonopens in a new tab.