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 ...

​

 

[uncleben]

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

​

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 ... An assist from TIG to help finish the job that THN started ... ANGELICA RODRIGUEZ: LA Look at the New York Sirens' Training Camp Roster

 

[LadyStanley]

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

We have a schedule

 

[FrHockeyFan]

So 14 TBD venues, 3 international breaks (first one a week into the season), no home games for a month for Ottawa (WJC circus taking over the arenas), only one for Montréal during the same period... anything else of note?

 

[JMCx4]

So 14 TBD venues, 3 international breaks (first one a week into the season), no home games for a month for Ottawa (WJC circus taking over the arenas), only one for Montréal during the same period... anything else of note?

The schedule is Advisory Board Approved ... so EVERYBODY get on board, beeyotches!

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Solid progress….

 

[JMCx4]

THN-Kennedy: Spooner Eyes Return In Time For Season Opener

 

[LadyStanley]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1846914311123570940

 

[VaCaps Fan]

solid news...

 

[JMCx4]

Very important signing in MTL ... MONTRÉAL VICTOIRE SIGN ABIGAIL BOREEN TO A THREE-YEAR DEAL

 

[JMCx4]

Mr. Kennedy with an update/rehash of another key PWHL signing situation ... THN: The Clock Is Ticking On A Deal For Sarah Fillier

 

[JMCx4]

This set of PWHL 2024 training camp roster previews updated for closure.

 

[JMCx4]

The first Canadian-centric Harris Poll heaps mounds of love on the PWHL ...

PWHL SCORES BIG ON REPUTATION IN FIRST-EVER HARRIS POLL IN CANADA

• pwhl
• October 21, 2024

View french version here | Consultez la version française ici

TORONTO (Oct. 21, 2024) - The Harris Poll, a Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) agency, released the findings of the first-ever Canadian edition of its highly regarded Reputation Quotient® (RQ®) study as part of its official launch in Canada. In partnership with Canadian Business, The Harris Poll 50 is based on over 5,500 interviews with Canadians from across the country, offering a comprehensive ranking of how the “most visible” companies in Canada are perceived by the public across key metrics including trust, ethics, vision and products.

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) dominates the CB-Harris Poll 50 in Canada. PWHL clinched the top spot as the most trusted and reputable organization in Canada. Its success, buoyed by record ticket sales and strong viewership, set the PWHL ahead of other notable organizations, including some of Canada’s largest and most well-known companies.

In particular, the PWHL leads on the core Character Dimensions of RQ®, namely Culture, Ethics and Citizenship, scoring points with Canadians by building confidence and good-will with fans, aspiring young athletes and their parents. “The PWHL delivers tremendous value because it brings that emotional side of the consumer experience, which is happiness, togetherness, excitement,” said John Gerzema, CEO of the Harris Poll. “It’s a remarkable success story.” ...

Read more at: PWHL SCORES BIG ON REPUTATION IN FIRST-EVER HARRIS POLL IN CANADA | PWHL

Cue @LadyStanley 's social media version of this exciting news ...

 

[LadyStanley]

Nah

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

Daryl Watts made the national team. Surely this is why she signed to play in her hometown.

Side note: So did 17 year old Chloe Primerano who will play for University of Minnesota. First teenager to make Team Canada since MPP.

 

[JMCx4]

Daryl Watts made the national team. Surely this is why she signed to play in her hometown. ...

OR to be closer to family. Or a reflection of national pride. Etc.

 

[JMCx4]

Mr. Kennedy digs into the backgrounds of PWHL officiating personnel ...

These PWHL Officials Used To Be High Level Women's Hockey Players
There are 38 women among the roster for the PWHL's 2024-2025 officiating team. Many of those women are former high level women's hockey players themselves.

Ian Kennedy
(26 Oct 2024)

The PWHL announced their 2024-2025 roster of officials, including the addition of Katie Guay who will serve as the Associate Director of Officiating. It remains a goal of many governing bodies, including the IIHF itself to get more women into officiating at high levels, and the PWHL has done that early with 38 women set to work as linespeople or referees next season. It represents 58% of the league's officiating roster.

One way organizations have been targeting women to join officiating, is by recruiting recent alumni of high level women's hockey programs including U Sports, ACHA, and the NCAA. Guay herself spent four seasons playing NCAA DI hockey for Brown University, including as captain in her senior season.

Of the 38 women joining the PWHL's officiating team this season, many are past players. Here's a look. ...

Read more at: https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/these-pwhl-officials-used-to-be-high-level-womens-hockey-players

 

[JMCx4]

New Minn. Frost GM speaks to Daily Faceoff's Tyler Kuehl ...

Getting up to speed: Melissa Caruso looking to grow in GM role with Minnesota Frost
Tyler Kuehl ...
Oct 21, 2024

Melissa Caruso has worked in hockey for well over a decade, helping run the second-best hockey league in North America.

However, the opportunity to help run a professional women’s hockey team in her own backyard was one that she couldn’t pass up.

“I think I reached a point [working with the American Hockey League] where there really wasn’t much more growth for me to achieve,” Caruso said in an exclusive interview with Daily Faceoff. “When this job opened up, I was really interested. I’d been living in Minnesota…kind of missing that office connection and was keeping my eye out for the right fit.”

The St. Paul resident was hired as the new general manager of the Minnesota Frost in September, just over three months after the team won the inaugural Walter Cup. She admits joining a championship team is a unique situation.

"It’s not every day that a GM joins a team coming off a championship season; I’m very fortunate that a lot of the foundation has been built.”

Before Caruso was hired, Frost already had 16 roster spots locked up for next season, with only seven more available before the season begins. With the bulk of the roster in place, she says she has been focused on learning the ropes of her duties as GM.

“I’m working really hard to get up to speed heading into training camp and looking to build out the rest of our roster.” ...

Read more at: DFO - Getting Up To Speed