2024-25 PWHL Thread

[JMCx4]

More retirements to follow.

As I said ...

Fratkin, Bettez Headline PWHL Veterans Not Returning

More than 17% of the PWHL's year one player roster has retired or left the sport for this season. It's a list that now includes veterans Ann-Sophie Bettez and Kaleigh Fratkin. ...

PWHL fans have been watching the list of offseason retirees grow in recent weeks. With the release of training camp rosters for all six PWHL teams this week, it appears that number will balloon by another dozen players. ...

The list however, is much larger including Fanni Gasparics, Leah Lum, Sarah Lefort, Abby Cook, Victoria Howran, Alex Poznikoff, Rosalie Demers, Emma Buckles, Sammy Davis, Lindsey Post, and Carley Olivier who all saw regular season action in the league last year. Looking at reserves that list grows again to include Emma Keenan, Nikki Nightengale, Lauren MacInnis, and Brooke Stacey. ...


Read more at: https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/fratkin-bettez-headline-pwhl-veterans-not-returning | THN-Kennedy

 

[JMCx4]

When retirements become the most intriguing news item for a pro sports league, you gotta wonder ...

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[uncleben]

When retirements become the most intriguing news item for a pro sports league, you gotta wonder ...

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I honestly don't think it's anyone fleeing a sinking ship

Much more likely a bunch of players wanted to see the ship off on it's maiden voyage. Pushed it out to sea, but didn't climb aboard as it set sail.

Keeping in mind playing full-time pro wasn't really an option, many of these older players now retiring after being there for the first season already have other lives, jobs, passions, skills, etc. built up elsewhere.

 

[JMCx4]

I honestly don't think it's anyone fleeing a sinking ship

Much more likely a bunch of players wanted to see the ship off on it's maiden voyage. Pushed it out to sea, but didn't climb aboard as it set sail.

Keeping in mind playing full-time pro wasn't really an option, many of these older players now retiring after being there for the first season already have other lives, jobs, passions, skills, etc. built up elsewhere.

I agree with your presumed motivation in bold text above, but only as part of the equation. The League's FIRST TRUE draft in June brought in "new blood" which necessitated filtering out a volume of first season players from last season's rosters. With those rosters being heavy on "old women" it was inevitable that departures from that group would happen. From that perspective, some number of the retirees would be lucky to have other pursuits as an option rather than a pre-established plan of a one-and-done pro hockey career.

 

[JMCx4]

Leaving Mr. Kennedy some free time for more esoteric pieces, here are some fresh faces/voices/keyboard-jockeys @ THN covering the run-up to the PWHL Season Next training camps ...

• PAT LAPRADE: Looking At The Montreal Victoire's 31 Camp Invitees
• JANSON DUENCH: Analyzing The Ottawa Charge's 2024-25 Training Camp Roster
• (an already-frequent contributor) CEE BENWELL: Boston Adds Several Intriguing Players to Training Camp Roster and Toronto Sceptres' Training Camp Invitees Include Two Standouts
• ALEX WAUTHY: Three Minnesota Frost Camp Invites To Watch
• Stay tuned for the NY/NJ/N-ywhere post to round out The Sweet P's™ 2024 camp roster previews ...

 

[LadyStanley]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1846219513705980087

We have a schedule