Former USA Hockey VP Led Adult Council For More Than 25 Years
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey announced that is has re-named its Adult Member of the Year Award in honor of John Beadle (Lansing, Mich.) who served as vice president of USA Hockey and chair of the organization’s Adult Council for 27 seasons (1991-2018).The honor will now be called the John Beadle Adult Member of the Year.“John had an enormously positive impact on USA Hockey is so many ways dating back to the early 1980s when he started a USA Hockey district director in his home state of Michigan,” said JimSmith, president of USA Hockey. “The number of adult players part of USA Hockey soared under his leadership and it was also under his watch that we also created what is today one of our marquee events each year in the Labatt Blue/USA Hockey Pond Hockey National Championships. It is entirely appropriate to name this award in honor of John for all the great things he has done as a leader in our organization over 40 years.”“We were fortunate to have a volunteer like John who was so invested in helping better our organization and sport,” said PatKelleher, executive director of USA Hockey. “I had the good fortune to work with him on several initiatives, including the start of what is now the U.S. Ice Rink Association, and will always be grateful for his passion in moving hockey forward.”The John Beadle Adult Member of the Year is presented each year as part of USA Hockey’s Annual Congress. (USA Hockey Photo)
The Utica Comets announced that .@JustinBailey95 is a die-hard @BuffaloBills fan. And while they don’t have a first round pick, it won’t stop him from having all the hot takes on night one of the @NFL draft! Who gets better? Who’s taking a bust? He’ll let you know tonight with our Twitter Takeover.
Cortland junior forward Grace Schnorr (Camillus/Little Caesars U19AAA) and junior goalie Chelsea Allain (Malta/Canterbury School) have been selected to the 2019-20 Northeast Women’s Hockey League (NEWHL) all-conference team. Schnorr is a first-team selection and Allain was named to the second team. In addition, freshman forward Dany Donegan (Cicero/Syracuse Nationals 18UAAA) has been chosen to the NEWHL’s All-Rookie Team.
Schnorr is an All-NEWHL honoree for the second straight year; she was a second-team selection in 2018-19. In 26 games this season, Schnorr registered 19 goals and 13 assists for 32 points. She set school single-season records (since the program restarted in 2000-01) for goals and points. Schnorr currently ranks second in the NEWHL in goals scored and is tied for fifth in total points.
Allain posted a 2.19 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 22 starts. She recorded three shutouts, extending her school career record in that category to eight. Allain ranks third in the NEWHL in GAA and fourth in save percentage.
Donegan played in 26 games and finished the season with 10 goals and a team-high 16 assists for 26 points. She ranks ninth in the NEWHL in points and is tied for 10th in goals, and she’s currently tied for 10th nationally in Division III for points per game by a freshman.
Cortland finished the season with a 14-10-2 overall record and tied for fourth in the conference with a 7-9-2 mark. The Red Dragons qualified for the league playoffs for the second straight year and lost at nationally top-ranked Plattsburgh, 3-0, in the semifinals.
The NEWHL is in its third season of competition in 2019-20. The league consists of seven schools – original members Cortland, Plattsburgh, Oswego, Buffalo State and Potsdam, along with new additions this season Canton and Morrisville State.
ELMIRA, N.Y. —Emma Crocker ’21 of the Elmira College women’s ice hockey team added another milestone to an already incredible junior season, as the Abington, Massachusetts, native was named the NCAA Division III Statistical Champion for game-winning goals with six during the 2019-20 campaign.
Crocker, who was previously named an AHCA/CCM First-Team All-American, the 2020 United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) Player of the Year, and an All-UCHC First Teamer, became just the third skater in Elmira’s illustrious history to claim the national statistical title for game-winning goals. She joins Cassidy Delainey ’15 (2015) and the late, great Laura Hurd ’05 (2005) as Elmira’s national statistical champions in that category.
In 28 games this season, Crocker produced six game-winning goals that came against King’s (Pa.) on two occasions (Nov. 10 & Feb. 8), Stevenson (Jan. 18), Morrisville State (Jan. 21), Utica (Feb. 23), and Manhattanville (Mar. 8) in the UCHC title game. Her six game-winning tallies are tied for fourth in EC single-season history and her nine career game-winners are one shy of cracking Elmira’s top-10 list.
TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s hockey team has announced its year-end awards for the 2019-20 season and nine student-athletes have been recognized, including the team’s Co-Most Valuable Players, Will Reilly and Owen Savory.
Reilly, a senior captain and defenseman from Toronto, Ont., was also named Top Defenseman, Best Defensive Player and Ben Mayo Most Inspirational Player. Savory was the team’s Top Goalie, while senior Todd Burgess earned Top Forward honors. Classmate Chase Zieky was the Best Offensive Player and blueliner Cory Babichuk was the Freshman of the Year, with sophomore Ture Linden picking up Most Improve Player honors. The Community Service and Scholar Athlete Awards went to senior TJ Samec and junior Linden Marshall, respectively, while senior Jake Marrello collected the Unsung Hero Award.
A finalist for Top Defensive Defenseman in ECAC Hockey, Reilly played in all 34 games for the Engineers this season, recording eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points to earn All-ECAC Hockey Second Team honors. The team-leader in plus/minus at +14, he also led the club in power play points with nine, on four goals and five assists. Averaging a team-high 2.53 shots per game, he had 27 blocked shots and was assessed six penalties for 12 minutes.
Reilly anchored a defensive unit that has allowed 2.55 goals per game overall and just 1.86 during ECAC Hockey play. RPI’s penalty kill of 86.0% ranked second in the league and 12th in the country. In 22 conference games, the former Nanaimo Clippers standout had six goals and 10 assists for 16 points, with a team-high +17 rating.
Offensively, Reilly recorded five multi-point efforts, including a three-point game against St. Lawrence on November 8 at the Houston Field House. He had a goal and two assists in that contest, as the Engineers won, 6-2. A finalist for the conference’s Top Defensive Defenseman, he ranked second in goals, fourth in plus/minus and fifth in points among league blueliners.
A native of Cambridge, Ont., Savory started 24 games for the Engineers this season, posting a 13-9-2 record, with a 2.06 goals against average and a .932 save percentage and five shutouts – the most by an RPI netminder since Nathan Marsters ’04 had five in 2003-04.
In 18 ECAC Hockey contests, Savory went 11-6-1 with a 1.74 goals against average and a .941 save percentage and four shutouts. The former St. Catharines Falcons standout led all conference goalies in both save percentage and shutouts, while ranking third in goals against average, fourth in winning percentage (.639) and seventh in total saves (479). He was a two-time Hockey Commissioners Association and ECAC Hockey/MAC Goaltending Goalie of the Month (January and February) and a four-time ECACH Hockey/MAC Goaltending Goalie of the Week.
Burgess, who hails from Phoenix, Ariz., earned Top Offensive Player honors after leading the Engineers in goals with 14, while handing out six assists for 20 points. Also the team leader in power play goals (5), hat tricks (1) and shooting percentage (17.7%), he was a +3 on the season, with 79 shots for an average of 2.47 per contest.
The ECAC Hockey Player of the Month for February, Burgess led the Engineers to a 6-3-0 month, including a 5-1 mark in ECAC Hockey play. Netting a league-best nine goals to go along with three assists for a league-high 12 points, he had the second-highest plus/minus among conference skaters at +10, with three power play tallies, 28 shots and six blocks at the defensive end. His month was highlighted by a four-goal outing against Princeton on February 22 – registering his first collegiate hat trick in a 7-1 win.
A senior forward from Avon, Conn., Zieky earned Best Offensive Player after recording a team-high 23 points on seven goals and a team-best 16 assists. Playing in all 34 game, he collected seven power play points, including a goal and six assists, while posting a +4 rating and finishing second on the team with 85 shots (2.50 per game).
Earning Freshman of the Year, Babichuk, who is from Edmonton, Alb., finished with four goals and 12 assists for 16 points in just 27 games. Seven of his points came on the man advantage (2 goals, 5 assists) and he amassed a +6 rating. A finalist for Rookie of the Year in ECAC Hockey, he ranked third among conference freshman defenseman in assists and fourth in both goals and points.
