Related Research Articles
The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) was a women's professional ice hockey league in the United States and Canada that operated from March 2015 until June 2023. The league was established in 2015 as the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), comprising four league-owned teams. Over time, some teams gained independent ownership and the number of teams grew to seven; teams during the league's final season in 2022–23 included the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, Montreal Force, and Toronto Six. The Isobel Cup was awarded annually to the league playoff champion.
The Boston Pride were a professional women's ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They were one of the four charter franchises of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). The Pride played at Warrior Ice Arena, which is also the practice facility for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. The Pride won the inaugural Isobel Cup in 2016 and became the first professional women's ice hockey team to win three championship titles when they claimed consecutive victories in 2021 and 2022.
The Connecticut Whale were a professional ice hockey team based in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). They played in Simsbury, Connecticut at the International Skating Center of Connecticut. The team was established in 2015 as one of the four charter franchises of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), which became the PHF in 2021. Their name and colors paid homage to the Hartford Whalers, a former NHL and WHA franchise based in Connecticut. The team folded along with the PHF in 2023 as part of the creation of a new, unified women's league, the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).
The Buffalo Beauts were a professional ice hockey team in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). They played in Amherst, New York, a suburb of Buffalo, at the Northtown Center.
Kelly Babstock is a Canadian-American ice hockey player, currently playing in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) with PWHL Boston. She has Ojibwe roots and is originally from Little Current on Manitoulin Island, part of the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory.
Kaleigh Fratkin is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for PWHL Boston of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). The second-longest tenured player and leading scorer among defenders in PHF history, she was the first Canadian player to sign a contract in the league, is a five-time PHF all-star, and is a two-time PHF Defender of the Year in 2020 and 2021. She was also a member of the Boston Pride roster that captured the 2021 and 2022 Isobel Cup, and was one of three 2023 PHF All-Star captains. Previous to the joining the NWHL, she won the Clarkson Cup in 2015 and was the first girl to play boys' midget AAA hockey in British Columbia.
Shannon Turnernée Doyle is a retired Canadian ice hockey player. She served as captain of the Connecticut Whale of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF).
Melissa Samoskevich is an American ice hockey player and director of player development and operations for the Quinnipiac Bobcats women's ice hockey program. She was previously an assistant coach for the Penn State Nittany Lions women's ice hockey program. She plays for the Connecticut Whale of the National Women's Hockey League.
Since 2016, the year of its inaugural season, the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) grants several annual awards to players in the league, including Most Valuable Player, Goaltender of the Year, Best Defender, Rookie of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, Denna Laing Award, Foundation Award, Offensive Player of the Year, and the Fans' Three Stars of the Season. The award for Most Valuable Player is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. Nominees for the Foundation Award are chosen by the Players Association and voted on by fans. Other awards are voted on a panel of journalists.
Taylor Accursi is a Canadian ice hockey forward who is currently a free agent. She most recently played in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) with the Boston Pride.
Brooke Wolejko is an American ice hockey goaltender, currently playing for the Metropolitan Riveters of the PHF.
Mikyla Grant-Mentis is a Canadian ice hockey forward, who is currently playing for PWHL Montreal of the PWHL. She is the all-time leading scorer of the Merrimack Warriors women's ice hockey team. In 2021, she became the first Black player to win the PHF's Most Valuable Player award.
Lenka Čurmová is a Slovak ice hockey defender and member of the Slovak national team, currently playing in the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) with Leksands IF. She and national team teammate Iveta Klimášová were the first Slovak players to play in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF).
Abbie Ives is an American ice hockey goaltender who most recently played with the Connecticut Whale of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). She is currently an assistant coach for the Sacred Heart Pioneers women's ice hockey team.
Kayla Friesen is a Canadian-American ice hockey forward, currently an unrestricted free agent. She most recently played in the 2021–22 season of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) with the Boston Pride. She was selected second overall in the 2020 NWHL Draft by the Connecticut Whale.
Emily Fluke is an American ice hockey forward, currently playing for the Connecticut Whale of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). A two-time PHF All-Star, she formerly served as captain of the Connecticut Whale and is currently the 9th leading scorer in league history.
Kate Whitman Annis is an American ice hockey executive, currently serving as executive director of the Devils Youth Foundation, the youth outreach arm of the New Jersey Devils. She previously served as executive of operations for W Hockey Partners, the organization that oversees the league-owned teams in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF).
Elena Orlando is an American ice hockey defenseman. She most recently played in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) with the Buffalo Beauts during the 2021–22 season. Having played in the PHF since its inaugural 2015–16 season, she was one of five players to have recorded more than 100 regular season games played at the conclusion of the 2021–22 season.
Erin Gehen is an American ice hockey forward, currently playing with the Buffalo Beauts of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL).
The 2021–22 PHF season was the seventh season of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), which was known as the National Women's Hockey League during the previous six seasons, in North America. After mostly playing in a bubble environment the previous season due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, the PHF commenced the 2021–22 season with a normal travel-based schedule.
References
- ↑ Lawlor, Christopher (March 21, 2017). "Meneghin All-American for Division III women's hockey". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ↑ "The Whale's Own Jersey Girls" Archived January 26, 2022, at the Wayback Machine , Cetacean Nation. Accessed December 29, 2020. "The Whale currently have two of them, winger Kayla Meneghin from Clifton, and center/defender Hanna Beattie from Whitehouse Station.... Kayla Meneghin went to both New Jersey’s Clifton High School and the Gunnery in Connecticut for her prep career, and then Plattsburgh State University in New York."
- ↑ Selig, Mark (February 24, 2016). "Powerhouse Plattsburgh programs dominate college hockey". The Burlington Free Press . Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ↑ Rice, Dan (November 21, 2018). "Connecticut Whale: Q & A with Rookie Forward Kayla Meneghin". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ↑ "2017-18 Women's Ice Hockey Roster: #9 Kayla Meneghin". Plattsburgh State Athletics. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- 1 2 Bryant, Casey (December 27, 2019). "NWHL Stock Report: The naughty/nice list". The Ice Garden. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ↑ National Women's Hockey League (December 26, 2019). "Kayla Meneghin Taking Her Game to a New Level with Whale". OurSports Central. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ↑ Lafranca, Joey (December 3, 2020). "Plattsburgh hockey alumna Meneghin excited for NWHL bubble in Lake Placid". Press-Republican . Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ↑ "Ambassador Spotlight: KayRad Hockey | Brick Township, New Jersey". Women's Hockey Life. November 12, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2020.