Courtney Kennedy Brings Plenty of International Experience Behind The Bench

The 2026 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship will be Courtney Kennedy’s first experience as a head coach.

However, she comes into this tournament with a lengthy and impressive resume.

A two-time Olympian and current skills coach for the PWHL’s Boston Fleet, she was an assistant coach on last year’s team that earned silver at the U18 Women’s World Championship. That was one of her seven stints as an assistant coach during an international tournament, which includes the 2022 Olympics where the U.S. won silver.

A keen observer who is always trying to learn and improve herself, Kennedy said she mostly models her coaching style after her dad, Paul, a legendary figure in hockey in New England. 

“I want these players to trust me, but the only way they can trust me is if I'm honest with them, and I push them,” she said. “I really want each of them to get better. I really do want them to hit all their dreams. What I bring to the table is belief. I believe in the players.”

A defender in her playing days, Kennedy spent much of her time as an assistant coach focusing on the defense and special teams. But she said that stealthily makes her a very good resource for the offense. She knows what works offensively because she has studied the defensive counterattack.

She loves sharing information with forwards that can help put them in the opposing defender’s head. That has the fortunate side effect of opening a forward’s vision and getting them to see the whole ice, watching as plays and opportunities develop. Particularly at this age where young players are learning and making mistakes, being able to give them what almost feels like a secret or cheat code is so important to their development, Kennedy said. 

Known for her big personality and voice, Kennedy is boisterous and engaging with a fundamental love of the game of hockey — particularly women’s hockey. 

“I just want to make sure that everything I do as a coach is for the players,” she said. “I already had my spotlight time as a player. I'm not chasing anything. I love hockey and I love coaching, and for me, any bench you put me on I feel very lucky to still be around the game and to have an impact on these players.” 

While she’s not focusing on it, Kennedy is open and honest about not just the team’s desire to win gold — “It’s OK to say you want to win” — but also the fact that mistakes will be made, losses may happen and lessons will be learned. 

“I'm not afraid to fix things. I'm not afraid to call it out,” she said. “Because we're not going to just sit here and see what happens. We're going to actually push the pace and we're going to work hard to win a gold and we're not afraid to admit that.”

Coaching alongside Kennedy is two-time Olympian and 1998 gold medalist Chris Bailey, 2014 Olympian and five-time World Championship medalist Shelly Picard, University of Minnesota assistant coach Greg May and former Bemidji State goalie and current Minnesota State assistant coach Mackenzie Bruch. 

Not only are they a cohesive staff that brings enthusiasm and knowledge, but Kennedy points out their pedigree gives them a lot of cachet with the players. 

“It has been huge, having a staff who've been there and know how we feel,” said U.S. captain Maggie Averill. “Knowing that we're learning from the best who did it builds trust in ourselves and trust [in] them, too. They’re such a great group of coaches and set the tone and set a great example for us as players,”

The staff’s experience at winning and losing at the international level means they can share what went wrong so this team doesn’t make those same errors.

“I find myself very lucky to be surrounded by this staff,” Kennedy said. “I think it’s so powerful for these players to have former Olympians around. The coaches have all been in this position. They understand the ebbs and flows and all the emotion involved.”

Kennedy said the U18 Women’s World Championship is not about talent alone. Winning and losing will come down to the little things. Can they be confident, even after mistakes or losses? Can they lose the fear of failure and learn composure? 

“I don’t need them to never make a mistake, but I do need them to work hard and never give up, though. That has to happen, and it’s something they can 100% control. I love the group we have. And no matter how it turns out, I'm ride or die with these players. They're fantastic.”

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.

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