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Top Women’s Players Announce Boycott, Demand Changes

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More than 200 of the world’s top women’s hockey players have released a joint statement today, announcing that they will not play in any professional league this season unless changes are made to compensation, insurance plans and resource availability. Hilary Knight, Marie-Philip Poulin, Kendall Coyne Schofield, and Brianne Jenner are all among the group that is looking for a way to create a sustainable professional model for women’s hockey. The statement in full:

We are fortunate to be the ambassadors of this game that we revere so deeply and yet, more than ever, we understand the responsibility that comes with that ambassadorship: To leave this game in better shape than when we entered it. That is why we come together, over 200 players strong, to say it is time to create a sustainable professional league for Women’s Hockey.

While we have all accomplished so much, there is no greater accomplishment than what we have the potential to do right here and right now – not just for this generation of players, but for generations to come. With that purpose, we are coming together, not as individual players, but as one collective voice to help navigate the future and protect the players’ needs. We cannot make a sustainable living playing in the current state of the professional game. Having no health insurance and making as low as two thousand dollars a season means players can’t adequately train and prepare to play at the highest level.

Because of that, together as players, we will not play in ANY professional leagues in North America this season until we get the resources that professional hockey demands and deserves.

We may have represented different teams, leagues, and countries – but this sport is one family. And the time is now for this family to unite. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for – our moment to come together and say we deserve more. It’s time for a long-term viable professional league that will showcase the greatest product of women’s professional hockey in the world.” #ForTheGame

This comes after the surprising announcement earlier this year that the CWHL would be shutting down after financial issues. The NWHL, the other professional women’s league in North America, received an increased investment from the NHL, but is still not directly affiliated with the league. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has been clear in the past that the league may step in if there were no other options for women’s hockey.

A move like this boycott is a surprising one, but obviously necessary according to this group of players.

NWHL Will Have Teams In Toronto, Montreal This Season

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On the weekend one of the two major women’s professional hockey leagues ceased operations when the CWHL suddenly announced they were shutting down. That sent the women’s hockey world into turmoil, with speculation exploding over whether the NWHL would swoop into the markets left vacant. Emily Kaplan of ESPN finally got an answer today, as NWHL commissioner Dani Rylan told her that the league is expected to expand into Toronto and Montreal for the upcoming season. The NHL will also “significantly up” their sponsorship for the league—though according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic that just means adding what they had been giving the CWHL.

The NHL has long stayed at arm’s length of the women’s professional market, not wanting to pick a side in the battle between the CWHL and NWHL. Though specific franchises have obviously made affiliations—Terry and Kim Pegula who own the Buffalo Sabres also own the NWHL’s Beauts—the league as a whole wasn’t going to be the one to decide which entity would come out on top. Getting a bigger investment from the men’s professional league is a huge step on the road to success for the NWHL, as other sports including the WBNA have proven.

Similarly, getting their league into Toronto and Montreal—obviously two of the biggest hockey markets in the world—was an absolute necessity after the CWHL folded. The NWHL is now expected to have seven teams for the upcoming season, and have not ruled out further expansion down the road.

The league is also about to get an influx of talent, as CWHL players flood free agency. Nearly the entire Canadian national team was playing there, and several prominent USA Hockey players including Hilary Knight, Briana Decker and Megan Bozek will also now be looking for new homes.

Canadian Women’s Hockey League To Discontinue Operations

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The Canadiens Women’s Hockey League put out a press release, announcing that they will discontinue league operations as of May 1. Despite a solid product on the ice, the business side of the operation hasn’t been nearly as successful and has forced the league to disband.

The news also comes on the week of the 2019 Women’s Ice Hockey World Championships, which starts on Thursday, April 4. The CWHL, a professional hockey league that has been around since 2007, included six teams throughout Canada and China. The league had signed a number of notable female players, including U.S. Olympian Hilary Knight, who signed with the Les Canadiennes de Montreal, along with a group of others including Brianna Decker, Kacey Bellamy, and Alex Rigsby.

With new leadership that took over in 2018 behind Hockey Hall of Famer Jayna Hefford, the league was hoping to establish a more successful business model, but that didn’t happen, even as 175,000 fans tuned in to watch the Clarkson Cup last week. “This morning we were informed the CWHL is folding. As players, we will do our best to find a solution so this isn’t our last season of hockey but it’s hard to remain optimistic,” stated the Calgary Inferno’s Rebecca Leslie today.

The National Women’s Hockey League, is now the only professional women’s league in North America. The NWHL has five teams in the United States. There remains a possibility that the NWHL could absorb some of if not all of the former CWHL teams, but such a move is not imminent.

Minnesota Notes: GM, Free Agents, Whitecaps

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The Minnesota Wild are closing in on their next GM, as Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that team owner Craig Leipold will sit down with Paul Fenton today and Tom Fitzgerald on Thursday before making a final decision. Fenton, the Nashville Predators assistant GM, has been a candidate for countless jobs over the past decade but stayed with his current organization as the right hand of David Poile. Fitzgerald, a rising star in the New Jersey Devils front office, apparently “thoroughly impressed Leipold” in his first interview and is now a legitimate finalist for the job.

