Manon Rheaume turned to a familiar face in Detroit in seeking to add a goaltending consultant to her coaching staff.
Jimmy Howard, who played parts of 14 seasons in net for the Detroit Red Wings, sat to Rheaume’s right at her table on stage at the Fox Theatre during the 2026 PWHL Draft on Wednesday, June 17.
“”t’s really special to have Jimmy part of our coaching staff, “Rheaume said. “Obviously, he was lucky enough to play 14 years here in Detroit. You know what it is to be a pro in Detroit. I think he’s going to be great for our goaltender, but not only for our goaltender, but just for the team in general.”
Fittingly, Rheaume, herself a goalie who gained fame when she became the only woman to appear in NHL exhibition games, drafted goaltender Andrea Brändli with Detroit’s first pick in the second round, at No. 15 overall.
All 12 PWHL teams can add to their rosters on Friday, when the free agent signing period opens. Detroit needs at least one more goalie.
Having Howard, 42, as a consultant appealed on multiple fronts. While he struggled late in his career with the Wings, playing behind a team in decline, he retired from the NHL a .912 save percentage and 2.62 goals-against average over 543 games − third-most in Wings history.
“Knowing the ins and outs of playing here − see a lot of goalies, ex-goalie coaches in the NHL,” Rheaume said. “It’s something we see the game in a different way throughout our career. So I think he’s going to be very helpful, not just as our goaltender coach, but just for the team in general.”
Contact Helene St. James at Hstjames@freepress.com.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: PWHL adds experience in goal – with ex-Red Wing Jimmy Howard as goaltending coach
Reporting by Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
