NWHL To Play Entire 2020-21 Season In Two Week Bubble In Lake Placid

[PrezdeJohnson09]

Pretty good article here from Marisa Ignemi that appeared in the New York Times on the bubble and what happened.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/01/s....co/90fOKUpaJm

[knight7]

PWHPA ALL-STARS TO PLAY IN HUB-CITY AHEAD OF FIRST DREAM GAP TOUR SHOWCASE


PWHPAFebruary 5, 2021Events, News, Press Release
*******https://i1.wp.com/pwhpa.com/wp-conte...&ssl=1********
The Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) is heading back on the ice in sunny Florida. The PWHPA All-Stars will use this as a training opportunity ahead of the recently announced Secret Dream Gap Tour showcase at Madison Square Garden; they will take part in five games against United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) competition. This will be part of the USPHL’s “Hub City Tampa”. Hub City Tampa was developed by the USPHL—based in the northeastern part of the United States—as a means to ensure player safety during the COVID-19 pandemic while continuing its Tier-2 (NCDC) and Tier-3 (Premier, Elite) junior seasons. The PWHPA played six games inside of Hub City Tampa in January, sending an All-Star team to play against Premier and NCDC competition.

The PWHPA All-Star team will arrive in Tampa Bay on Monday, February 8th, and will depart on Thursday, February 18th, 2021. Players and staff will again stay at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel, Florida and will reside in a pod of suites—away from all other teams— during the stay. All players and staff will follow strict COVID-19 protocols, which includes: the presentation of a negative COVID-19 test prior to arrival, an additional test upon arrival, multiple tests while on-site and a mandatory negative test before departing. Players and staff will also undergo daily wellness checks, while masks are mandatory at all times unless players are eating, in their rooms or on the ice. Following the tournament, PWHPA players selected to play in New York will enter a 7-day quarantine in preparation for the Secret Dream Gap Tour showcase; selected players will also be tested prior to travel to New York, upon arrival and between games.

The USPHL will have trained medical staff on-site throughout the duration of “Hub City Tampa”. The PWHPA All-Star team will also have a dedicated Athletic Trainer and Equipment Manager at their disposal during the duration of their stay.

During the course of their stay, the team will face off in five exhibition games against USPHL teams. Four of those games will be against Tier-2 NCDC opponents, while one game will be against the Tier-3 Premier League. In addition to game action, the PWHPA All-Star team will again take part in on-ice practice sessions and off-ice training.

The team will be coached and managed by Bill Flanagan, who is the head coach and GM of the New Hampshire Regional Training Hub in the PWHPA. Flanagan, who also coaches in the USPHL with the Northern Cyclones of the NCDC, also served in this role for the PWHPA’s first trip to Tampa Bay in January.

“This is another outstanding opportunity to train and play as a team against some high-level competition. The teams we will be playing are outstanding teams that have numerous Division 1 NCAA commits and players on the NHL Central Scouting ‘Watch List’ for the upcoming draft. When you add that competition to the top notch facilities that these women will again have access to, I’m extremely excited. Once again, these women will truly be able to focus on high-level hockey, and will be treated and taken care of like the professionals they are. This is a great opportunity to continue training in advance of the Dream Gap Tour,” Flanagan said.

The roster heading to Tampa Bay will contain players from the New Hampshire, Minnesota and Calgary Regional Training Hubs in the PWHPA. At forward, Abby Roque (MN), Amanda Kessel (NH), Brianna Decker (CGY), Delaney Belinskas (NH), Gigi Marvin (NH), Haley Skarupa (NH), Hannah Brandt (MN), Kelly Pannek (MN), Sophia Shaver (MN), Sydney Brodt (MN), Hayley Scamurra (NH), Samantha Donovan (MN) and Demi Crossman (MN) will head south.

Defensively, the team will consist of Jincy Dunne (NH), Savannah Harmon (MN), Megan Keller (NH), Jacquie Greco (NH) and Kali Flanagan (NH).

Katie Burt, Kimberly Sass, Alex Cavallini and Maddie Rooney will be the four goaltenders that the team carries to Tampa Bay. Burt, Sass and Cavallini are all based out of the New Hampshire Region, while Rooney is based out of Minnesota.

In all, nine Gold Medalists from Team USA’s 2018 Olympic Championship team will represent the PWHPA in Tampa Bay.

The full game schedule has been released and can be viewed here. The game action begins on Wednesday, February 10th, when the PWHPA All-Stars take on the Islanders Hockey Club of the NCDC at 2:00 pm from AdventHealth Center Ice. All games will be live scored on the USPHL’s official website, and will be streamed live on HockeyTV with veteran play-by-play voice Alex Thomas on the call. PWHPA’s February 13th game against Hitmen Premier will be available for free.