Minnesota let long-time GM Chuck Fletcher go after a disappointing first-round exit at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets, and are looking for something of a new direction under their next executive. The team has routinely made the playoffs in recent years, only to quickly bow out and try again the following season.

  • When CapFriendly released their offer sheet compensation yesterday, one couldn’t fault a Minnesota fan from feeling fearful when reading the list of restricted free agents. Two of the very best—Jason Zucker and Mathew Dumba—belong to the Wild, and could potentially draw offer sheet interest. Zucker is coming off a breakout 64-point season and is already 26, while Dumba lived up to his seventh-overall draft position with a 50-point season from the blue line. Both players are integral parts of the Minnesota team, and key negotiations for whoever becomes the next GM. If someone were to sign either to a big-money offer sheet, it may be hard to turn down what would be an expansive compensation package.
  • The NWHL has expanded to the state of hockey for the 2018-19 season, as the Minnesota Whitecaps will become the league’s fifth team. Joining the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale and Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota will be the league’s first foray outside of the north east. The Whitecaps have operated independently for several years, playing exhibition games against NWHL teams but never being an official part of the league. The organization will initially be owned by the league.

Early Notes: Team Canada, Carolina, Browne

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Team Canada has announced their on-ice leadership group for the upcoming World Championships, with Connor McDavid named team captain. Brayden Schenn and Ryan O’Reilly will serve as alternates for what has turned out to be an impressive roster. It will be O’Reilly’s third time wearing an “A” for the squad.

McDavid previously served as captain of Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey, but has never worn a “C” for Canada previously in any major tournament. His presence makes the Canadians a favorite to take home the gold for the third time in four years, but he’ll have to get through some stiff competition. The tournament begins this Friday in Denmark.

  • Last night during the Winnipeg Jets-Nashville Predators game, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that Steve Greeley will not be taking the Carolina Hurricanes GM job. That means Don Waddell will continue to lead the club for the time being, as there are “no plans to hire anyone in the near term.” Greeley, an assistant GM of the Buffalo Sabres, was considered the front-runner for a job that has already had several high profile names remove themselves from consideration. Whoever does take the job will get the opportunity to select second in the upcoming draft, after Carolina moved up nine spots in the recent draft lottery.
  • Harrison Browne, the first openly transgender hockey player in North America, has decided to retire from the NWHL to complete his physical transition. Just 25 years old, Browne is a two-time NWHL Champion, most recently winning with the Metropolitan Riveters. In a long exclusive piece for The Athletic, Corey Masisak (subscription required) details just how Browne came to his decision to leave hockey and the impact he’s leaving behind.

Snapshots: Knight, Kirk, Ekman-Larsson

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One of the best female hockey players in the world will be suiting it up for a new team this season, as Hilary Knight has signed with the Montreal Canadiennes of the CWHL for the remainder of the year. Knight is fresh off a gold medal with the US Women’s Olympic team, and will return to the CWHL for the first time since 2015.

Knight has won just about every trophy imaginable in women’s hockey, taking home two NCAA titles during her time at Wisconsin, two Clarkson Cups as a member of the Boston Blades, and an Isobel Cup with the Boston Pride in 2016. She also brings nine World Championship medals (nine gold, two silver) and three Olympic medals (one gold, two silver).

  • Speaking of international standouts, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic (subscription required) provided us with an incredible profile of the next UK born-and-trained player that has NHL potential. Liam Kirk, a forward for the Sheffield Steelers, is likely going to play in the CHL next season and could be drafted this June. Kirk has just recently turned 18, but is already playing in the highest level in Great Britain, and doing quite well. The young forward told Wheeler that Buffalo, Detroit, Edmonton, Vancouver, Arizona and Winnipeg have all expressed interest or attended one of his games, while Boston is expected to do so.
  • Oliver Ekman-Larsson is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019, but unlike most players might not be swayed by the biggest monetary offer. Ekman-Larsson spoke with Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet and explained that money isn’t the driving force behind his thought process anymore. “It’s just money. It’s not going to make you happier. It might make your life a little bit easier but it’s not going to make you happier.” Ekman-Larsson explains that he likes it in Arizona and would like to stay, something both sides have maintained all along.

Buffalo Beauts Purchased By Sabres Ownership

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The National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) has operated since 2015, becoming the first North American female hockey league to pay their players a regular salary. Previously, all four NWHL teams were owned by the league itself, but all that has changed. Buffalo Sabres owners Kim and Terry Pegula have purchased the Buffalo Beauts franchise, adding them to their ever-growing Sports and Entertainment brand.

This is a huge step for the Beauts and the rest of the NWHL, who have had to cut salaries in the past to keep the league financially viable. An affiliation with an NHL team will only strengthen their brand, and since the Beauts already play in the Pegula-owned HarborCenter—also the practice facility for the Sabres—the partnership was a perfect fit.

