The GM of that Detroit pro hockey team is certainly making some noise with bold, impressive moves.

No, we’re not talking about Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman.

Red Wings fans only wish we were.

It’s Manon Rheaume, GM of the new Detroit PWHL franchise, who has the hockey world abuzz. After barely a month on the job, the female hockey icon sure has people talking.

Even with only 10 players on her roster, Rheaume is already displaying an inclination for making bold moves. She dealt the third overall pick in the upcoming PWHL draft to acquire another female hockey legend, Hillary Knight.

One day after signing Ella Huber, who played last season for the Boston Fleet, Rheaume made another trade, dealing Huber back to Boston with the 27th pick in the draft for the 22nd and 34th picks in the draft.

She’s come under some criticism for the Knight move. Some felt it was unwise to deal such a high pick for a veteran player who might only play one season in Detroit.

What if Manon Rhéaume doesn’t make the trade and instead selects Laila Edwards third overall.

Hilary Knight is a legend, but Laila Edwards would absolutely be the better fit in Detroit on that roster with her versatility.

No world that trade makes sense now. #PWHL

— Ian Kennedy (@IanKennedyCK) June 15, 2026

Naturally, Rheaume doesn’t see it that way at all. Her view is she’s going with a proven commodity over the uncertainty of adding a prospect.

“Hillary Knight is one of the most accomplished players in hockey, and I have so much respect for what she did for the game of hockey,” Rheaume said.

Rheaume Accused of Skirting the Rules

The new Detroit GM is also facing accusations from GMs of existing PWHL teams that Rheaume has been playing fast and loose with the expansion rules.

Evidently, there’s even an old boys’ network in women’s hockey.

The accusations suggest she’s been talking to players before the official window opened to enable those conversations.

Rheaume was quick to allay those accusations.

“I was probably the one who bugged the league the most about making sure that we understood the rules very well and that we were following them,” Rheaume said. “The rules were complicated. A lot of even agents were questioning the rules.

“And I would go back to the league a lot to have clarification, because that’s important to us, to follow the rules. And I always believe you do it the right way, and that’s how you’re going to have some success.”

Stepping Into Controversy

Rheaume’s decision to sign forward Britta Curl-Salemme was also not without controversy. Curl-Salemme has a history on social media of liking and making posts expressing opposition to transgender women competing in women’s sports. She’s also expressed anti-LGBTQ+ opinions.

To her credit, Rheaume didn’t back away from the issue. She dealt with it head-on.

Manon Rhéaume was asked about signing Britta Curl in Detroit and whether she considered the potential backlash. She said they considered it carefully. pic.twitter.com/bTErTk3YWh

— C Benwell | GameDay Hockey (@gamedayhky) June 9, 2026

“I understand that some of the fans have strong feelings about this signing, and we don’t take that lightly,” Rheaume said. “We want to make sure that people know that at PWHL Detroit’s game, we want a place where everybody feels welcome. And we did put a lot of time into talking to people who either coached Britta or played with Britta.

“Everybody talks about how she is as a teammate and how she treats every player on the team. We felt confident with the teammate we were bringing into our organization.”

Excited to be part of something new in Detroit

Most of all, Rheaume is enjoying the experience of building a franchise from the ground up.

“I think it’s really exciting,” Rheaume said. “I think that our entire staff is excited about that because you can have your own vision of what the team will look like.”