BUFFALO – The Buffalo Beauts announced a major addition to their roster by adding center Cassidy Vinkle. A 2-time national champion and former captain of Clarkson University, Vinkle played the past two seasons as a member of the PWHPA. The NWHL’s unrestricted free agency period opened at 5:01pm ET on May 15. Vinkle is Buffalo’s first true free agent signing of the offseason.
“I signed with the Beauts because I feel Buffalo will allow me to reach my full potential on and off the ice,” said Vinkle. “Nate, Coach Rhea, and the players have been very welcoming and helpful in my transition to the NWHL. I look forward to buying into the culture that the Beauts are building and making an impact this season.”
Vinkle played 162 NCAA games while at Clarkson – the most in program history – from 2015-16 through 2018-19. In that time, she went 23-37-60 for scoring and finished her collegiate career with a plus-51 for plus/minus rating. Vinkle helped lead the Golden Knights to the NCAA championship title in both 2016-17 and 2017-18. Vinkle was an assistant captain when the Golden Knights won the 2018 NCAA title. She followed that up by serving as the team’s captain during her senior campaign.
“We are elated to add Cassidy to our roster,” said Beauts General Manager Nate Oliver. “She comes from one of the finest collegiate programs in the history of women’s hockey, and has spent the past two seasons playing alongside some of the best players in the world. Cassidy is a proven winner and leader, and we are proud to be adding a top-six forward of her caliber. A tremendous two-way center who plays topline minutes.”
Vinkle served as an assistant coach for New England College’s women’s hockey program in 2019-20 through 2020-21. A native of Belleville, Ontario, Vinkle played her junior hockey with the Whitby Wolves. She was nearly a point-per-game player for the Wolves, having tallied 43 goals, 62 assists and 105 points in 106 games.
Now Vinkle is focused on adding an Isobel Cup to her résumé.
“I feel I can bring my championship experience and my desire to win to Buffalo,” Vinkle said. “Having a successful college career at Clarkson University showed me that in order to be the best, you need to have a standard of excellence each day. There is a lot of talent on the Beauts right now. I want to add to it and be a piece of the puzzle that brings the Isobel Cup back to Buffalo.”
