2018–19 NWHL season

The 2018–19 NWHL season is the fourth season of the National Women's Hockey League. All four teams from the previous three seasons returned: the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, and the Metropolitan Riveters while the Minnesota Whitecaps entered the league as an expansion team bringing the league to five teams.

2018–19 NWHL season
LeagueNational Women's Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Regular season
Season championsMinnesota Whitecaps
Season MVPMaddie Elia (Buffalo)
Top scorerHayley Scamurra (Buffalo)
MVPLee Stecklein (Minnesota)
Isobel Cup
ChampionsMinnesota Whitecaps
  Runners-upBuffalo Beauts

League news and notes
  • This is the first full season of the Buffalo Beauts being owned and controlled by Pegula Sports and Entertainment, the owners of the Buffalo Sabres NHL team, instead of the league. The Beauts took part in a doubleheader event immediately before a Sabres game on December 29, 2018, at KeyBank Center.[1]
  • On May 15, 2018, the league announced its first expansion franchise; the Minnesota Whitecaps had been purchased by the league and had joined the NWHL for the 2018–19 season.[2] The Whitecaps had played in the Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL) from 2004 to 2011 and then operated independently from any league after the WWHL ceased operations, including playing a few exhibition games against other NWHL teams during the inaugural 2015–16 season.
  • On August 13, 2018, the Minnesota Wild revealed its partnership with the Whitecaps. As part of a cross-promotional marketing agreement, the Whitecaps' home opener on October 6 at the TRIA Rink, the Wild's practice facility, became part of a doubleheader to take place before the Wild's home opener at the Xcel Energy Center.[3]
  • August 21, 2018: The Whitecaps' new logo and colors of blue, while, silver and black were unveiled.[4]
  • September 29, 2018: The Champions Cup was played between the NWHL's 2018 Isobel Cup champion Metropolitan Riveters and the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) 2018 champion Luleå HF at Hobey Baker Memorial Rink in Princeton, New Jersey. Luleå defeated the Riveters 4–2.[5] The game had been originally scheduled to take place at Norrbotten Arena in Sweden, but scheduling challenges forced a relocation.[6] Luleå
  • January 10, 2019: The Boston Pride and the NHL's Boston Bruins announced a partnership to further promote women's hockey in Massachusetts. The partnership makes the Pride the fourth NWHL to become officially associated with an NHL team.[7]
  • At the conclusion of the season, the league had set new attendance records with 16 sold out games, led by the Whitecaps selling out all ten home games including the playoffs.[8]

One league movement

Starting in March 2018 and throughout the off-season, current and former players took to social media to promote the concept of one unified professional women's hockey league between the NWHL and the Canadian Women's Hockey League. Players utilized the hashtag #OneLeague to indicate their support.[9] The push continued during the NWHL All-Star Game.[10]

Head coaches
Team 2017–18 head coach 2018–19 replacement Notes
Boston Pride Thomas Pöck Paul Mara Mara was named head coach of the Boston Pride on May 30, 2018.[11]
Metropolitan Riveters Chad Wiseman Randy Velischek Wiseman left to be closer to home and took the head coaching position with the junior A Burlington Cougars,[12] but was then hired to the coaching staff of the OHL's Guelph Storm.[13] Velischek was hired on September 20.
Buffalo Beauts Ric Seiling Cody McCormick Seiling was fired December 7, 2018. McCormick, who like Seiling is a former player for the Buffalo Sabres, was named as the new head coach for the remainder of the season.[14]

All-Star Game

The 2019 NWHL All-Star Game and its Weekend festivities took place on February 9–10, 2019, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.[15]

The skills challenge took place on February 9 at the Ford Ice Center, the Nashville Predators' practice facility, with a sell-out crowd. Kendall Coyne Schofield of the Minnesota Whitecaps won the fastest skater, two weeks following her appearance as the first woman to compete in the NHL's Skills Competition as part of the 2019 National Hockey League All-Star Game also in the fastest skater competition. Blake Bolden (Buffalo Beauts) won the hardest shot, Nicole Hensley (Buffalo Beauts) won the fastest goalie competition, and Dani Cameranesi (Buffalo Beauts) won the accuracy shooting contest.[16]

The All-Star Game took place immediately following on February 10 immediately following a game between the NHL's St. Louis Blues and the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. The game was a four-on-four format between teams lead by Shannon Szabados and Lee Stecklein, with Team Szabados winning 3–2 following a shootout. The game set an attendance record with 6,120 at the arena.[16]

Regular season

Standings

Final standings.[17]

GP W L OTL PTS GF GA
Minnesota Whitecaps161240245334
Buffalo Beauts161141235725
Boston Pride161150226036
Metropolitan Riveters16412083265
Connecticut Whale16212262264

Schedule
  • All regular season games were scheduled to be contested on Saturdays and Sundays. There is one neutral-site game in Pittsburgh on December 2 with the Connecticut Whale as the home team against the Metropolitan Riveters at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
  • On December 29, 2018, the Whitecaps faced the Beauts at the KeyBank Center as part of a doubleheader involving both the NWHL and the NHL. After the NWHL game, the Buffalo Sabres hosted the Boston Bruins.

