Story of the Week

Former Gophers goalie Leveille to sign with Minnesota Whitecaps - StarTribune.com

We’ve got a couple quick hits for Story of the Week this Wednesday, starting off with this Star Tribune piece about Amanda Leveille’s signing with the Minnesota Whitecaps.

The Whitecaps have a quality starting goaltender in Leveille, last year’s NWHL Goalie of the Year. Leveille was the first player officially signed by the NWHL’s newest expansion team (last night, she was joined by US Olympians Hannah Brandt and Lee Stecklein, an incredibly promising start to the Whitecaps roster). Originally, Leveille said she’d be staying in Buffalo, but something (possibly the signing of USWNT gold medalist Nicole Hensley to the Beauts) inspired her to move to Minnesota, where she played her college hockey. While it’s great to see coverage of this move in a major paper, there’s a bit of a buried lede when Winny Brodt Brown says that the Whitecaps will announce a head coach “in the coming days.”

[record scratch]

As we mentioned in the WHW talking about the Whitecaps joining the NWHL, multiple outlets beginning with the Twin Cities Pioneer Press reported that Robb and Shivaun Stauber had been hired to coach the Whitecaps. The Whitecaps themselves tweeted out this news (the tweet has since been deleted, which could mean something or nothing at all). Considering half of that coaching duo has an Olympic gold medal, the hiring was widely publicized. This happened in May.

It’s worth noting that the Pioneer Press article uses Stauber himself as a source; it’s possible that there are still some sort of contract details that need to be hammered out before an official league announcement. Still, a quote from the team captain and GM’s daughter stating differently deserves at least a follow-up question about what, exactly, is happening here. Has something changed in the intervening month? If so, why hasn’t it been announced? Why am I the one asking these questions, and not the person who actually talked to Winny Brodt Brown? Anyway, the Whitecaps might have head coaches, they might not, but they definitely have a goalie and two gold medalists now and that’s a good thing.

How To Revive a Hockey Team

Switching gears from Where In The World Is The Whitecaps Coaching Staff, I wanted to highlight a piece of great hockey reporting in this article on the newest UND lawsuit from Kirsten Whelan of The Victory Press. It’s a great example of a journalist following up on a story—instead of simply mentioning that the argument used in this case has never been used before, Whelan (who has a legal background) interviewed the lawyer in question. The article lays out a detailed explanation of why this case is different than the average challenge under Title IX, and why it has potentially far-reaching implications not only for UND, but for college athletics in general.

NWHL

2018 NWHL Free Agency Tracker - The Ice Garden
Your convenient one-stop shop for all the NWHL signing news. Since the last WHW, two Olympians and three NCAA captains have joined the Beauts, and we have our first Whitecap.

Olympians Hannah Brandt and Lee Stecklein to play for Whitecaps - StarTribune.com
Ex-Gophers Brandt, Stecklein will help raise team's profile.

Ashley Johnston announces her retirement from the NWHL - The Ice Garden
The only captain the Riveters franchise has ever known has decided to hang up her skates.

Buffalo Beauts Prospects Impress at 2018 Free Agent Camp
Hoping to sign with an NWHL team, returning veterans, draft picks, and young free agents have impressed alike at the 2018 Buffalo Beauts Free Agent Camp.

Beauts’ aggressive approach rocks NWHL with Kelly Babstock signing - Die By The Blade
Babstock leaves Whale, joins stacked Beauts roster

Buffalo Beauts sign gold medalist Dani Cameranesi - The Ice Garden
Cameranesi is the second 2018 gold medalist to commit to the NWHL

NWHL Notebook: Pair of Olympians Join Buffalo Beauts
The Buffalo Beauts continued their busy streak of signing players for the 2018-19 NWHL season, adding Olympians Dani Cameranesi & Nicole Hensley this we

NWHL to return to Pittsburgh for third straight season | Pittsburgh Hockey Digest
The date and teams will be announced at a later date.

NCAA

Former UND women’s hockey players file discrimination suit | Grand Forks Herald
Eleven former members of the now-defunct UND women’s hockey program filed a class action discrimination lawsuit against the North Dakota University System in U.S. District Court on Tuesday.

Andrea Brändli leaves the Weinfelden Ladies for Ohio State - swisshockeynews.ch
Swiss netminder Andrea Brändli has decided to leave her SWHL A-team Weinfelden Ladies to join NCAA’s Ohio State University, located in Columbus.