Linden, a sophomore out of Great Falls, Va., played in all 34 games for the Engineers this season, finishing third on the team with 21 points, scoring six goals and adding 15 assists. The team leader in face-offs won (281), he was successful 50.9% of the time on the draw. He also had a +7 rating and took 50 shots, while blocking 22 at the defensive end and playing big minutes on the penalty kill.
Samec, a senior defenseman from St. Paul, Minn., was the team’s nomination for the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award. A multiple ECAC Hockey All-Academic and Dean’st List honoree, the Industrial and Management Engineering major earned The Design Lab at Rensselaer Performance Excellence Award. Throughout his career, he has been a member of RPI’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), worked with Adopt-A-Highway, the American Red Cross Blood Drive, Street Soldiers II Troy, STRIDE Adaptive Sports, Troy Soup Kitchen and on a number of other local service projects. On the ice, he concluded his career with two goals and eight assists for 10 points in 85 games.
A junior netminder out of Trail, B.C., Marshall is a Mechanical Engineering major with a 3.50 grade point average. The team’s nomination for ECAC Hockey Student-Athlete of the Year, he was the team’s Freshman of the Year in 2017-18. In eight games this season, he went 3-3-0 with a 2.90 goals against average and a .904 save percentage. Through 51 career games, he is 13-31-2, with a 3.25 goals against average and a .900 save percentage.
The Unsung Hero Award went to Marrello, who is from Slingerlands, N.Y. Posting a career-high 18 points on seven goals and 11 assists, he played in 31 games for the Engineers in 2019-20. Winning a team-best 52.3% of his face-offs, he finished the season with a +8 rating and 13 of points (4 goals, 9 assists) came in ECAC Hockey play. In 114 career games at RPI, he notched 14 goals and 15 assists for 29 points.
RPI posted a 17-15-2 overall record, this season, including a 13-8-1 mark in ECAC Hockey play, earning its first bye in the conference tournament since the 2012-13 season. The Engineers’ 17 victories are the most since 2015-16.
First Canadian Team Will Begin Play in League’s Sixth Season; Executive Team Led by Boynton, Tumminia and Murphy
Roster Building Begins with Five Players Connected to Toronto: Kristen Barbara, Elaine Chuli, Shiann Darkangelo, Emma Greco and Taylor Woods
After consecutive seasons of substantial growth while proving the value of women’s professional hockey and the skilled, inspiring athletes who play the game, the National Women’s Hockey League is coming to Canada. When the league opens its sixth season, an expansion team will debut in Toronto.
The ownership team is led by Johanna Neilson Boynton, who played four years at Harvard, serving as captain for two seasons, and is the CEO and co-Founder of Boynton Brennan Builders. Sports team owner and executive Tyler Tumminia, who in recent years was named one of the Top 25 Female Executives by Bleacher Report and received the Game Changer award from Sports Business Journal, will serve as the club’s Chairman. Digit Murphy, who has more than three decades of experience leading teams at Brown University and in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, has been named President. Murphy will oversee the hiring of a general manager and head coach for Toronto’s team.
“We aspire to build a perennial Isobel Cup contender for Toronto,” said Boynton. “This will be an organization with strong fan, community and corporate support, outstanding coaching, training, and player development, and a club dedicated to promoting hockey as a game for everyone. Although this pandemic is challenging everyone in profound ways today, and we are very mindful of that, our outlook for women’s sports remains positive. We are launching this team now because we believe in the future.
“The advancement of a professional women’s hockey league for Canada and the U.S., one that will stand and flourish on its own, is a passion for me and everyone associated with the NWHL,” continued Boynton. “We are driven every day to increase the opportunities available to women’s hockey players of all ages, and that’s what this expansion is all about. There is so much potential, and Toronto is the logical next step. I look forward to working closely with players, staff, sponsors, and fans to give Toronto the team the community deserves.”
