PHF Purchased, Teams to Be Folded Into New PWHPA League

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Now all eyes turn to Natalie Darwitz as Minnesota will have the first pick in the player draft...

Here is The Hockey News (Ian Kennedy's) top 120 list available for the draft...

https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwh...nkings-top-120

[Scott_TG]

Latest rumor is thatthe NY team may actually play in Bridgeport.

While I get that the NYC metro may not have a venue that meets the standard the PWHL wants for athlete and fan experience that isn't a cavernous and expensive NHL-level arena, this is setting themselves up to fail. Find a NYC metro venue or don't brand them as a NY team.

[Reddington]

Bridgeport is a paradise come on now.

[Scott_TG]

Bridgeport is a paradise come on now.

I have no issue with Bridgeport. But name them the Bridgeport or Connecticut ____________, not the NY _____________ of Bridgeport....

[Timothy A]

Six of the 18 signed a players in this league are Wisconsin alumni. Hopefully Mark Johnson adds that feather to his recruiting cap.

[Scott_TG]

Six of the 18 signed a players in this league are Wisconsin alumni. Hopefully Mark Johnson adds that feather to his recruiting cap.

His cap has so many feathers at this point it resembles a native American war bonnet

[Timothy A]

His cap has so many feathers at this point it resembles a native American war bonnet

That's an awfully nice comment. This, in connection with the Curl comment over in the UW thread, has me feeling warm and fuzzy and it's not from the bladder control problem in the WCHA thread.

[joecct]

PWHL draft list eligibles

https://www.tsn.ca/pwhl-announces-li...raft-1.2007137

[Scott_TG]

Also of note is Canadian Tire signing on as the first corporate sponsor of the PWHL. Surprised Secret and the other PWHPA circuit sponsors didn't beat them to it.

[Scott_TG]

Kori Cheverie has been named head coach of Montreal.

Cheverie was an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2022 Olympics and the first women to coach in the Canadian Men's Program [U18] and the first woman to be a full time assistant coach in USports as she was an assistant from 2016-2021 at Toronto Metropolitan University (back when the school was still Ryerson).

[Scott_TG]

The rest of the coaches have been announced

Boston- Courtney Birchard-Kessel (UNH '18). The former Team Canada U18 coach was slated to be the Associate Head Coach at BU this season replacing Kerstin Matthews. Not sure if this changes that. Birchard-Kessel also has experience coaching at Princeton and the Toronto Furies of the CWHL.

New York - Howie Draper. Draper has been the inaugural Head Coach at University of Alberta for the past 22 seasons and has 8 USports/CIS national championships, 14 Canada West championships and 4 coach of the year awards.

Ottawa - Carla Macleod (Wisconsin '05), the 2 time Olympic gold medalist as a player for Team Canada also had a 3 year extension as Head Coach of Team Czechia announced yesterday in addition to today's news. Macleod has also coached Team Japan, The Edge School and the University of Calgary.

Minnesota - Charlie Buggraf was the head coach of the Bethel women from 2006-2010 and the Bethel men from 2010-2018. He was an assistant for the Gopher women from 2004-2006 as well as an assistant for the Bethel men and Fergus Falls HS boys prior to his time with the Gophers.

[BowWowWow]

From Hailey Salvian and Shayna Goldman, this graphic summarizes who they think will go where in the PWHL draft tomorrow afternoon at 1. The draft will be streamed on YouTube.

There are 15 rounds, for 90 players total to be drafted. In the snake-draft order, the first round and other odd-numbered rounds will go MIN, TOR, BOS, NYK, OTT, & MTL, while even-numbered rounds will be the reverse, MTL, OTT, NYK, BOS, TOR, & MIN.

For training camp in November, each team needs to invite at least 28 players per the CBA. This would include at least 10 more players that haven't been signed in the initial free agency period (when 3 players per team signed) or signed later from the draft. Only exactly 23 players can be on the active roster. (More info in Zoe Hayden's story for The Victory Press.)

[Timothy A]

PWHL draft list eligibles

https://www.tsn.ca/pwhl-announces-li...raft-1.2007137

So how do you become draft eligible?

[Scott_TG]

So how do you become draft eligible?

The players declared themselves eligible.

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

No surprise... Heise #1 to Minnesota. Toronto...a bit of a surpise with their pick...35 year old Larocque. Allows Boston to make the no brainer pick of Muller.

Clarkson alums Shelton 4th to MY and Harmon 5th to OTT. Interesting... Wait make that 3 fighting nurse alums...Ambrose goes 6th to MTL...