New York, NY— This week’s news and notes from the National Women’s Hockey League.
OPENING WEEKEND – NY VS. CT IS A SELLOUT
NWHL regular season play begins this weekend in Buffalo and Connecticut.
October 11, 2015
1:30 P.M. – New York Riveters at Connecticut Whale (Chelsea Piers, Stamford, CT)
3:30 P.M. – Boston Pride at Buffalo Beauts (HarborCenter, Buffalo, NY)
New York at Connecticut is SOLD OUT. Boston at Buffalo has LIMITED AVAILABILITY.
Visit here to buy tickets: https://nwhl.thundertix.com/orders/new?performance_id=1518079
To mark this special occasion, Manon Rheaume (A.K.A. The First Woman of Hockey) will drop the puck prior to the Pride-Beauts game in Buffalo.
Rheaume was the first female to play professional hockey, signing a contract to play goalie for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992. No woman has signed a professional hockey contract in North America in the 16 years since. As a member of Team Canada, Manon helped lead her team to a silver medal in the 1998 Nagano Games. As Team Canada’s goaltender, she won gold medals at the 1992 and 1994 World Hockey Championships.
All ticket buyers will receive a special NWHL puck commemorating the league’s inaugural season.
If interested in covering, please contact Jake Duhaime at [email protected] for press credentials.
INTRODUCING CAPPRO
The National Women’s Hockey League is the first in North America to pay its players a salary. This week, the league released all of its salary info through NWHL CapPro.
For those curious, the league’s minimum salary is $10,000 over an 18 game season. By comparison, the American Hockey League’s minimum salary was $42,375 over a 76 game season in 2014-2015.
Thus on a per game basis, every NWHL player will make at least $555.55, while AHL players will make at minimum 557.56. The Manchester Monarchs, last year’s Calder Cup champions, also played 24 postseason games en route to the title.
Visit NWHL CapPro here: http://nwhl.co/players/cappro/
RYLAN, KNIGHT TO SPEAK AT ESPN W SUMMIT
NWHL Commissioner Dani Rylan and Boston Pride star Hilary Knight will both take part at the ESPNW Summit, held October 14-16 in Dana Point, California.
Rylan will present the league during a 10-minute W Power Talk. Others giving Power Talks include U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team coach Jill Ellis and Johan Koss, Founder of Right To Play International. Knight will be part of a World-Class Athlete Panel with Sue Bird and Julia Mancuso.
For more information on the ESPNW Summit, visit http://espnwsummit.com/.
FIRST PERSON
Throughout the 2015-16 season, NWHL players are free to share their thoughts on the league’s official Double Overtime Blog. Three players (Madison Packer of the New York Riveters, Marissa Gedman of the Boston Pride and Tatiana Rafter of the Buffalo Beats have already posted about their experiences during training camp and preseason.
Read the blog here: http://nwhl.co/news/double-overtime/
NWHL IN THE NEWS
(USA Hockey) U.S. Women’s Players Highlight NWHL Rosters
http://www.usahockey.com/news_article/show/559972?referrer_id=752796
(ESPN) How Much Will Top Players In The NWHL Make This Season
http://espn.go.com/espnw/athletes-life/the-buzz/article/13778661/how-much-top-players-nwhl-make-season
(Blueshirt Banter) Riveters-Whitecap Game Recap
http://www.blueshirtbanter.com/riveters/2015/10/5/9453215/new-york-riveters-recap-of-the-riveters-5-3-loss-to-whitecaps-with?_ga=1.98239263.1041048925.1442441169
TEAM USA OLYMPIANS SIGN CONTRACTS
Several members of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team have signed NWHL contracts for the 2015-16 season including captain Meghan Duggan (Buffalo), Megan Bozek (Buffalo), Kacey Bellamy (Boston), Brianna Decker (Boston), Hilary Knight (Boston), Gigi Marvin (Boston) and Kelli Stack (Connecticut).
“It was really a no brainer to join (the NWHL). With the vision that (Commissioner) Dani (Rylan) has, I’m excited for the future of this league. I think this shows great growth in women’s hockey. I think if you ask players who played 10, 15 years ago they’d agree that this is a step in the right direction.” – Meghan Duggan
“I am hoping to bring a winning mentality to the Whale this season. I take pride in working hard on and off the ice and I will set a good example for our team and bring out the best in my teammates. I am looking forward to playing with and against such talented women from all over the world. – Kelli Stack
“It’s an honor to sign with the Boston Pride. I love living in the city of Boston and I know a lot of the other girls on the team and we gel really well. I think that we have a lot of skill on this team that is going to get us through a great first season. – Brianna Decker
“I’m excited to be a part of the NWHL and the future of this league. To think back about how far women’s hockey has come in the past 20 years, it’s special to think about if I have a daughter one day and the opportunities this league will bring her. This is an amazing opportunity to play with some of the best female hockey players. I’m excited to be in Boston and play with some of my best friends in a city I love.” – Kacey Bellamy
SEASON TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE
Full season packages start at $150 ($125 in Buffalo) and include the following perks.
– 10 percent off all NWHL merchandise
– 10 percent off NWHL Live: Cross Ice Pass
– Priority Isobel Cup Playoff and All-Star Game tickets
– Exclusive Season Ticket Holder events
– Free preseason games
All season ticket packages can be purchased at www.nwhl.co/buy-tickets.
RIVETERS TO PLAY TEAM JAPAN IN DECEMBER
The New York Riveters will be the first NWHL team to play an international game when they travel to face off against Smile Japan in December.
The three-game series will take place on Wednesday, December 16th, Thursday, December 17th and Saturday, December 19th at the Nikko Kirifuri Ice Arena in Nikko, Japan.
“This is a historic opportunity to bring the NWHL to Japan and grow the game of women’s hockey,” said Riveters head coach Chad Wiseman.
“It’s especially significant for me personally since I’ve been able to play in Japan during my professional career and now return as a coach of the Riveters.”
For Riveters goaltender Nana Fujimoto, the trip to Japan will also be a significant one. Fujimoto is a member of the Japanese national team and competed for Smile Japan in both the 2014 Winter Olympics and 2015 IIHF Women’s World Championships, where she was named the tournament’s top goaltender.
More details: http://nwhl.co/riveters-to-play-team-japan-in-december/
ABOUT THE NATIONAL WOMEN’S HOCKEY LEAGUE (NWHL)
The NWHL is the first professional women’s hockey league in North America to pay its players. The inaugural season begins October 11, 2015 and playoffs conclude in March 2016 when the first NWHL championship team raises the Isobel Cup.