Embracing the opportunity to be pioneers on the NWHL’s first team in Canada, five players have already signed contracts to join Toronto for the upcoming season:
Kristen Barbara: The 27-year-old defender from Mount Hope, Ontario won the Clarkson Cup with the Markham Thunder in the CWHL’s final season in 2019. Barbara played three seasons in the CWHL after an impressive collegiate career at York University in Toronto.
Elaine Chuli: The 25-year-old goaltender from Waterford, Ontario played in the CWHL for the Toronto Furies and Vanke Rays. The No. 1 goaltender at the University of Connecticut for all of her four years at college, Chuli was a member of gold medal-winning Team Canada at the U-18 World Championships in 2012.
Shiann Darkangelo: As a member of the U.S. National Team, Darkangelo won a gold medal in 2016 at the IIHF World Championship and competed in two Four Nations Cups. Before playing in the CWHL for Toronto and Kunlun, the 26-year-old forward from Michigan was a popular player in the NWHL with Buffalo and Connecticut. Darkangelo played collegiately at Syracuse and Quinnipiac and won gold with the U.S. National Team at the U-18 World Championships in 2011.
Emma Greco: The 25-year-old defender from Burlington, Ontario played for the Toronto Furies in the CWHL’s final season. After her college career at Quinnipiac, Greco played in the 2017-18 NWHL season with the Connecticut Whale. She is regarded as a very reliable stay-at-home defender capable of playing in all key situations.
Taylor Woods: After an outstanding four years at Cornell – serving as an alternate captain in her senior season – Woods was a mainstay in the lineup of the Markham/Brampton Thunder of the CWHL starting in 2016. The 25-year-old versatile forward from Morden, Manitoba won the Clarkson Cup with Markham in 2019. Woods was also a member of gold medal-winning Team Canada at the U-18 World Championships in 2012.
“We welcome Kristen, Elaine, Shiann, Emma and Taylor – five talented and highly driven players who will help our team contend for the Isobel Cup while advancing women’s professional hockey in the inclusive and incredible city of Toronto,” said Murphy. “I’m very proud that these five outstanding leaders, who all are connected to the Toronto community, have joined our roster.”
As the NWHL enters its sixth season, the addition of Toronto brings the league to six teams. The Minnesota Whitecaps joined the NWHL in 2018 after the league was launched in 2015 with four teams: Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, and Metropolitan (NY-NJ) Riveters. The 2020-21 regular season is scheduled to start in mid-November, with each team playing 20 games. The Isobel Cup Playoffs begin in mid-March and will be completed by the end of the month – two weeks before the opening of the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Halifax and Truro, Nova Scotia.
“Today is just the start,” said Murphy, who is also an entrepreneur whose latest initiative is dedicated to providing female leaders to the corporate workforce. “We have plenty of work ahead. Our team in Toronto is led by women, and we are providing opportunities and jobs in the GTA for hockey players, coaches, and staff. This team will proudly represent Toronto and compete for the NWHL championship, and will also be dedicated to empowering younger female athletes through community engagement and education. We welcome everyone who wants to be part of a challenging and rewarding venture.”
The name, venues, additional staff and other news for Toronto’s NWHL team will be announced in the weeks and months ahead. Beginning today, fans can go to NWHL.zone to submit their ideas for the name, color and designs for Toronto’s team.
Toronto’s players under contract for 2020-21 will join the pool of NWHL players receiving 50 percent of revenue from all league-level, Canadian and U.S. national sponsorship and media deals. Last season, the NWHL and NWHL Players’ Association announced an agreement on a 50-50 split of revenue for players on the five teams from league-wide sponsorship and media deals. The league ended up having its best year in partnership marketing in its history.
Since its founding in 2015, the NWHL has created a platform for women’s professional ice hockey, continuing the important work of the CWHL and other predecessor organizations. The NWHL just completed the first of a three-year paid media rights deal with Twitch, resulting in games and a weekly talk show generating 8 million views – a 93 percent increase from the previous season.