Stay tuned to ‘The Women’s Hockey Tribune’ for more details!

[ARM]

Women's hockey when played at the elite level (and now trickling down into the college ranks) is a very very beautiful game to watch. Some of my fondest hockey memories over the last decade are the USA/Canada World Championship and Olympic Gold medal games. Not women's hockey memories, hockey memories period. The skill, speed, finesse and pure passion displayed in those games have been remarkable and I hope those players or the current crop of U10s and U12s etc. get the chance to play in a legitimate league someday where they can earn a liveable wage based on their athletic skill.

I've always preferred the top level of the college game to the international game. One reason is that on the international stage, the officials often allow the physical play to eclipse much of the skill, speed, and finesse. If I wanted to see physical play, then the men's game offers a better example of it. Another reason is that players are part of their college team for several consecutive years, while they are centralized with a national team for a few months (North American Olympic teams) or a few weeks. Yes, there is a pride in playing for your country, but they haven't become family with their teammates like you do in college.

Growing up, high school hockey in Minnesota was one of the best sports to watch of all sports at any level, because of the passion and what those tournament games meant to the participants. That was boys hockey, but girls hockey has been able to piggyback on that tradition to a certain extent. Top-level HS games can be a preview of the same players going to head-to-head in college, and the elite college games feature many of the same players who are bound for international play. The six-month buildup has always made me care just a little bit more than I do for what happens in a two-week tournament with only exhibitions leading up to it.

[PrezdeJohnson09]

Isn't the type of exposure needed to attract the $$$ the question, though? Take beach volleyball, for an example. The sport grew rapidly in popularity in part because it was marketed as much for being "beautiful women in bikinis" as it was for "world-class volleyball players." There have been female hockey players who could have increased the interest in the sport if it had ever become more widely known what they looked like. But do we want another place in society where girls and young women are strongly encouraged to pay attention to their looks, because that is how they are judged? I've liked the purity of women's hockey where "beauty" is reserved for skating fast, displaying skill, and working hard.

Fair points. I wasn't insinuating female hockey players needed to show more skin or pose for ESPN the Body Mag (if they even do that anymore? FWIW, Hilary Knight I'm pretty sure did this too one year).

Barstool sports "smokeshows" certainly was a popular part of it content strategy five-plus years ago. While it still exists today, it is not nearly as prevalent as it was when Dave was running the show on his own.

I have a 16-month daughter and I've certainly been thinking about these things and the types of things I say and do and try and teach her during these formative years.

I could be wrong, but I don't think one of Erika's first ideas if she was ever given a seat at the table in professional women's hockey is going to be to try and monetize a 90s/early 2000s style "sex sells" campaign to help bring a bigger audience.

Women's hockey when played at the elite level (and now trickling down into the college ranks) is a very very beautiful game to watch. Some of my fondest hockey memories over the last decade are the USA/Canada World Championship and Olympic Gold medal games. Not women's hockey memories, hockey memories period. The skill, speed, finesse and pure passion displayed in those games have been remarkable and I hope those players or the current crop of U10s and U12s etc. get the chance to play in a legitimate league someday where they can earn a liveable wage based on their athletic skill.

[Rightnut]

Isn't the type of exposure needed to attract the $$$ the question, though? Take beach volleyball, for an example. The sport grew rapidly in popularity in part because it was marketed as much for being "beautiful women in bikinis" as it was for "world-class volleyball players." There have been female hockey players who could have increased the interest in the sport if it had ever become more widely known what they looked like. But do we want another place in society where girls and young women are strongly encouraged to pay attention to their looks, because that is how they are judged? I've liked the purity of women's hockey where "beauty" is reserved for skating fast, displaying skill, and working hard.

I agree that it should not be exploitive but I would bet that if you asked most of the players, they would take a real paycheck over keeping the "purity" of women's hockey. Purity in this sense being a synonym with poverty.

[Offsides Guy]

isn't the type of exposure needed to attract the $$$ the question, though? Take beach volleyball, for an example. The sport grew rapidly in popularity in part because it was marketed as much for being "beautiful women in bikinis" as it was for "world-class volleyball players." there have been female hockey players who could have increased the interest in the sport if it had ever become more widely known what they looked like. But do we want another place in society where girls and young women are strongly encouraged to pay attention to their looks, because that is how they are judged? I've liked the purity of women's hockey where "beauty" is reserved for skating fast, displaying skill, and working hard.

amen!

[ARM]

... she will bring exposure, $$$, ...

