FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New York, NY – April 14, 2015: Last night at the NWHL (National Women’s Hockey League) launch celebration event at Chelsea Piers in New York City, Founder and Commissioner Dani Rylan read a statement of support for the NWHL from the National Hockey League.
Rylan shared the following from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman: “The National Hockey League supports the growth of women’s hockey at all levels. We wish the NWHL well as it presents the women’s game to a larger audience, provides outstanding female athletes an additional opportunity to compete at the professional level and inspires girls and women to strive for hockey excellence.”
Additionally, timed to the kick-off of the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NWHL announced its league trophy would be called The Isobel Cup. The trophy is named after Lord Stanley’s daughter, Lady Isobel Stanley, one of the first women to play the game of hockey. Lady Isobel shared her love and passion for ice hockey with her father Lord Stanley and was instrumental in convincing him to create the Stanley Cup, one of the most storied trophies in professional sports.
The NWHL will begin its regular season on October 17, 2015 and playoffs will conclude in March 2015 when the first NWHL championship team will raise the Isobel Cup.
