BROOKLYN, NY, December 7, 2016 – The National Women’s Hockey League today announced that its 2017 All-Star Weekend will take place in the passionate hockey market of Pittsburgh on Feb. 11 and 12.
All 2017 NWHL All-Star events will be held at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, the state-of-the-art practice facility of the Pittsburgh Penguins in Cranberry Township, PA – 20 miles outside of Pittsburgh.
“We’re excited to have the National Women’s Hockey League bring its showcase event to the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex,” said David Morehouse, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Penguins. “Women’s hockey is growing rapidly both in Pittsburgh and across the world, and this will give our fans the chance to see some of the most talented players in North America and create new role models for aspiring players in the Pittsburgh area.”
Amanda Kessel of the New York Riveters and Kelley Steadman of the Buffalo Beauts have been designated by the League office to be the team captains for all competitions. Besides being among the top players in the world, Steadman and Kessel have connections to the Pittsburgh area. Kessel’s brother, Phil, is a star for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Steadman is the director of hockey operations at Robert Morris University.
“I’m excited and honored to be part of this year’s NWHL All-Star Game, and it’s especially awesome to have it in the city where my brother has found a new home and success,” said Kessel. “I’ve been lucky to experience first-hand what a great hockey town Pittsburgh is. To be able to showcase the talented hockey players of the NWHL to the passionate fans of Pittsburgh is going to be a lot of fun and a great opportunity to expand our fan base.”
The 2017 NWHL All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 12. Details on the All-Star selection process and weekend events, which are expected to include fan activities and a skills competition, will be announced in the near future.
“Our goal has been to grow our footprint outside of our markets so the elite athletes of the NWHL can demonstrate their amazing talents before new crowds,” said Commissioner Dani Rylan. “Since we started the league last year, we have received a lot of support from woman’s hockey fans in Pittsburgh, so taking our All Star Game there was a natural choice and we’re thrilled about it.”
Tickets for the 2017 NWHL All-Star Game will go on sale Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 10:00 am EST at nwhl.zone/tickets.