Boston College Women’s Hockey’s Toni Ann Miano Wins BCI’s Award For Female Fan Favorite - BC Interruption
One of our most prestigious awards

Watertown Daily Times | Clarkson goalie Tiley named ECAC women’s hockey athlete of year
Clarkson University women’s hockey senior goaltender Shea Tiley is the winner of the ECAC Hockey Mandi Schwartz athlete of the year award, the conference announced Friday.

College hockey to stick with 5-on-5, 5-minute overtime — Ice Hockey — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine
If nobody scores in the OT, it goes in the books as a tie.. Maine news, sports, politics, election results, and obituaries from the Bangor Daily News.

FRIARS.COM - Official Athletic Site Official Athletic Site - Women’s Ice Hockey
The Official Athletic Site of Providence College - Providence College Athletic Director Bob Driscoll announced today (June 18) that Matthew Kelly has been named the sixth head coach of the women’s ice hockey program.

Around the Rink - June 6 - The Ice Garden
Awards, retirements, rings, oh my!

CWHL

Sami Jo Small named GM of CWHL’s Toronto Furies | The Star
42-year-old goaltender has played in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League since its inception over a decade ago

CWHL News: Olympian Sami Jo Small hired as Toronto Furies GM - Pension Plan Puppets
The Toronto Furies goaltender Sami Jo is getting a bump up to the front office as the newest general manager!

Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2018 announced | Sarnia Observer
Toronto Furies Carolyne Prévost will be honoured in the Amateur Athlete category based on her time at the University of Wisconsin.

Bob Deraney named head coach of Kunlun Red Stars - The Ice Garden
Former head coach of Providence College will succeed Digit Murphy

Kunlun signs Newell, Carpenter and four others re-sign with China’s CWHL clubs - The Ice Garden
Alex Carpenter among the five to return to China

Noora Räty Re-Signs With Kunlun Red Star - The Ice Garden
Finnish netminder continues her illustrious career.

A look at CWHL team shot data from the 2017-18 season - The Ice Garden
Let’s sink our teeth into some CWHL stats

Draft

Dear Sami Jo... A look at CWHL draft-eligible goalies - Pension Plan Puppets
The 2018 CWHL Draft is coming up and Annie has some recruiting suggestions for the Furies and Thunder GMs

Rafter enjoying life after championship win - Winnipeg Free Press
There have been no keg stands or swims through a public fountain.

International hockey

Finland Continues Investment in Women’s Hockey, Awards €250,000 to Naisleijonat - The Ice Garden
Looking ahead to Espoo 2019 and Beijing 2022, the Naisleijonat earn historic grant.

Sojung Shin on Instagram: “I have decided to end my hockey career”
South Korea’s star goalie announces her retirement

Smile Japan goalie Nana Fujimoto out for six months following surgery on shoulder | The Japan Times
Smile Japan star goalkeeper Nana Fujimoto will be sidelined for six months following shoulder surgery, The Japan Times has learned.

Amanda Kessel and the Goal Before “The Goal” - The Ice Garden
Kessel reflects on her shootout goal in the gold medal game against Team Canada

“It’s amazing what sport can do”
Wickenheiser wants to help unite players and countries

High-Performance Camp
Week-long women’s camp to take place in Vierumaki

European club hockey

SDHL (Sweden): Gold Medalist Sidney Morin stays in SDHL, signs with Linköping - The Ice Garden
She is the first American-born Olympic gold medalist to play in the SDHL

Second stint in Sweden - Sarah Forster moves from Thun to Brynäs - swisshockeynews.ch
Sarah Forster, who is known for playing in both offense and defense, will return to Sweden for the 2018-19 season, where the 25-year-old has signed with Brynäs IF.

The IX: Hockey Friday with Erica Ayala, June 8, 2018
Featuring an interview with the head coach of HC Lulea

Erika Grahm’s Next Chapter - The Ice Garden
After leaving longtime club MODO Hockey, the Damkronorna forward looks ahead to a new direction in Gävle

SWHL (Switzerland): Austrian international joins the ZSC Lions' women's team - swisshockeynews.ch
The ZSC Lions reinforce their squad for the upcoming season with Austrian defensewoman Tamara Grascher. Martina Stieger joins the SWHL B's GCK Lions.

Iris Müller is no longer HC Lugano’s head coach - swisshockeynews.ch
Iris Müller will not continue to coach HC Lugano’s ladies team. The team is looking for a coach with more professional experience.

Diane Michaud named to the ZSC Lions' coaching staff - swisshockeynews.ch
Diane Michaud is the successor of Angela Frautschi on the ZSC Lions' coaching staff.

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