Her freshman season with the Badgers was in 2006–07. She ranked second on the team with 52 points, as she led freshmen in scoring, while scoring 26 goals. During the season, she scored three game-winning goals and recorded 16 multi-point games. In the NCAA, her 52 points were good enough for third in the nation in rookie scoring. Duggan earned three consecutive WCHA Rookie of the Week honors, becoming the first Badger to ever win a conference award in three straight weeks.[12] In addition, she accumulated five WCHA weekly honors overall, the most by a Badgers player in a single season.
On January 22, 2011, Duggan assisted on the Badgers' second goal of the game, against the defending national champions, the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, and extended her point streak to 22 games, the longest individual point streak in Wisconsin women's hockey history.[13]
Duggan finished the season as the WCHA scoring champion by accumulating 61 points (27 goals, 34 assists) in 28 games.[14] On March 12, 2011, she scored the game-winning goal (it was her sixth game-winning goal of the season) in the NCAA regional playoff, as Wisconsin defeated Minnesota-Duluth by a 2–1 mark.[15]
Duggan was chosen to the 2010 US Olympic team.[19] At the Olympics, Duggan played mainly with Gigi Marvin and Natalie Darwitz. She finished the tournament with four goals, as the American team captured the silver medal.[17] At the 2011 IIHF Women's World Championship, Meghan Duggan was among the tournament's top five scorers. Duggan was fifth with seven points (four goals, three assists).[20]
Duggan captained the Team USA women's hockey team in the 2014 Olympics, once again losing to Canada.[3] On March 15, 2017, players for the U.S. women's ice hockey team, led by Duggan, announced that they would boycott the 2017 World Championship over inequitable support and conditions for women's ice hockey unless concessions were made by USA Hockey.[21] On March 28 USA Hockey agreed to the players demands and Duggan led Team USA to a gold medal win at the tournament.[3] They would finally win Olympic gold at the 2018 Olympics, defeating Canada in a shootout, with Duggan again serving as captain.[3]
Duggan announced her retirement from professional hockey on October 13, 2020 at age 33.[3]
Administrative career
On May 19, 2021, the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL) announced that Duggan had been appointed manager of player development, a new role within the franchise's hockey operations department.[22] On May 31, 2022, she was promoted to director of player development.[23] Ahead of the 2024–25 season, the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) named Duggan a special consultant to hockey operations.[24]
Two-time member of the U.S. Women's Select Team for the Four Nations Cup (1st-2008, 2nd-2007)
Two-time member of the U.S. Women's Under-22 Select Team for the Under-22 Series with Canada (2007–08). Co-captained the team in 2008
Three-time USA Hockey Women's National Festival participant (2007–09)
Three-time USA Hockey Player Development Camp attendee (2003–05).
USCHO.com Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 23, 2006)
WCHA Offensive Player of the Week, (Week of January 26, 2011)[13]
WCHA Offensive Player of the Week (Week of February 16, 2011)[35]
Coaching
Duggan began coaching for Clarkson University's women's ice hockey team in September 2014 while she played for the American national hockey team and the Boston Blades.[29]
Personal life
Duggan (right) waves to crowd after being introduced at a Wisconsin Badgers football game
On April 19, 2010, Duggan threw the first pitch at a Boston Red Sox game before a sellout Patriots' Day crowd of 37,609[36] with former teammates. On April 25, 2014, Duggan was honored to throw the first pitch at a Boston Red Sox game for a second time with her Team USA 2014 US Olympic teammates.[37]
On September 22, 2018, she married Canadian women's hockey player Gillian Apps, whom she had played against at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics.[38] They had their first child together, a boy named George, in February 2020.[39] Their second child, a daughter named Olivia, was born in October 2021.[40] Their third child, daughter Sophie, was born on December 31, 2023.[41]
In 2024, Meghan gave the keynote address at the Bachelor's, Master's and Juris Doctor degree Candidate Ceremony for the University of Wisconsin-Madison at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, May 11, 2024.[42]