News and notes from around the NHL this evening:
- The Buffalo Beauts of the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) won the League Championship—called the Isobel Cup—tonight by defeating the Boston Pride 3-2. The top womens league in North America is in its second year and consists of four teams. The NWHL faced controversy this season after announcing midway the season that it would cut players’ salary by 50% due to financial constraints. The league then shortened its season to accommodate the 2017 IIHF World Championships and 2018 Olympic preparation.
- AZCentral’s Sarah McLellan reports that Arizona Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett expects no supplemental discipline for defenseman Anthony DeAngelo’s boarding penalty yesterday. DeAngelo earned a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct after boarding St. Louis Blues forward Zach Sanford in just the 2nd minute of the game. A suspension would be the second one of DeAngelo’s season. In January he received a three-game suspension for abuse of an official.
- Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press reported today that top executives from USA Hockey will meet with representatives from the Women’s National Team tomorrow to discuss the ongoing wage dispute. Last Wednesday players from the team announced that they would boycott the upcoming World Championships—beginning March 31st in Plymouth, Michigan—if they do not receive a better wage structure. The players say that USA Hockey only pays each player $1,000 a month for the six months prior to the Olympic Games. The players seek something more substantial for the period between the Olympics.
Thank you for covering women’s ice hockey. I had the privilege of being a stringer for Time International for the first IIHF Women’s Championships in Ottawa in 1990. Great event, great fan interest.
The more media coverage, the more fan interest, so keep up the good work.