It’s been three weeks since the last Women’s Hockey Wednesday and given that it’s the offseason, only a few things have happened.

As expected, Hayley Wickenheiser became the seventh women’s hockey player to be called to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Also as expected, for the ninth year in a row, the Hall did not take the step of inducting a second women’s hockey player. As well as articles, you can find video of her press scrum a few days after the call in the links below.

The NWHL continues to do things that boggle the mind. This time, after verbally agreeing to take back control of the Buffalo Beauts from Pegula Sports and Entertainment, they declined to actually sign the paperwork, apparently wanting PSE to pay the league for the privilege of giving the NWHL back control of a team they could have just said “we’re closing, bye”. A deadline passed, PSE decided to send a cease and desist regarding use of the Beauts name and logo and shuttered the team’s social media accounts, and now the NWHL is suing the branch of PSE that controls the Beauts in order to get a court to determine whether they’re allowed to do that. One imagines that any negotiations for use of the PSE-controlled Harborcentre arena, where the Beauts used to play, are probably not going well. We could rant about this, but really there’s nothing new to say about the NWHL getting in its own way yet again.

The CWHL released a final public communication in the form of an open letter that was made available first to mainstream media and then to the public on their website. (Summary by Donna Spencer of Canadian Press ). They don’t really touch on the issue of why players and staff weren’t warned there might be a problem until the Board decided to shut down operations, which has been a big question for many. However, they do lay out some pretty clear details on what it takes to run a hockey league, what sort of obstacles they faced, some of the sponsor expectations, and what any new league will need to have in place in order to move forward. They also expressed support of the PWHPA and the #ForTheGame movement.

Meanwhile, a few more details about the PWHPA have come out. Their website now lists the player representatives on the board and members of the support staff, and the events section includes camps and clinics being run by PWHPA members this summer. Emily Kaplan of ESPN indicates that details of “‘showcase events’ across the country in which players will meet with local girls hockey players, put on clinics and conduct educational talks” will be coming soon, as well as exhibition games.

PWHPA

Why Bryan Hicks was chosen to lead the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association
From working with Billie Jean King to his refereeing experience, Bryan Hicks has the resume and mindset to be the PWHPA’s chief operations consultant.

Amanda Kessel: More NHL teams must step up for women’s, girls hockey initiatives | am New York
It’s a watershed moment for women’s hockey in North America, and 2018 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Amanda Kessel is, not surprisingly, front and center. That’s just fine with her.

CWHL

Open Letter from the CWHL (pdf)

NHL, Leafs and Flames help settle debt of defunct CWHL | CBC Sports
The NHL, Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames are among contributors helping the defunct Canadian Women’s Hockey League settle its debts.

NWHL

2019-2020 NWHL Signing Tracker - The Ice Garden
There have been five signings since the last WHW three weeks ago. Canadian forward Brooke Stacey, who signed with the Beauts after a late season stint in the SDHL, is the player of note.

Beauts could get new name in impasse with NWHL – The Buffalo News
If the National Women’s Hockey League is to have a Buffalo franchise, the team is not expected to be called the Buffalo Beauts unless an impasse is resolved bet…

NWHL Suing Buffalo Beauts Hockey
The National Women’s Hockey League today filed a federal lawsuit in United States District Court, seeking a declaratory judgment stating that it is permitted to use the Buffalo Beauts trademarks held by Buffalo Beauts Hockey (BBH), the subsidiary used by Pegula Sports & Entertainment to operate the team.

General managers in place for all five NWHL teams - The Ice Garden
The roster builders are in place and, slowly but surely, the rosters are filling up

Whale to call Danbury Arena home for 2019-20 season - The Ice Garden
We now know where the Whale will spend their sea-son

The Riveters’ next coach needs to be chosen carefully - The Ice Garden
Will the Riveters be the last team to hire a head coach for the second consecutive offseason?

International hockey

Hayley Wickenheiser discusses her call to the Hockey Hall of Fame and her career highlights at a press scrum at Maple Leafs development camp.

Hayley Wickenheiser stands alone in 2019 Hall of Fame class
Hayley Wickenheiser was selected for hockey’s most prestigious honour in her first year on the ballot.

How Hayley Wickenheiser inspired my hockey career
The single moment that shaped so much of my future hockey success was provided by Hayley Wickenheiser.

Finnish Ice Hockey Association signs six-season deal with media group Discovery
The Finnish Ice Hockey Association (FIHA) has signed a six-season deal with media group Discovery for the rights to more than 200 national team matches per year from the 2020-2021 campaign.

Daniela Diaz receives a new position within the SIHF - swisshockeynews.ch
The head coach of the Swiss Women’s National team moves on to become the new manager of the Women’s National Teams and Women’s Development.

European club hockey

SDHL (Sweden) Göteborg HC marches in Pride, continues to honor diversity - The Ice Garden
The club continues to back up words with action.

Nicklas Backstrom announces Brynas’s ‘Black And White’ game which this year will include women players
Lara Stalder, a defenseman for Switzerland’s national team, is the first woman committed to playing after recently signing with Brynäs.

Former World Cup defender Caroline Markström is forced to quit after concussion - Aftonbladet
Last September, Brynäs Caroline Markström, 25, incurred a concussion.

Division 1 (Sweden) Nana and Nachi Fujimoto bring Japan to Färjestad BK - The Ice Garden
Japan’s star goalie joins her sister in Sweden.

WHL (Russia) Women’s Hockey Update: June 28th, 2019 | CONWAY’S RUSSIAN HOCKEY BLOG
This June has been a bit of a quiet period for news in Russian women’s hockey, or at least it was until this week.

Naisten Liiga (Finland) What a hijacking! Long-lived Naisleijonat forward and one of the all-time scorers Karoliina Rantamäki joins HIFK | Yle Sports | yle.fi
The 41-year-old forward Karoliina Rantamäki returns to Finland. She last played in the Liiga on the Blues in 2006–07.

Naisleijonien MM-hopeajoukkueen puolustajan Isa Rahusen maajoukkueura on toistaiseksi jäissä: “Haluan edetä, kehittyä ja tulla paremmaksi hoitajaksi” | Yle Urheilu | yle.fi
Isa Rahunen will play for Kärpät in 2019-20. This season, however, she will take time off to focus on her career as a nurse.

AWIHL (Australia)

Perth Inferno 2019-20 team staff and committee | Ice Hockey News Australia
The Perth Inferno have announced their team staff and committee members for the upcoming 2019-20 season.

NCAA

As the new WCHA Women’s Commissioner, Jennifer Flowers hopes to empower - The Ice Garden
Flowers is taking the WCHA’s reins later this month following Katie Million’s departure

UND Women's Hockey Lawsuit Dismissed

Shelley Looney Named Head Coach of Women’s Hockey - Lindenwood University Athletics
Lindenwood Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Brad Wachler announced former Olympic gold medalist Shelley Looney as the next head coach for the women’s

Buckeye women’s hockey to play outdoor game vs. Minnesota in January
The Ohio State women's hockey team will play an outdoor game in January against the Golden Gophers as part of Hockey Day in Minnesota.

Assistant coach Macdonald promoted to head coach for SCSU women's hockey | Grand Forks Herald
Macdonald has spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach for the St. Cloud State University women's hockey team and spent three seasons before that as an assistant coach for the University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team.

U Sports

University women's hockey teams wrestle with scholarship pilot project | Bridge River Lillooet News
A pilot project allowing Canadian university women's hockey teams to offer more scholarship money to athletes has yet to show concrete evidence it stops top talent from going to the NCAA.

Hockey meta

Impossible dreams, invisible opportunities and carving out a place at the rink | At Even Strength
If you’re a woman in hockey, or, for that matter, anyone besides a cisgender man, you’re most likely very often faced with the reality that there isn’t a ton of room for you in this sport as things stand right now.

Then & Now: Women’s Hockey in 1997 vs. 2019
When Joanna Avery and Julie Anne Stevens wrote their book in 1997, pro women’s hockey was essentially nonexistent. It’s interesting to see what’s changed - and what hasn’t.

Men’s hockey

Venla Hovi gets a full-time coaching in North America as Winnipeg Jets Skill Coach
Venla Hovi, an ice hockey player who finished her career as a champion in the World Championships, will continue as a full-time coach. Hovi works for Jets Hockey Development.

Bridging the Gap | NHL.com
Bringing in Iya Gavrilova as a translator has allowed Russian players to thrive at development camp (also some brief mention of what sounds like PWHPA games)

Women's Hockey