IThe National Women’s Hockey League is presenting Isobel Cup Weekend at TRIA Rink in Saint Paul, Minnesota this coming Friday and Sunday.
On Friday, March 15 at 7 pm CT/8 pm ET, the Minnesota Whitecaps will host the Metropolitan Riveters in an Isobel Cup Semifinal. The game was originally scheduled for Sunday, but was postponed because of weather-related travel issues. Ticketholders for this sold-out game should now use their tickets on Friday night. Fans unavailable to make the new date and requiring refunds should please email [email protected].
The winner of the Whitecaps-Riveters game will meet the Buffalo Beauts in the 2019 Isobel Cup Final on Sunday, March 17 at 1 pm CT/2 pm ET at TRIA Rink. Tickets for the Isobel Cup Final in Minnesota go on sale Tuesday at 10 am CT/11 am ET pm at NWHL.zone/tickets and are expected to move quickly. The Whitecaps-Riveters Semifinal sold out in a league-record 25 hours.
As a result of the NWHL’s broadcast partnership, both games will be available via a free global live stream on Twitter.
TRANSPARENCY ON DECISION
The NWHL would like to share some background on decisions leading to Isobel Cup Weekend. We hope it shines a light on professional women’s hockey and the players and people involved.
- In the spirit of league partnership, the Buffalo Beauts selflessly agreed to play the Isobel Cup Final in Minnesota this coming Sunday – although they would have had home-ice advantage if the No. 4 seed Riveters defeat the No. 1 seed Whitecaps on Friday.
- Knowing this would be most ideal for the Riveters’ personal and travel schedules, the NWHL looked into having the Semifinal on Saturday. However, significant and justifiable concern was raised by players from both teams about the potential of playing for Isobel on Sunday on back-to-back-days against a well-rested Buffalo team. All voices were heard and the overwhelming majority of players were in favor of Friday.
- We are able to host the game on Friday night at TRIA Rink thanks to the cooperation of Minnesota Hockey, the governing body of youth hockey in the state, who were to hold clinics that night.
- Why end this weekend, as opposed to pushing everything back a week? Two primary reasons: many players would be unavailable after the long-stated season end-date of March 17. In addition, since 2017 and for the betterment of women’s hockey, the NWHL has an informal understanding with our friends in college hockey that we will always make best efforts to not host the Isobel Cup Final on the same weekend as the Frozen Four.
The NWHL is deeply appreciative of everyone working constructively to make this possible, and we look forward to a fantastic Isobel Cup Weekend in Minnesota.
