2018-19 NWHL Season

[Made Dan]

"Storylines abound as the league moves towards its fourth season:

Will the Riveters successfully defend their Isobel Cup and become the first multi-championship team?
Will the Beauts allow anyone to score on them with Olympic-caliber goaltending?
The league's expanded for the first time - to the State of Hockey. How will the Whitecaps fare in their first season?

I look forward to some great discussion among the women's hockey fans here on HF. **Full disclaimer: I'm the public address announcer and music director for the Buffalo Beauts.**"

What I want to know is does anyone really, really care?
​

Since you're involved with the league I'm sure you've noticed how into the games the fans are. The sheer number of fans isn't impressive per se, but the passion that the current fans have is unparalleled.

Smaller, dedicated ice rinks often have ice year round...the Boston Pride play at Warrior Ice, and they have NHL quality ice year round.

Every rink used by NWHL teams have their ice down in the summer. It's an interesting proposition. I think the most problematic thing would the work-status of the players during the off-season.

 

[LaxSabre]

Buffalo Beauts @BuffaloBeauts -
She’s coming back as an Olympic gold medalist!
Emily Pfalzer will join us for her third season in #BeautsBlue!
Welcome home, Pfalzy!

NWHL @NWHL -
Emily Pfalzer is back in business with the @BuffaloBeauts.
Pfalzer has re-signed with the team after winning Olympic Gold in PyeongChang.

 

[LaxSabre]

Melissa Burgess @_MelissaBurgess -
Here are the most up-to-date #NWHL rosters.
81 of a possible 125 roster spots have now been filled.

 

[Captain Crash]

An interesting note from the CWHL: the long-troubled Boston Blades have officially relocated to Worcester, MA, to become the Worcester Blades. They will play in the Railers' practice facility. Details: CWHL announces Blades move to Worcester, get new logo

This is good for the CWHL and NWHL. It's best not to have two franchises to directly compete for a single market. Worcester is just far enough removed from Boston to hopefully develop its own fanbase separate from the Boston Pride. The Pride/Blades issue was also long seen as a hold-up in further cooperation or even merger of the two leagues, so this helps theoretically develop a friendlier inter-league relationship. Hopefully, anyhow. Worcester could some day have a great regional rivalry with both Boston and Connecticut!

 

[Makorov]

Since you're involved with the league I'm sure you've noticed how into the games the fans are. The sheer number of fans isn't impressive per se, but the passion that the current fans have is unparalleled.

A lot of people said the same thing about the Minnesota Lynx ( WNBA) "Why do we have it?" "Oh, a waste of money or time." "They will never have fans or money to do good"

But people love the Lynx and cheer them on ( smaller crowds the the Wolves.. yes) but very passionate. Also, With four championships, the Lynx are tied with the Houston Comets for the most titles in WNBA history, and they have won more Western Conference championshipsthan any other franchise...

So I say.. LET'S GO WHITECAPS

 

[Burgmania]

OP updated with this morning's 15 (!) signings across Connecticut, Boston, and Minnesota. It also appears that (per a CT Whale player) the Whale and the Beauts are playing a preseason game as part of the Kraft Hockeyville celebration in Clinton, NY later this month. The Sabres and Blue Jackets will play the NHL preseason game there.

 

[JMCx4]

@Burgmania: So how's things from your perspective in the NWHL so far this season? I haven't had the opportunity to see any games so far, but the Whitecaps have certainly surprised me with their 6-0-0 start and their +14 GF/GA advantage. How have attendance numbers been across the League so far? Hopefully the break from late October to mid-November doesn't hurt any attendance gains the teams might have built up. Guess I've gotta set myself a reminder to catch the NWHL Games of the Week on Twitter when they resume.

 

[Captain Crash]

The 2019 NWHL All-star Game will be at a neutral site for the third straight year, this time heading to Nashville. While the Skills Challenge will be held the day prior at a small suburban rink run by the Predators, the game itself will be hosted in Bridgestone Arena as part of a double-header with the Predators.

Press release: 2019 NWHL All-Star Weekend Comes to Nashville!

The 2019 NWHL All-Star Game will be played on Feb. 10 at Bridgestone Arena. After the Predators host the St. Louis Blues at 11:30 am CT, the NWHL All-Star Game will begin at 2:45 pm. Ticketholders for the Predators game are invited to stay for the NWHL event. In addition, beginning Nov. 28, general admission tickets will be available for just $20 through Ticketmaster for those looking to attend the NWHL All-Star Game only. Doors to Bridgestone Arena will open at approximately 2:00 for fans with NWHL-only tickets.
...
The annual NWHL All-Star Skills Challenge will take place on Saturday, Feb. 9 at Ford Ice Center. This will be an exclusive event, with seating for just 500 fans, and it will include a post-event autograph session with NWHL All-Stars. Tickets, priced at $25, will be available beginning Nov. 28 via Ticketmaster. Prior to the Skills Challenge, NWHL All-Stars will conduct a hockey clinic for young girls enrolled in the Little Preds Learn to Play program.