“Launching our first team in Canada is a pivotal and proud moment for the NWHL,” said league Founder and Commissioner Dani Rylan. “Everyone in the Toronto hockey community can be sure that this first-class team of professionals will make bold strides for the women’s game.”
The league expects to execute more national and regional broadcast deals in Canada and the U.S. in the coming seasons.
“I’m looking forward to working with Johanna, Digit, and a team filled with like-minded professionals driven by the collective goal of making Toronto’s NWHL team a success that sets new standards and paves the way for more expansion in Canada,” said Tumminia. “Toronto is a vibrant city with an unmatched tradition in the sport, and we will give the fans a team of which they can be truly proud.”
“Roger was the foundation of the Buffalo Sabres franchise. That was why Punch Imlach traded for him.
“The minute Punch got Roger from the Red Wings, it gave the Sabres instant credibility. And that said a lot about the Sabres, which was just an expansion team at the time.
“And Punch knew that the strength of the Sabres would be built from the goal out. Roger provided that foundation in goal to work from.”
“That was how Floyd Smith, a member of that Sabres expansion team, as well as its first captain and eventual head coach, remembered the legendary netminder, Roger Crozier.
Crozier played for 14 seasons in the NHL including six with the Sabres, seven with the Detroit Red Wings and one with the Washington Capitals. Prior to his arrival with the Sabres, Crozier had already established himself in the NHL.
He won the Calder Trophy and named to the NHL’s First All-Star team in 1965. The following year he added the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs. What was unusual about that is that the winner of that award usually comes from the Stanley Cup winning team. Detroit didn’t win the Cup in 1966.
So Crozier’s reputation was well-known by the time the Sabres into the League in 1970. On June 10 of that year Imlach, GM and coach of the newly created Sabres, selected Tom Webster from the Boston Bruins with his first pick of the expansion draft.
Minutes later Imlach orchestrated a deal with the Red Wings, sending Webster to Detroit for Crozier.
“Roger really made the difference for the Sabres that first year,” recalled Smith. “Punch was constantly trying to improve the team, making several key deals along the way.
“But it was Roger who kept us in many games that first season. There were nights when he faced as many as 50 to 60 shots and he stopped many of them.
“He kept us respectable.”
And Crozier, a member of the Sabres Hall of Fame, was no stranger to Buffalo. Prior to joining the Sabres or even playing in the NHL, Crozier spent parts of three seasons with the Buffalo Bisons of the American Hockey League.
“When I first got to Buffalo as a rookie, he told me how great it would be to be playing in Buffalo,” recalled Larry Carriere, a defenseman with the Sabres in the 1970s. “He took me around and introduced me to Buffalo.
“You had to love his intensity for the game. He was an acrobat, the way he played in goal.
“He had tremendous reflexes and I remember the way he used to grab the crossbar to pull himself up after he had made a big save. He brought a lot of leadership and motivation to the Sabres as well.
Another teammate of Crozier and Carriere at the time was defenseman, Jim Schoenfeld.
“Roger was the ultimate team player with the Sabres,” stated Schoenfeld. “He had stomach problems from the time he joined the Sabres and that illness would occasionally knock Roger out of the lineup.”
“Roger’s ability to stop the puck helped the Sabres team grow in those early days,” recalled Don Luce, another teammate with Crozier with the Sabres. “He kept us in many games that we really shouldn’t have been in.
“Because of that he gave us confidence. We didn’t have to be afraid to make a mistake out there because we knew that Roger was there to back us up.”
Unfortunately, Crozier passed away in 1996 at the age of 53 of cancer.
“Roger left us way before his time,” concluded Smith. “He was an outstanding goalie who gave it everything he had when he played.
“He was a big part of the foundation that the Sabres were built on.”
Former Canisius defenseman Logan Roe has been named an All-ECHL First Team selection for the 2019-20 season, league officials announced.
A member of the Florida Everblades, Roe finished the campaign second in the league with a plus/minus rating of +36. He was tied for third among league defenseman with 12 goals and ranked seventh among all blueliners with 38 points in just 46 games played.
The announcement added to an already impressive awards haul for Roe this season. He earned Most Valuable Player honors at the 2020 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic in January after leading all players with seven points (2g, 5a) at the event.