The Beauts are the reigning Isobel Cup Champions, but have fallen well behind the powerhouse Metropolitan Riveters (who have a partnership with the New Jersey Devils) this season. Almost halfway through their season already, the team is in second place at 3-4. Their top scorer and captain, Corrine Buie is the only player to have won two Isobel Cups already, and also boasts a CWHL championship when she was a part of the Boston Blades. She’ll try to three-peat this season, and will have a new ownership group to support her.

Harrison Browne Returns To NWHL

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Last year, Harrison Browne became the first transgender player in North American team sports when he contacted the league and transitioned from being a woman. Browne was a player for the Buffalo Beauts at the time, and had the full support of the NWHL and its commissioner Dani Rylan. In his announcement, he said that he would retire after the season to begin his physical transition and have his name legally changed from Hailey but it seems that retirement won’t stick.

Today, Browne signed a contract with the New York Riveters for the 2017-18 season and will return to the NWHL to try and continue his on-ice success. Last year Browne and the Beauts took home the Isobel Cup as league champions, a feat the Riveters will try to match. Their head coach Chad Wiseman was the one who recruited Browne back into the league, and had this to say on the subject:

Harrison is a veteran NWHL player with an Isobel Cup championship on his resume and a tenacious style and relentless work ethic that makes him a great fit for the Riveters organization. I had the privilege to work with Harrison this summer back home in Canada. He has a great attitude and, in my view, underrated skill level. I believe this could be a breakout year for him on offense.

The NHL announced their “You Can Play” ambassadors this season to reach out to the LGBTQ community and continue their commitment to the idea that “Hockey Is For Everyone.” Browne’s return does nothing but strengthen that stance for the NWHL, and his impact on the community was part of the decision to return. On the subject:

The impact I was able to make as an active pro athlete in the LGBTQ community meant a lot to me. At this time – when rights seem to be getting taken away instead of gained – the platform is something I’m not ready to give up. I want to remain as visible as I can for any LGBTQ youth who may view me as a positive role model. I’m going to continue to share my story.

The NWHL will be lacking in some star talent this year due to the Olympic circuit stealing some of the top names, but there will be several new talents enter with the draft on August 17th. The season will begin in October.

Evening Snapshots: Front Offices, NWHL, and the Islanders

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News and notes from around the hockey world this evening:

  • The Hockey News conducted a survey asking fans to rate the performance of each NHL team’s front office. Over 1300 people participated in the survey and ranked front offices on six distinct categories: roster building, cap management, drafting/developing, trading, free agency, and vision. The Nashville Predators earned the highest public opinion, followed by the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Tampa Bay Lightning. On the other end of the spectrum, the Colorado Avalanche had the worst public opinion ratings, just behind the Vancouver Canucks and the Detroit Red Wings.
  • The National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) has expanded its official rosters from 17 players to 25 players. Previously, the league had two tiers of players: roster players and practice players. Practice players would only play in games if a roster player could not. Moreover, practice players did not get paid for practicing unless they also played in a game. Now, all players are considered roster players, but only 17 will suit up for a game—important because players are now played per game rather than through a salary.
  • The New York Islanders may be one step closer to moving out of the Barclays Center. Randi Marshall of Newsday reports that New York State will officially begin requesting proposals for developing valuable land next to Belmont Park—home of the Belmont Stakes. The Islanders have been rumored to be discussing a Belmont Park-located arena, and the State’s proposal request will propel those talks.

Morning Notes: Dahlin, NWHL, Weal

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Rasmus Dahlin is the early favorite to go first-overall in the 2018 NHL Entry draft, and he’s about to skip another step in his outstanding young hockey career. According to Uffe Bodin of Hockeysverige, the 17-year old Swedish defenseman will skip the Ivan Hlinka U18 tournament and instead join team Sweden at the U20 tournament. Dahlin played last year in the Hlinka and the World Junior Championship, and will be all over the prospect circuit again this year as he tries to clinch that top spot.

A prototypical two-way defenseman, Dahlin has the size, physicality and offensive upside that makes him a dream for whichever team gets the chance to choose him next season. Likely battling with Andrei Svechnikov for the top spot, Dahlin should be seen with franchise-altering upside. He’ll be tracked carefully for the next year.

  • The NWHL has reached a streaming agreement with Twitter to show select games next season, bringing the women’s league to the forefront for the first time. Their games have previously been available to stream on the internet, but they’ll obviously be on a much bigger platform with Twitter for the next season. Last year the Buffalo Beauts took home the Isobel Cup, and just re-signed Corinne Buie the only woman to have won the Cup both years of the league’s existence. She seems to bring victory with her wherever she goes, winning a Clarkson Cup in her last season in the CWHL as well.
  • Tim Panaccio of CSN reports that agent J.P. Barry has spoken to Vegas about all the free agents he represents, mentioning Jordan Weal in particular. Weal is a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer, and though there have been contract talks between his camp and the Flyers to try and keep him around, he’s unprotected and could easily be a target of the Golden Knights in the free agency period. After playing well down the stretch with the Flyers and putting up another outstanding AHL season, Weal is determined to make an impact at the NHL level next season.

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