PWHL Seattle hires Olympic gold medalist Amanda Pelkey as senior advisor
A former star on the international scene is hopping off the ice and stepping into the front office.
On Thursday, the expansion PWHL Seattle announced that the team has hired Olympic gold medalist Amanda Pelkey as senior advisor to the general manager. It officially marks the end of Pelkey’s decorated playing career.
Pelkey’s new role will see her working alongside Seattle GM, Meghan Turner.
“As I step away from my playing career and into this new chapter,” Pelkey said in a release. “I plan on doing everything I can to make this team successful in our first season and beyond. Seattle has proven its support for our game, and I can’t wait for the city to see our impact on the ice and in the community.”
Turner and Pelkey certainly aren’t unfamiliar with one another. Pelkey spent the first two seasons of the PWHL with the Boston Fleet, for whom Turner worked as an assistant GM under Danielle Marmer.
Turner acknowledges that Pelkey brings a wealth of experience to the new franchise in the Emerald City.
“She offers meaningful perspective as we work to build a strong culture and organization in Seattle that reflects our mission both on and off the ice,” Turner said. “Beyond her on-ice career, she has worked tirelessly to grow the game through her camps and community work, showcasing her passion, dedication, and outstanding character — qualities that align perfectly with what we’re building in Seattle.”
Pelkey played the majority of the past two seasons in Boston. After providing a depth role on the team that advanced all the way to the inaugural PWHL Final, the Montpellier, Vt. native scored three goals and two assists for five points in 25 games. In her PWHL tenure, the 32-year-old posted six goals and four assists for 10 points in 56 games, including the playoffs.
Prior to joining the league, Pelkey spent three years playing in the PWHPA Dream Gap Tour before returning to the Premier Hockey Federation (formerly known as the National Women’s Hockey League) to play for the Metropolitan Riveters for the 2022-23 season. She helped the Boston Pride win the Isobel Cup in 2016.
Pelkey had a standout career on the international scene. Along with helping the United States win gold at the 2009 and 2011 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championships, she was a member of the teams that won gold at the 2016 and 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championships. The former University of Vermont star’s crowning achievement came in 2018, when she won gold with the U.S. at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.