A native of Fort Myers, Fla., Roe has played his entire ECHL career with the Everblades. He earned a call up to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch for eight games during the 2019-20 campaign, recording one assist in those eight contests.
The highest-scoring defenseman in franchise history with 127 points (28g, 99a), Roe has increased his point output in each successive season as a pro. He finished the 2019-20 season six points ahead of his previous best, a 32-point season last year.
Prior to turning pro, Roe suited up in 146 career games with Canisius from 2011-15. He finished his collegiate career with one goal and 24 assists for 25 points, helping the program capture its first Atlantic Hockey Tournament championship in 2013.
The All-ECHL First and Second Teams for 2019-20 were determined in a vote of ECHL coaches, broadcasters, media relations directors and media. Those were asked to select a goaltender, two defensemen and three forwards. The All-ECHL First Team and All-ECHL Second Team are listed below.
2019-20 All-ECHL First Team G – Tomas Sholl, Idaho Steelheads (41 gp, 28-8-5, 2.14 GAA, .924 save pct.) D – Alex Breton, Allen Americans (61 gp, 11g, 44a, 55 pts.) D – Logan Roe, Florida Everblades (45 gp, 12g, 26a, 48 pts.) F – Josh Kestner, Toledo Walleye (58 gp, 33g, 40a, 73 pts.) F – Tyler Sheehy, Allen Americans (47 gp, 26g, 44a, 70 pts.) F – David Vallorani, Brampton Beast (62 gp, 31g, 40a, 71 pts.)
2019-20 All-ECHL Second Team G – Parker Milner, South Carolina Stingrays (30 gp, 20-6-3, 2.20 GAA, .923 save pct.) D – Eric Knodel, Reading Royals (44 gp, 7g, 32a, 39 pts.) D – Miles Liberati, Tulsa Oilers (56 gp, 11g, 35a, 46 pts.) F – Brady Ferguson, Newfoundland Growlers (57 gp, 24g, 39a, 63 pts.) F – Tim McGauley, Utah Grizzlies (49 gp, 20g, 42a, 62 pts.) F – Jesse Schultz, Cincinnati Cyclones (62 gp, 25g, 39a, 64 pts.)
The National Womens Hockey League has faced hurdles in its short 5-year history.
Starting out with four teams in October 2015 Dani Rylan launched the first-ever paid professional women’s hockey league that created a place for women to play after college.
The Inaugural season was held from October 2015 to March 2016 with a pre-season, All-Star weekend and playoffs.The League has their own “Stanley Cup” with the Isobel Cup, named after Lord Stanley’s daughter.
Expansion was on the horizon but didn’t come into play until the 2018-19 season when the Minnesota Whitecaps, a long-standing women’s team, came into the league.
Issues with ownership, sponsorship and ultimately how players were paid led to a walk-out of 200 plus players in 2018-19. Those players formed the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association and went off to play Showcase games, leaving the NWHL to sign players for upcoming season.
With a handful of former players staying in the NWHL, this season would have a new look to it. It also gave an opportunity for more talented women to take to the ice when the season opened in October.
In Buffalo there was another turn of events with the Pegula’s returning the team to the NWHL on May 8, 2019 with no explanation. That also meant there was no room at HarborCenter and the Buffalo Beauts head off to Amherst’s NorthTowns Center for their home ice. A smaller facility but with a more “homey” atmosphere.
The Beauts welcomed a new Coach, new general manager and the addition of some hometown women on the team between May 2019 and the beginning of the fifth season. Mandy Cronin was named GM in May and in June Pete Perram was named head coach.
The familiar faces of Erin Gehen, Emma Ruggiero, Richelle Skarbowski, Ana Orzechowski, Maddie Norton and Nikki Kirchberger are playing in an arena they are familiar to from their youth hockey days.
The Beauts played 24 games, ending in fourth place with a 8-16 season record.
With one game left the season ends abruptly with the Coronovius taking center stage in the world.
