OT: PWHL Thread - Draft at 1pm Monday 9/18

Buffaloed

webmaster
Feb 27, 2002
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Niagara Falls
Buffalo Beauts' future with NWHL is in doubt

It isn't known if the Beauts will be operational next season. Stay tuned for further developments

The Beauts, run by Pegula Sports and Entertainment, have been considered by many players as the gold standard of the NWHL, particularly because of Kim Pegula’s involvement and influence; Buffalo is the only franchise run independently from the league. The Beauts finished second in attendance in the NWHL last season and goaltender Shannon Szabados led all individual players in jersey sales. Szabados told ESPN in March she considered the club the best run women’s team “in the entire world.”
 

Zman5778

Moderator
Oct 4, 2005
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Cressona/Reading, PA
I don't think the Pegula's had a choice. The women have taken a position that's adversarial in nature to the NHL. This created a conflict of interest. I suppose they could have sold the Sabres instead.

That and the NWHL players said they weren't playing. And given that the Beauts were the only independently-owned NWHL team......makes no sense for the Pegulas to continue footing the bill.
 

Tsyolin

Amerks Enthusiast
May 26, 2018
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DC
A shame that it came to this but I have no doubts they'd want to reinvest once the league gets its shit together with some proper backing. For now it's just basically operating at a loss.
 

kenfury

Registered User
Feb 5, 2011
2,366
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If Pegula decides (s)he wants a team that is in the new women's NHL, it seems a pretty clear conflict to also operate one in the NWHL.
 

Buffaloed

webmaster
Feb 27, 2002
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Niagara Falls
US National Women’s Hockey League seeks relief over Buffalo Beauts TM
Women's hockey league seeks court ruling over Beauts name, logo
The dispute over who owns the name and logo of the Buffalo Beauts appears headed for federal district court.
The National Women’s Hockey League has filed a request for declaratory judgement in response to a cease-and-desist letter from Buffalo Beauts Hockey, the subsidiary of Pegula Sports and Entertainment that has operated the team.
This is getting nasty. What's the Pegula's angle?

When PSE announced its intent to return control of the team to the league, the NWHL said it planned to continue to have a Buffalo franchise and hoped to arrange a rental agreement to remain at Harborcenter. The continued acrimony between the NWHL and PSE could make it challenging to negotiate that agreement, given that PSE owns and operates Harborcenter. The longer the dispute goes, the more difficult it could be for the NWHL to secure ice time, given the heavy demand. The league could continue to operate a Buffalo franchise with a different name and potentially playing in a different venue.

Where else could they play? Buff State?
 

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