Story of the Week

Photo Gallery: Champions Cup - Metropolitan Riveters vs. Luleå Hockey/MSSK - The Ice Garden

A Brief Intro to Luleå Hockey/MSSK for NWHL Fans - The Ice Garden

Efter pokalmissen – Luleå vann ”Mästarkoppen”s | Aftonbladet

Five Takeaways From the Champions Cup - The Ice Garden

5 Champions Cup Takeaways: Metropolitan Riveters vs Luleå HF/MSSK

The biggest women’s hockey news of the week was undeniably the Champions Cup game between the NWHL champion Metropolitan Riveters and the SDHL champion Luleå HF/MSSK. Unfortunately, neither of us is local to New Jersey and neither of us watched the stream (in part because streaming was announced very late). It’s clear from the articles above and other posts on social media that the players involved felt the game’s importance, no matter what organizational hitches happened between conception and puck drop. So we can only congratulate Luleå, and in particular MVP Michelle Karvinen, and hope that whatever form it takes in the future, the next Champions Cup is handled with as much understanding of its importance by the organizers as it was by the players.

Meanwhile more, hockey! The European leagues have been underway for some time now, but the NWHL kicks off its opening weekend this weekend! (It’s Thanksgiving in Canada, so the CWHL season starts a week later.) Fans in Minnesota will get to see two games between the Riveters and Whitecaps, while the battle of the Olympic goalies (because Meeri Räisänen finally has a team, see links below)  kicks off on Sunday in Connecticut between the Beauts (Szabados and Hensley) and the Whale (Räisänen). Full streaming details for this weekend don’t seem to be available but once we figure out what’s up we’ll bring the links to you weekly, like we did last season.

The NCAA started play this past weekend, giving college hockey fans their first taste of real, actual, non-exhibition games. Defending champions Clarkson steamrollered Bemidji State, because their roster is unfair, but it’s not so much fun to talk about who had a good weekend as it is to talk about who didn’t—for example, Boston College, who traveled to Duluth only to get swept by the Bulldogs. Caitrin Lonergan, BC’s best forward not named Daryl, leaving Friday’s game hurt adds injury to insult. Colgate’s split series with Penn State is bad news for a team that was ranked fifth entering the season—not only is Penn State a weaker team, they didn’t dress nine players due to an unspecified team rules violation, and still kept the first game close and won 4-2 on Saturday. Seriously, Penn State had only thirteen players in their lineup this weekend and they split a series against a team that was in the national championship game in March. That’s the kind of delicious chaos that college hockey excels at, and it’s only Week One.

NWHL

Introducing “Even-Strength,” a breakthrough in the world of women’s hockey analytics - The Ice Garden
Put on your thinking caps, because there’s a revolution happening in women’s hockey analytics

Three Years Later: The Growth of the Buffalo Beauts
The National Women’s Hockey League was “born” in 2015. The Buffalo Beauts of that inaugural season were a mixture of Olympians, local talent, and players from around the United States and Canada.

2018-19 NWHL Preview: Boston Pride - The Ice Garden
The Pride just might come roaring back this season.

Breaking the ice – The Suffolk Journal
The intimidation that comes along with building a program is tough on any seasoned coach, but for a first-time head coach, the pressure is felt even more.

NWHL Preview: Connecticut Whale
The Connecticut Whale have finished the last two seasons at the bottom of the NWHL standings. Can they rise above it this season?

Connecticut Whale: Meeri Räisänen Becomes First Finnish NWHLer
Meeri Räisänen is the first player from Finland to sign in the NWHL. The Whale have also signed the league’s first Swedish and first Czech player.

CWHL

CWHL recap: Markham Thunder lose to Toronto Furies 6-1 in pre-season - Pension Plan Puppets
Sarah Nurse scores two as Markham and Toronto wrap up their pre-season.

Winners of the Tom Longboat 2018 National Awards Announced | SIRC
The Aboriginal Sport Circle is pleased to announce the 2018 winners of the prestigious Tom Longboat Award. Michael Linklater (SK) is named the male Aboriginal athlete of year and Jocelyne Larocque (MB) named female Aboriginal athlete of year.

International hockey

Saskatoon prepares for 2018 4 Nations Cup with call for volunteers
Day passes, ticket packages available now for purchase

Canada women’s hockey team to play in Prince Albert - Prince Albert Daily Herald
The reigning Olympic silver medalists will take to the ice at the Art Hauser Centre on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. as they will go up against Finland’s national program.

Switzerland to field men’s and women’s teams for first time at Winter Universiade
Switzerland will compete in both the men’s and women’s ice hockey tournaments for the first time at a Winter Universiade

NHL helping women pursue officiating
Samantha Kline never played hockey. She was a figure skater, one competitive enough to be home-schooled through high school, spending hours a day at her local rink in Florida. A junior team shared the ice, so she kept time for them, got to know the guys in the small hockey community.