The Isobel Cup is postponed on March 12 with an announcement that Boston and Minnesota would play at a later date in Boston. That date is still not determined as the entire country is on a shut-down, with all sports hanging in limbo.
But that isn’t stopping the NWHL from planning ahead.
“Each season we get stronger, and without question, this has been our most successful season,” said Commissioner Dani Rylan in a statement to NYHOL.
“Almost every key metric is up significantly– sponsorship, viewership, social media engagement, promotion of women’s and girl’s hockey, youth hockey participation,” she continued. “We had everyone – more than 110 players, our GMS, coaches, team and league staff, and our partners and supporters — pulling in the same direction.” said Rylan.
“That’s the story of this NWHL season,” she added.
Rylan added more women to the fold with Hayley Moore as president in Boston; Shelley Picard joining as Deputy Commissioner, Karilyn Pilch, Bray Ketchum, Kate Whitman Annis and Mandy Cronin as general managers.
Now the move to make the 2020-21 season a reality with player signings.
On March 26 Kendall Cornine became the first player to sign a 2020-21 contract, returning to the Metropolitan Riveters.
Kendall Cornine from her days at RIT
“The NWHL has given me the opportunity to fall back in love with the game and fulfill my dream of playing professional hockey,” said Cornine, who joined the Riveters in 2019-20.
In the past month 14 players have signed their contracts for the sixth season; and Boston extended the contracts of Coach Paul Mara and General Manager Karilyn Pilch.
Re-signing Contracts:
Rebecca Morse with the Riveters, a four-year NWHL player from New Jersey.
Brooke Wolejko, Connecticut Whale; one of the three Fan Favorites this season.
Taylor Accursi with the Beauts, the club’s leading scorer.
Taylor Accursi, Buffalo
Madison Packer, the Riveters Captain returns for her sixth season.
Lisa Chesson returns to the Beauts, the former Olympian and long-time member of Team USA is signing for her fourth season in the NWHL. Chesson is a two-time NWHL All Star and was part of the team that won the 2017 Isobel Cup.
Allie Thunstrom re-signed with Minnesota after a 25 game, 25 goal season. She was the League’s Co-MVP and first Whitecap to re-sign.
Emma Vlasic, a rookie in 2019-20 re-signed with the Connecticut Whale. She led the team in goals.
Boston re-signed Christina Putigna, an NWHL All Star in her rookie year.
Shannon Doyle re-signed with Connecticut. She served as Captain and led the NWHL in blocked shots. This is her sixth season in the NWHL.
Earlier this week the Riveters resigned Leila Kildruff, Cailey Hutchison and Malloy Rushton.
Kaycie Anderson re-signed with the Whale and McKenna Brand re-signed with Boston.
Just prior to the end of the season the NWHL made their award announcements. This season awardees are:
Co-MVPs
Allie Thunstrom, Minnesota Whitecaps and Jillian Dempsey, Boston Pride
Allie Thunstrom, Minnesota WhitecapsJillian Dempsey, Boston Pride
NWHL Foundation Award
Allie Thunstrom, Minnesota
Lexi Bender, Boston
Rebecca Morse, Metropolitan
Emma Ruggiero, Buffalo
Jordan Brickner, Connecticut
Thunstrom
Lexi Bender
Emma Ruggiero
Jordan Bricker
Goaltender of the Year
Lovisa Selander, Boston
Newcomer of the Year
Kate Leary, Metropolitan
Defender of the Year
Kaleigh Fratkin, Boston
Kaleigh Fratkin, Boston Pride
Fans Three Stars of the Season
Amanda Leville, Minnesota
Marie-Jo Pelletier, Buffalo
Brooke Wolejko
Leville
Pelletier
Wolejko
What’s next for the NWHL?
With the challenges in women’s hockey, Rylan sees the NWHL as continuing to do their part to work through those challenges and work with everyone to grow women’s hockey.
“I have an overwhelming sense of gratitude to everyone involved in the NWHL over the last year, especially our fans,” said Rylan.
The NWHL is seeking potential players and ask them to register at https://www.nwhl.zone/freeagency. Eligible players must have completed their collegiate hockey careers.
