LAS VEGAS, NV (September 30, 2026) – PWHL Las Vegas today announced the appointment of Ryan Smith and Jonathan Matsumoto as assistant coaches, Brad Kirkwood as goaltending coach, and Brendan Flanagan as video coach ahead of the team’s inaugural 2026-27 Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) season.
“We’re incredibly proud to welcome Ryan Smith, Jonathan Matsumoto, Brad Kirkwood, and Brendan Flanagan to Vegas to complete our coaching staff,” said Dominique DiDia, PWHL Las Vegas General Manager. “They each bring a unique perspective and experience from across all levels of hockey and, most importantly, a shared passion for developing and supporting our athletes. We’re excited to see the impact they’ll have on our players and our organization this season.”
Smith joins PWHL Las Vegas following two seasons as an associate head coach of the Regina Pats in the Western Hockey League (WHL). His coaching resume is shaped by a decade-long professional playing career in Germany that instilled the values of commitment, preparation, and team-first culture that continue to define his coaching philosophy today. A native of Winnipeg, MB, Smith began his coaching career with the Winnipeg South Blues and Selkirk Steelers in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) and the Humboldt Broncos in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) before spending 11 seasons in a variety of head and associate coaching roles throughout the WHL in Swift Current, Medicine Hat, Spokane, and Regina. Along the way, he earned a reputation for creating strong team environments and helping athletes become the best players and people they can be. On the international stage, Smith has served on Canada’s coaching staff for the U16 men’s team at the 2024 Youth Olympics and the U18 men’s team that captured IIHF gold in Finland later that year. Off the ice, he and his wife, Kelly, are parents to their son and daughter, Kai and Vayda.
Matsumoto brings extensive playing, coaching, and player development experience to the organization after spending the past 10 seasons in Germany. A native of Ottawa, ON, Matsumoto appeared in more than 1,000 games across the NCAA, NHL, AHL, and top European leagues, while also representing Team Canada internationally. Throughout his career, he has worked in player development, serving as a coach with elite youth hockey programs in Germany and founding the coaching video platform Chasing Goals. Most recently, he served as a coach for the North Shore Sharks Elite Hockey team and contributed to several prep showcases throughout New England. Away from the rink, Matsumoto and his wife, Kristen, founded Matsumoto’s Rescues, an organization dedicated to supporting stray animal rescue efforts in their former San Antonio, TX community. He will relocate to Las Vegas with his wife, their two children, and their chihuahuas, Max and Tex.
Kirkwood brings more than 20 years of experience coaching and mentoring elite goaltenders at every level of the game and served as goaltending coach for the PWHL’s Toronto Sceptres for three seasons. His background also includes roles with the men’s and women’s programs at Hockey Canada, professional teams in Europe, the WHL, and the University of Calgary. A native of Calgary, AB, Kirkwood brings extensive international experience, having helped guide high-performance goaltenders with Canada’s National Women’s Team since 2015, winning three Olympic medals (gold-2022, silver-2018, 2026) and seven IIHF Women’s World Championship medals (gold-2021, 2022, 2024, silver-2016, 2017, 2023, 2025). He is also the owner and operator of Top Prospects Goaltending (TPG) Canada, one of North America’s largest goaltending development programs, which has an established branch in Las Vegas.
Flanagan joins PWHL Las Vegas with a background in hockey operations, video analysis, and player development. Over the past two seasons he has served as Director of Hockey Operations and video coach in the NCAA. Last season for the men’s and women’s programs at St. Lawrence University and prior for Princeton University's Men's team while also coaching with Princeton Youth Hockey and Princeton Day School Prep. Prior to his time at Princeton, Flanagan oversaw the development of more than 250 athletes as Hockey Director for a youth program in New Jersey and coached with the Syracuse Nationals AAA program. A native of Canton, NY, he grew up around the women’s game through his father, Paul, whose coaching career spanned more than 30 years with St. Lawrence and Syracuse women's programs.
PWHL Las Vegas’ additions will join Head Coach Kim Weiss, who was appointed in June, as the team continues to build toward its debut.
ABOUT PWHL LAS VEGAS
PWHL Las Vegas is one of 12 teams in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), which was founded in 2023. The PWHL began its inaugural season in January 2024 and features the best women’s hockey players in the world. PWHL Las Vegas was officially announced as one of the league’s four new expansion teams on May 13 and will debut at T-Mobile Arena in the fall. Fans can place a time-stamped deposit here, opens in a new tab, to secure priority access to season tickets for PWHL Las Vegas’ historic inaugural season, once ticket packages are released. To learn more and stay up to date, visit LasVegasPWHL.com, subscribe to PWHL Las Vegas’ newsletter here, opens in a new tab, and follow the team on Facebook PWHL Las Vegas, opens in a new tab, Instagram @PWHL_LasVegas, opens in a new tab, X @PWHL_LasVegas, opens in a new tab, TikTok @PWHL_LasVegas, opens in a new tab, YouTube PWHL Las Vegas, opens in a new tab, Threads @PWHL_LasVegas, opens in a new tab, Bluesky @PWHL-LasVegas, opens in a new tab, and LinkedIn PWHL Las Vegas, opens in a new tab.
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