Interesting and surprising choice, to say the least. I can't imagine Nashville is an expansion target for the league in the near term, but I suppose it will be good exposure for the league while also helping the Preds promote the sport in the region. Win-win?

 

[JMCx4]

Interesting and surprising choice, to say the least. I can't imagine Nashville is an expansion target for the league in the near term, but I suppose it will be good exposure for the league while also helping the Preds promote the sport in the region. Win-win?

Definitely a win-win. The Predators have been very aggressive in promoting & growing the sport in the region since they started business in Nashville. For example, they have partnered with the SPHL team in Knoxville and even hosted an Ice Bears pre-season exhibition game during the 2012 NHL lockout. The NWHL gets a built-in audience with scheduling immediately following the Blues @ Preds midday game, and I'd expect a pretty decent crowd to hang around & watch. I just hope the Predators/T-master don't extend their traditional area code restrictions for on-line/mobile ticket sales to the general admission seats for the NWHL ASG. That would be a disservice to the NWHL as well as to hockey fans at large.

 

[JMCx4]

Saw the Minnesota Whitecaps play an exhibition game on Sunday afternoon vs. the CHA's Lindenwood University (MO) Lady Lions. The Whitecaps primarily iced their second tier of players, but the squad was still "women among girls" from a competitive standpoint. Faster skating, quicker changes in direction, much stronger & quicker releases on their shots. All this even compared to the top teams that I saw play at the 2017 Women's Frozen Four here in the St. Louis area. The Lindenwood team was able to stick with them through the first period & much of the second, but by the time the 3rd period got underway the Whitecaps' offensive speed & quick transitions had clearly worn them out. Seems the same thing happened in their first exhibition match on Friday night, which I'm sure didn't help the Lindenwood team's staying power less than 24 hours later. It gave me a whole new appreciation for the talent & skill present in the NWHL, after having watched League play only on-line before today. Now I've gotta follow through & include a trip up to TRIA Rink in my 2019-20 hockey road trip schedule.

 

[Burgmania]

@Burgmania: So how's things from your perspective in the NWHL so far this season? I haven't had the opportunity to see any games so far, but the Whitecaps have certainly surprised me with their 6-0-0 start and their +14 GF/GA advantage. How have attendance numbers been across the League so far? Hopefully the break from late October to mid-November doesn't hurt any attendance gains the teams might have built up. Guess I've gotta set myself a reminder to catch the NWHL Games of the Week on Twitter when they resume.

I, too, was somewhat surprised at the Whitecaps' start. I know they've been an independent organization for years, but this is what happens when a confluence of timely goals, stalwart goaltending, and confidence come together. I'm also surprised it took the Beauts this long to score a power play goal. Looking forward to showing Minnesota what Beauts home games are like next month.

 

[JMCx4]

@Burgmania : What's the back-story here?
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From: The Hockey Writers > Women's Hockey > NWHL > Buffalo Beauts

Beauts Relieve Coaching Staff, McCormick is Interim
By Nathaniel Oliver
December 8th, 2018

On the eve of their first home game in nearly two months, the Buffalo Beauts announced rather shockingly that both head coach Ric Seiling and assistant coach Craig Muni had been relieved of their duties. In the interim, former Buffalo Sabres forward Cody McCormick will be assuming the head coaching duties. General Manager Nik Fattey will serve as an interim assistant coach and goaltending coach Ryan Vinz will remain on the team’s coaching staff. ...

Read more at: https://thehockeywriters.com/beauts-relieve-coaching-staff/

 

[Burgmania]

The general manager saw the 3-3 start and thought the team should be doing better than their record, so he made the decision to switch things up. That is what happened, to the best of my knowledge.

 

[offkilter]

The Boston Bruins have finally formalized their partnership with the Boston Pride. They've pretty much more or less been unoffically working together since before last season so this is just a formality.

Boston Bruins & Boston Pride Announce Partnership

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

The Boston Bruins have finally formalized their partnership with the Boston Pride. They've pretty much more or less been unoffically working together since before last season so this is just a formality.

Boston Bruins & Boston Pride Announce Partnership

it's not just Boston, it's all the teams in the NWHL, following Buffalo, Minnesota, and the tri state

 

[Terrier]

Nice to see Joakim Nordstrom and Jay Miller drop the puck before the Pride game on Sat. night. I actually attended another women's game on Saturday, BU vs. Providence.

Pride Edge Whitecaps, 5-4, Before Sold-Out Crowd in Boston​

 

[CrazyEddie20]

Anyone have the real story behind Nik Fattey's "resignation" in Buffalo?