Isn't the type of exposure needed to attract the $$$ the question, though? Take beach volleyball, for an example. The sport grew rapidly in popularity in part because it was marketed as much for being "beautiful women in bikinis" as it was for "world-class volleyball players." There have been female hockey players who could have increased the interest in the sport if it had ever become more widely known what they looked like. But do we want another place in society where girls and young women are strongly encouraged to pay attention to their looks, because that is how they are judged? I've liked the purity of women's hockey where "beauty" is reserved for skating fast, displaying skill, and working hard.

[PrezdeJohnson09]

https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status...557668358?s=20

Here’s a bunch of goals from the NW games. Prez, I enjoyed reading your thoughts above.

NW needs to find a way to get beyond Twitter. The same media that kept the league alive the first two years imo, now act as gatekeepers. It’s absurd and it’s gone on for years, long before the Barstool dust up. Fwiw, I’m not a Barstool fan, but that’s a separate thing. The gate keeping though, is contrary to what women’s hockey has always been to me and it’s bothered me. For me seeing NW get a quality stream up and going has been huge, because it’s a way to enjoy their product away from all the Twitter nonsense. I’d like to see the NW get a message board on their site, similar to what we have here. Onward to the PW games in a few weeks!

Thanks for sharing the link to those highlights. Those were some impressive plays. Unfortunately I never got a chance to watch the Six play live. I watched a lot of the Whale games, but missed their game vs. Toronto unfortunately.

I agree completely on your twitter thoughts. Twitter is a great platform, but there is so much more outside of that. I think they did a good job expanding their Instagram content this year, especially on some of the team specific accounts.

I too don’t quite understand the hostility of some of the members of the NWHL core media. The debate can rage for days about whether Barstool is or isn’t good for the NWHL. The thing I think people need to realize is Erika Nardini isn’t Dave Portnoy. Erika Nardini also isn’t defined completely by Barstool Sports.

She has passion for women’s hockey, the players and the game. She genuinely wants to see the game grow and expand. If she ever did become a team owner or the Barstool women’s hockey league gets off the ground, she will bring exposure, $$$, passion and sponsorship to the table.

[Lindsay]

https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status...557668358?s=20

Here’s a bunch of goals from the NW games. Prez, I enjoyed reading your thoughts above.

NW needs to find a way to get beyond Twitter. The same media that kept the league alive the first two years imo, now act as gatekeepers. It’s absurd and it’s gone on for years, long before the Barstool dust up. Fwiw, I’m not a Barstool fan, but that’s a separate thing. The gate keeping though, is contrary to what women’s hockey has always been to me and it’s bothered me. For me seeing NW get a quality stream up and going has been huge, because it’s a way to enjoy their product away from all the Twitter nonsense. I’d like to see the NW get a message board on their site, similar to what we have here. Onward to the PW games in a few weeks!

[pgb-ohio]

Where's that positive rep feature when you really need it? Somehow "Like" is just too mellow to bother with.

But I certainly agree with Rightnut. Well said, PrezdeJohnson09.

[Rightnut]

It's really a shame what happened...as soon as the bubble was announced I was really excited for the NWHL and the prospect of women's hockey being in the national spotlight at a historic venue.

I've been a huge fan of the women's game since I went to my first Division III game back in 2001. Since then, I've followed the women's game as closely as I've followed the men's game at the collegiate and Olympic level. I had the incredible opportunity to be the national beat writer for Division III for six or seven years with my first "professional" writing gig. I'll always be thankful to Chris Lerch and USCHO for giving me that opportunity.

There was a lot of great build up and pre-promotion and the opening weekend was terrific with great hockey and close games. Then Sunday night or Monday happened and everything started to go to crap with the Barstool stuff. 24-30 hours later the Rivs bow out due to positive COVID tests and then 48 hours later, the Whale don't show up to a scheduled game and the other team is on the ice for warmups...The Whale don't come out with a public statement about why until 48 hours after missing that game and only after the league shuts everything down due to COVID tests.

It was a really tough week, especially after all that positive momentum and so many new eyeballs on it. They were 24 hours from being on national TV for the first time in pro women's hockey history in the US.

"The Bubble" protocols were either not strictly enforced or only there as guidance and a hope for the best scenario. Having the same athletic trainers work with different teams is not a bubble. That's exposing all the participants on both teams to the virus. I know for a fact that athletes were out and about around town as well. There were pictures on social media to prove it (maybe they've been taken down since). Once again, that's not a bubble.