With contracts already being offered and signed by players, those interested are asked to contact the NWHL via the web as soon as possible.
As far as the 2020-2021 season…like everything else, it’s on hold, except for the planning!
STOCKTON, Calif. – The Stockton Heat announced that they have signed free-agent defenseman Greg Moro to a two-year AHL deal.
Moro, a native of Edmonton, Alberta played four seasons at Clarkson University, where he finished the 2019-20 season with one goal and six assists for seven points in 32 games. The 6-foot-4 blueliner was an assistant captain during his final collegiate season and helped lead Clarkson’s third ranked defense in the NCAA to a stingy 1.85 goals against per game.
BUFFALO’S COSTANTINI NAMED OJHL’S ROOKIE OF YEAR Ryan Tverberg of Toronto Jr. Canadiens named runner-up
Mississauga, ON–….The Ontario Junior Hockey League announced that Matteo Costantini of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres is the OJHL’s Rookie of the Year for 2019-20. Costantini was previously named the league’s Top Prospect for 2019-20. The OJHL is announcing the winners of its annual awards this spring. The Rookie of the Year award is voted on by the league’s general managers and a panel of media members who cover the league. Costantini was ranked 96 thon National Hockey League Central Scouting’s final draft rankings released last week – highest of the four OJHL players on the list. Costantini, a 17-year-old from St. Catharines, jumped onto the junior hockey scene this season, scoring 68 points (36G/32A) in 50 games in Buffalo. He was named to the OJHL second all-star team and played in the Prospects Game at the OJHL All-Star Celebration. In Buffalo’s first-round playoff win over Burlington, Costantini led both teams with 10 points (2G/8A) in six games. “What makes Matteo a special player is his work ethic, love for the game and his coachability,” Jr. Sabres general manager and head coach Nick Tuzzolino said. “He was consistently one of the last players on the ice every day. He wanted to learn and get better every day.” “This is what separates good players from special players. He has the skills that are needed plus that inner drive, which pushes players to get to that next level and be great.” Two years ago, Costantini was the third from last – 298 thoverall – player selected in the Ontario Hockey League draft by the Hamilton Bulldogs from the Niagara North Stars AAA minor midgets. He was 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds, a shadow of his current 6-foot, 180. “Not everybody gets drafted and I was fortunate to be picked,” he said last week. “From there it was just keeping my head down, pushing, grinding. Trying to be the best player I could be. I just kept working hard. And after that, new doors started to open for me.” Since the age of 14, Costantini has worked out during summers at the LECOM Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo, home of the Jr. Sabres and practice facility for the NHL Sabres. Impressed with the staff in Buffalo, he signed with the midget U16 minor Sabres and lit it up – 101 points in 87 games – during the 2018-19 season. Costantini and Jr. Sabres teammate Michael Craig carpooled daily from their St. Catharines high school across the border to LECOM Harborcenter this past season. Costantini credits Tuzzolino and assistant coach Tim Kennedy, the former NHLer from Buffalo, for helping him transform his game – and his teammates’. “Again, got to give credit to the team there in Buffalo,” he said Wednesday. “They are a real special group. We did accomplish a bunch of things as a whole. Obviously, we didn’t get to accomplish it all because of the COVID virus. But that team success had a lot to do with the individual success on the team. Such a good group of guys. It just made it real comfortable for everybody, especially me coming in from Canada. The boys were real good to me.” Costantini has had plenty of school interest but is the only one of the OJHLers on the NHL draft list without a college commitment. He was in the middle of the process, visiting campuses and speaking to coaches, when COVID-19 struck. Depending on how those talks go, Costantini could be playing college this fall or return to junior. For now, he’s completing his Grade 12 courses online and working out in his family’s basement gym. To mix things up, there’s a hill to tackle in his St. Catharines neighbourhood. The NHL Draft, originally scheduled for Montreal in June, will be rescheduled, the NHL says. On Wednesday, the Canadian Junior Hockey League announced that Costantini was one of five finalists for its national rookie of the year award.
