Alyssa Gagliardi To Join Coaching Staff For Development Camp

RALEIGH, NC - Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that Alyssa Gagliardi will join the coaching staff for the team's upcoming Prospects Development Camp, in partnership with the NHL Coaches' Association (NHLCA) Female Coaches' Development Program.

Gagliardi, 31, has been invited to assist the coaching staff during development camp, where she will work closely with Hurricanes Defensemen Development Coach Peter Harrold, Goaltenders Development Coach Jason Muzzatti, Goaltending Coach Paul Schonfelder and Assistant Coach Jeff Daniels, both on and off the ice. Gagliardi, a member of the NHLCA Female Coaches' Development Program, will also return to Raleigh to work alongside the Hurricanes' coaches at some point during the 2023-24 season.

"We're excited to learn from Alyssa, and we think her vast experience as a player and coach at both the collegiate and professional levels will be a great asset to our camp," said Waddell. "This is a wonderful opportunity for Alyssa to continue improving as a coach while providing a fresh perspective to our players and coaches."

Gagliardi spent last season as an assistant coach for the Neumann University men's ice hockey program. She became the first female coach in program history and was the only woman coaching an NCAA men's ice hockey team from the bench in 2022-23. Gagliardi also served as a skill development coach for the ECHL's Maine Mariners and participated in the Boston Bruins Diversity and Inclusion Scouting Mentorship Program, which aims to provide insider access, hands-on coaching and networking opportunities to participants. The Raleigh native previously organized and led girls' hockey initiatives throughout the Carolinas as the Hurricanes' first-ever Girls' and Women's Youth and Amateur Hockey Specialist. In over two years with the organization from 2019-22, she also coached Junior Hurricanes Girls teams at various age levels and served as the program's Director of Women's Student-Athlete Advancement, guiding players through the college recruitment process and assisting with their development as both athletes and young women.

Gagliardi retired as a player in 2019, capping a five-year professional career in the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) and National Women's Hockey League (NWHL). She won the inaugural Isobel Cup with the Boston Pride in 2015-16 and received the NWHL Foundation Award the following season, for actively applying the core values of hockey to her community while growing and improving hockey culture.

About the NHLCA Female Coaches' Development Program

The NHLCA Female Coaches Program is an initiative that aims to support female coaches in several areas, including skills development, leadership strategies, communication tactics, networking and career advancement opportunities. Gagliardi has been a member of the NHLCA Female Coaches' Development Program since 2020. For more information about the program and the women involved, click here.