It's really too bad as this had the chance to be a crowning weekend in women's hockey history for a lot of reasons. I really hope the PWHPA and Barstool or another major backer team up to bring exposure to the game. One thing I think that got lost in all of this is that MOST of the top women's hockey players in North America and the World do not play in this league. This is NOT discounting anyone that is playing in the NWHL. It's still a talented league and they put on some amazing displays of hockey during the games that happened, but lets not forget that Marie-Philip Poulin, Hilary Knight, Kendall Coyne-Schofield, Sarah Nurse, etc. were not out there. Hopefully the future provides an avenue where the top women's hockey players can compete in a league and get compensated at an appropriate and livable level like what has happened in the WNBA and NWSL.

I wish the NWHL good fortune in the future, especially all the players that committed to playing and help grow the game and compete. However, I think a serious look into what went right, wrong, etc. over the last two weeks is in order to help continue legitimize the league and avoid the embarrassment of having to cancel your playoffs and national TV debut.

Well said.

[PrezdeJohnson09]

And COVID kills the NWHL season. It's all over.

It's really a shame what happened...as soon as the bubble was announced I was really excited for the NWHL and the prospect of women's hockey being in the national spotlight at a historic venue.

I've been a huge fan of the women's game since I went to my first Division III game back in 2001. Since then, I've followed the women's game as closely as I've followed the men's game at the collegiate and Olympic level. I had the incredible opportunity to be the national beat writer for Division III for six or seven years with my first "professional" writing gig. I'll always be thankful to Chris Lerch and USCHO for giving me that opportunity.

There was a lot of great build up and pre-promotion and the opening weekend was terrific with great hockey and close games. Then Sunday night or Monday happened and everything started to go to crap with the Barstool stuff. 24-30 hours later the Rivs bow out due to positive COVID tests and then 48 hours later, the Whale don't show up to a scheduled game and the other team is on the ice for warmups...The Whale don't come out with a public statement about why until 48 hours after missing that game and only after the league shuts everything down due to COVID tests.

It was a really tough week, especially after all that positive momentum and so many new eyeballs on it. They were 24 hours from being on national TV for the first time in pro women's hockey history in the US.

"The Bubble" protocols were either not strictly enforced or only there as guidance and a hope for the best scenario. Having the same athletic trainers work with different teams is not a bubble. That's exposing all the participants on both teams to the virus. I know for a fact that athletes were out and about around town as well. There were pictures on social media to prove it (maybe they've been taken down since). Once again, that's not a bubble.

It's really too bad as this had the chance to be a crowning weekend in women's hockey history for a lot of reasons. I really hope the PWHPA and Barstool or another major backer team up to bring exposure to the game. One thing I think that got lost in all of this is that MOST of the top women's hockey players in North America and the World do not play in this league. This is NOT discounting anyone that is playing in the NWHL. It's still a talented league and they put on some amazing displays of hockey during the games that happened, but lets not forget that Marie-Philip Poulin, Hilary Knight, Kendall Coyne-Schofield, Sarah Nurse, etc. were not out there. Hopefully the future provides an avenue where the top women's hockey players can compete in a league and get compensated at an appropriate and livable level like what has happened in the WNBA and NWSL.

I wish the NWHL good fortune in the future, especially all the players that committed to playing and help grow the game and compete. However, I think a serious look into what went right, wrong, etc. over the last two weeks is in order to help continue legitimize the league and avoid the embarrassment of having to cancel your playoffs and national TV debut.

[joecct]

And COVID kills the NWHL season. It's all over.

[Offsides Guy]

There is a much wider favorable sentiment around Nardini than what is being communicated. Good for the Whale for standing up for what they believe in. This cancel culture is out of hand, and has no place in hockey.

Sorry but I’m not letting this one go. How is it “cancel culture” to publicly state you don’t want to align your organization with someone who leads a company that does not match your organization’s values? Just two days ago barstool sports re-tweeted a rough and rowdy tweet that included an interview with a woman in a bikini who talked about how her breasts needed support for her to be able to compete in the ring girl competition in which women prance around a boxing ring or male commentators talk about their bodies. Given that social media is the way most younger people interact with companies these days, why in god’s name would the NWHL want the CEO of barstool sports to own a team in their league? Do you seriously believe barstool’s social media content is respectful and empowering of women which is a big part of what the NWHL’s message is all about?

it is not political correctness to stand by your values!

[EMPTYNETTER]

Looks like the NWHL is imploding. The Whale bailed out of the bubble for non Covid reasons reportedly. The reports are that they did in protest for the league’s treatment of Erica Nardini and Barstool Sports who was a major supporter of the league. Barstool is now threatening to set up a well funded competing league. Hopefully that happens and they get all the good players from both the NWhl and pwhpa. The talent level in the NWHL is not good enough.

There is a much wider favorable sentiment around Nardini than what is being communicated. Good for the Whale for standing up for what they believe in. This cancel culture is out of hand, and has no place in hockey.