NCAA

Polls: USCHO - USA Today - The Ice Garden

ECAC Hockey and ESPN Reach Multi-Year Deal to Make ESPN+ Home for Men’s and Women’s Games - ECAC Hockey

2018-19 NCAA Preview: ECAC - The Ice Garden
The ECAC is probably the second-strongest conference in women’s hockey. Clarkson won the National Championship, making the Golden Knights back-to-back National Champions.

FIVE GOOD MINUTES: Catching Up With BC Women’s Hockey Head Coach Katie Crowley - BC Interruption
We sat down with Coach Crowley to talk freshmen, the returning Olympians, and bus trips

Penn State women's hockey upsets No. 5 Colgate while playing without nine suspended players | Women's Ice Hockey | collegian.psu.edu
So shorthanded that it couldn’t fill out a complete lineup, Penn State collected what might be the biggest win in its program’s brief history.

Penn State women’s hockey suspends nine players from season-opening series | Campus | collegian.psu.edu
Penn State has suspended nine of its players for the team’s season-opening series against No. 5 Colgate, The Daily Collegian has learned.

College women's hockey: No. 9 Bulldogs finish sweep of No. 4 Boston College | Duluth News Tribune
Ninth-ranked Minnesota Duluth finished off a season-opening sweep of fourth-ranked Boston College on Saturday with a 2-1 nonconference victory before a crowd of 832 at Amsoil Arena.

Mercyhurst's Sisti reflects on Laker hockey's foundation
Women's hockey coach Michael Sisti recalled the most influential players in program history.

10 greatest graduating classes in NCAA women’s hockey history
As Clarkson looks to elevate its place in NCAA women’s hockey history, its 2019 senior class has two predecessors and several WCHA counterparts to emulate.

2018-19 NCAA Preview: WCHA - The Ice Garden
There’s more than just Wisconsin and Minnesota.

The WCHA celebrates 20th season with the return of four Olympians, first-ever streaming package - The Ice Garden
The Minnesota-based conference has produced 16 NCAA national champions and been home to 83 Olympians representing eight countries from eight different member schools.

Switzerland's Alina Müller Ready to Light up Hockey East for Northeastern
Switzerland's Alina Müller is just beginning her NCAA hockey career with the Northeastern University Huskies, and she is bound to score in bunches.

New England Women’s Hockey Alliance officially announces formation of new NCAA Women’s Hockey Conference - The Ice Garden
Teams have unanimously agreed to offer scholarships and begin scheduling other D-I programs

2018-19 NCAA Preview: Hockey East - The Ice Garden
Watts, Muller, Aurard, oh my!

College women's hockey: No. 9 Bulldogs finish sweep of No. 4 Boston College | Duluth News Tribune
Ninth-ranked Minnesota Duluth finished off a season-opening sweep of fourth-ranked Boston College on Saturday with a 2-1 nonconference victory before a crowd of 832 at Amsoil Arena.

Mercyhurst's Sisti reflects on Laker hockey's foundation
Women's hockey coach Michael Sisti recalled the most influential players in program history.

U Sports

U Sports Makes Incremental, but Not Groundbreaking, Progress with Transgender Inclusion Policy
On September 27, U Sports, the national governing body for university sport in Canada, released its transgender inclusion policy.

Trans student athletes now able to play university sports | CBC News
U Sports, the organization that oversees varsity university athletics in Canada, has created one of the most inclusive policies ever released for transgender athletes.

Canadiennes 7, Concordia 1: Great Experience for Young Stingers Despite Loss | Sports – The Link
In what was expected to be a lopsided affair against professional team Les Canadiennes, the Stingers women’s hockey team managed to offer a great effort in Sunday’s exhibition matchup.

European club hockey

SWHL (Switzerland) Vanessa Bolinger to suit up for SC Reinach again - swisshockeynews.ch

SDHL (Sweden) SDHL week in review | Aftonbladet
Standings and a summary of where things stand in the SDHL.

Hockeystjärnan Anna Borgqvist lämnade Leksand för spel i Brynäs | Aftonbladet
Anna Borgqvist, 26, broke up with Brynäs and the Damkronorna to get a new start in Leksand.

Sabrina Zollinger stängs av efter överfallet på Jennifer Wakefield | Aftonbladet
Jennifer Wakefield was affected by concussion after the head attack against HV71.

WHL (Russia) Women’s Hockey Update: October 2nd, 2018 (Part 1) | CONWAY'S RUSSIAN HOCKEY BLOG
This will be a two-parter of a women's hockey update, for reasons entirely of post length.

AWIHL (Australia)

Adelaide Rush 2018-19 roster | Ice Hockey News Australia
The Adelaide Rush have announced their roster for the upcoming 2018-19 AWIHL season.

Women's HockeyCanadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL)