Seattle Torrent name Christine Bumstead as new head coach
LAVAL, CANADA - MARCH 19: Assistant coach Christine Bumstead of the Seattle Torrent handles bench duties during the first period against the Montréal Victoire at Place Bell on March 19, 2026 in Laval, Quebec, Canada. (Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)
The Seattle Torrent have named Christine Bumstead as their new head coach, elevating her from the role she served as an assistant under Steve O'Rourke during the team's inaugural season.
Bumstead, 30, joined the Torrent's staff last year after serving four seasons as an assistant coach for the women's team at the University of Saskatchewan, and as a development coach for the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL.
"Christine brings a valuable combination of hockey expertise, leadership presence, and an unwavering commitment to high standards," Torrent general manager Meghan Turner said in a statement. "Her unique background in education and diverse coaching resume, combined with a strong natural ability to build trust and meaningful connections, make her well-suited to lead our team. I’m confident that Christine’s vision and style will set us on the right path as we build into our second season and strive toward our goal of bringing the Walter Cup home to Seattle."
The backstory:
Bumstead spent time as a guest coach with the Florida Panthers of the NHL in 2024 during the team's summer development camp and during training camp, getting the chance to work on the bench for a preseason game. A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Bumstead served as head coach of Team Manitoba for the 2024 National Women's U18 Championship.
Additionally, as a graduate of Deaf/Hard of Hearing Education studies at Minot State University, Bumstead served as head coach and general manager for Canada’s women’s team at the 2024 World Deaf Ice Hockey Championship.
"Season one in Seattle was special, and I am humbled and honored to continue building on it," Bumstead said in a statement. "I believe Seattle is the best city in the world for women's sports. Our fans showed up night in and night out, and it has been a privilege to be on the bench representing them. I am beyond grateful for the trust placed in me to help lead this organization. Thank you to Meghan and the players for believing in me and for pushing me to be a better coach every single day. Long before I was a part of the league, I was inspired by what the PWHL is building, and so I do not take this opportunity lightly; I feel incredibly fortunate to play a role in sparking dreams for the next generation of players. The best is still ahead for Seattle Torrent hockey, and we can't wait to continue growing."
The Torrent finished their first season with the worst record in the PWHL, earning 31 points on an 8-1-5-16 record. Seattle allowed the most goals in the league (92), and scored the third-fewest goals with 64, ahead of only Toronto (51) and New York (63).
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Seattle Torrent and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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