Playoffs
  Play-in game
March 7		     Semifinal game
March 9 & 15[lower-alpha 1]		     Isobel Cup Championship
March 17
                           
      1 Minnesota 5  
  4 Metropolitan 5     4 Metropolitan 1    
  5 Connecticut 2         1 Minnesota 2 OT
      2 Buffalo 1
      2 Buffalo 4    
        3 Boston 0  
  1. Semifinal game between the Whitecaps and Riveters was originally scheduled for March 10 but was postponed due to weather-related travel issues.

Awards and honors

Regular season weekly awards
VEDA NWHL Player of the Week
Player Team Date
Hannah Brandt[26]Minnesota WhitecapsOctober 8, 2018
Lexi Bender[27]Boston PrideOctober 15, 2018
Jonna Curtis[28]Minnesota WhitecapsOctober 22, 2018
Amanda Leveille[29]Minnesota WhitecapsOctober 29, 2018
Meeri Räisänen[30]Connecticut WhaleNovember 19, 2018
Hayley Scamurra[30]Buffalo BeautsNovember 19, 2018
Audra Richards[31]Metropolitan RivetersNovember 26, 2018
Gigi Marvin[32]Boston PrideDecember 3, 2018
Kaleigh Fratkin[33]Boston PrideDecember 10, 2018
Maddie Elia[34]Buffalo BeautsJanuary 2, 2019
Madison Packer[35]Metropolitan RivetersJanuary 7, 2019
Shannon Szabados[35]Buffalo BeautsJanuary 7, 2019
Amy Menke[36]Minnesota WhitecapsJanuary 14, 2019
Dani Cameranesi[37]Buffalo BeautsJanuary 29, 2019
Blake Bolden[38]Buffalo BeautsFebruary 4, 2019
Denisa Krizova[38]Boston PrideFebruary 4, 2019
Emily Janiga[39]Buffalo BeautsFebruary 25, 2019
VEDA NWHL Stars of the Week
Stars Team Date
Minnesota Whitecaps fans[40]Minnesota WhitecapsJanuary 22, 2019

Transactions

Retirement
PlayerDateLast team
Marissa Gedman[41]August 23, 2018Boston Pride

Signings
Player Date Team
Dani CameranesiJune 12, 2018Buffalo Beauts
Nicole Hensley[42]June 13, 2018Buffalo Beauts
Amanda Leveille[43]June 18, 2018Minnesota Whitecaps
Hannah Brandt[44]June 20, 2018Minnesota Whitecaps
Lee SteckleinJune 20, 2018Minnesota Whitecaps
Katie Burt[45]June 25, 2018Boston Pride
Shannon Szabados[46]June 27, 2018Buffalo Beauts
Toni Ann Miano[47]July 2, 2018Boston Pride
Audra Richards[48]July 9, 2018Metropolitan Riveters
Randi Griffin[49]July 10, 2018Connecticut Whale
Sara HughsonJuly 10, 2018Connecticut Whale
Michelle Löwenhielm[50]July 10, 2018Connecticut Whale
Sam Walther[50]July 10, 2018Connecticut Whale
Katerina Mrázová[51]July 11, 2018Connecticut Whale
Miye D'Oench[52]July 24, 2018Metropolitan Riveters
Chelsea Ziadie[52]July 24, 2018Metropolitan Riveters
Kendall Coyne Schofield[53]July 26, 2018Minnesota Whitecaps
Lauren Kelly[54]July 31, 2018Boston Pride
Kristin Lewicki[55]July 31, 2018Metropolitan Riveters
Allie Thunstrom[56]August 1, 2018Minnesota Whitecaps
Denisa Křížová[57]August 2, 2018Boston Pride
Kaleigh Fratkin[58]August 8, 2018Boston Pride
Meghan Pezon[59]August 8, 2018Minnesota Whitecaps
Fiona McKenna[60]August 10, 2018Metropolitan Riveters
Amanda Boulier[61]August 14, 2018Minnesota Whitecaps
Lexi Slattery[62]August 14, 2018Metropolitan Riveters
Blake Bolden[63]August 15, 2018Buffalo Beauts
Jonna Curtis[64]August 15, 2018Minnesota Whitecaps
Mallory Souliotis[65]August 15, 2018Boston Pride
Sarah Schwenzfeier[66]August 16, 2018Connecticut Whale
Nina Rodgers[67]August 16, 2018Connecticut Whale
Brooke White-Lancette[68]August 17, 2018Minnesota Whitecaps
McKenna Brand[69]August 17, 2018Boston Pride
Sydney Rossman[70]August 20, 2018Minnesota Whitecaps
Lauren Barnes[71]August 22, 2018Minnesota Whitecaps
Julie Friend[71]August 22, 2018Minnesota Whitecaps
Sadie Lundquist[71]August 22, 2018Minnesota Whitecaps
Amy Menke[71]August 22, 2018Minnesota Whitecaps
Emma Stauber[71]August 22, 2018Minnesota Whitecaps
Taylor Wasylk[72]August 23, 2018Boston Pride
Gigi Marvin[73]August 24, 2018Boston Pride

References
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