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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Who was the biggest surprise omission for each PWHL team from their expansion protection list?
The PWHL unveiled the three players protected from each of the league's six inaugural teams. Three was a small number resulting in top players from every roster being exposed, and signalling that PWHL Seattle and PWHL Vancouver will almost certainly enter the 2025-26 PWHL season as the teams to beat. While the PWHL has yet to unveil if there will be changes to their playoff format with eight teams now in the league, it's highly likely Seattle and Vancouver will be playing playoff hockey next season, while the existing rosters will take a season or two to recover from the deep cuts the league decided to make to their cores. PWHL fans across the league reacted negatively to the lack of protection for the players they've grown to love, including the exposure of 40 of the 42 players selected in the 2024 PWHL Draft. Advertisement As baffling as the PWHL's plan for expansion was, seeing the exposed players which includes finalists for league MVP, Defender of the Year, Forward of the Year, and Rookie of the Year, including the 2024 PWHL Rookie of the Year, Defender of the Year, Goaltender of the Year, three First Team All-Stars, three Second Team All-Stars, and four of five members of the All-Rookie team. In essence, Seattle and Vancouver are picking all-star rosters without reservation. There were some exposures that surprised more than others. Here's a look at the most shocking omissions from each PWHL team's protected list. Boston Fleet - Hilary Knight Knight is a finalist for the PWHL's MVP award this season and top forward. She tied for the league lead in scoring and was the captain of the Boston Fleet, and remains the captain of Team USA. She's a first ballot Hall of Famer who holds every scoring record at the World Championships. Hilary Knight however, is nearing the end of her storied career, although no one is questioning if she can remain a star in the PWHL for a few more seasons. She would be the ultimate face for the game in Seattle to help the league hit the ground running on the west coast, but it doesn't soften the shock and dismay Boston fans feel having one of the legends of the game potentially stolen from their roster. Minnesota Frost - Sophie Jaques Minnesota made a trade for Sophie Jaques during season one and it paid dividends. She tied for the PWHL lead in scoring by a defender, helped the Frost win back-to-back Walter Cup titles, and has seen her role grow. She's only getting better and is a finalist for the PWHL's Defender of the Year. Few are as dangerous off the rush and jumping into the play as Jaques, and she'll bring her ever improving game to the west coach and make a significant impact there as well. She flourish in Minnesota, and alongside Claire Thompson, the loss of two elite defenders is going to sting. Minnesota will pray that Nicole Gosling or Rory Guilday can be had in the PWHL Draft. Montreal Victoire - Erin Ambrose Montreal loves Erin Ambrose, and Erin Ambrose loves Montreal. She was the 2024 PWHL Defender of the Year, and remains one of the best in the league on and off the ice. Montreal rolled the dice exposing both Ambrose and rookie standout Cayla Barnes on their blueline. Their only hope is that Vancouver picks up Jennifer Gardiner. If the expansion teams pick Ambrose and Barnes, Montreal is going to significantly struggle, and the defensive depth available in free agency and the draft won't be able to recoup what they've lost if the worst case scenario happens. New York Sirens - Alex Carpenter A 2024 First Team All-Star and widely acknowledged as a top 10 forward in the world, Alex Carpenter is a game changer on the ice and was half of the PWHL's most dangerous duo alongside rookie sensation Sarah Fillier. Many New York fans couldn't wrap their head around this one, and in terms of on-ice performance, it's a hard pill to swallow. What this omission shows however, is that teams were looking far beyond the scoresheet when considering their options. New York needs a culture change, they need to shake up their roster to get more out of their depth, and this move plays into that decision. Carpenter's skill will be missed if she's selected. Ottawa Charge - Ashton Bell Without Ashton Bell, it's hard to imagine the Ottawa Charge get to the Walter Cup finals this year. Bell was part of Ottawa's top pairing that played heavy minutes. She blocked shots, transitioned pucks up ice, and was key to their attack. But Ottawa went with the unique toolkit possessed by Ronja Savolainen. Savolainen has a more club friendly contract with two years remaining, and there's belief she's just scratching the surface of her potential in North America. She got better as the season went on. Toronto Sceptres - Sarah Nurse A 2024 PWHL Second Team All-Star, Sarah Nurse was one of the top scoring threats in the league in year one, and if not for an injury in year two, the same could be said. Toronto is lucky to have the depth they do up front, but depending how this process plays out, the Sceptres are likely to lose not only Nurse, but three of Savannah Harmon, Julia Gosling, Emma Maltais, Allie Munroe, or Izzy Daniel as well. It's not a pleasant prospect for the team, but there's perhaps no loss that would hurt more than that of Nurse.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
PWHL Award Ceremony Set For June 25 In Ottawa
The PWHL will host their 2025 Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, June 25 at 11:30 a.m. ET at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in the Hard Rock Live theatre in Ottawa, Ontario. It follows the 2025 PWHL Draft which will take place the night before in the same venue. Finalists for the PWHL's six major awards will be announced beginning May 13 with the league's Forward of the Year finalists, followed by Defender of the Year (May 14), Goaltender of the Year (May 15), Coach of the Year (May 20), Rookie of the Year (May 21) and Billie Jean King MVP Award (May 22). This year the PWHL's Rookie of the Year will include 1999 born players and younger who are completing their first season of professional hockey in North America. At the ceremony, the league will also honour this year's top scorers - Hilary Knight and Sarah Fillier - and their Hockey For All Award recipient. Last year, Toronto Sceptres forward Natalie Spooner was named the Forward of the Year and MVP. Erin Ambrose of the Montreal Victoire was the inaugural Defender of the Year, while Toronto's Kristen Campbell was the league's first Goaltender of the Year. Grace Zumwinkle of the Minnesota Frost was the league's first Rookie of the Year.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Three Keys: Ottawa And Montreal Ready For Round One
The Ottawa Charge and Montreal Victoire will drop the puck on round one of their PWHL playoff series tonight. The Victoire were the regular season champions choosing Ottawa as their opening round opponent. While Montreal enters as the favorite, anything can happen in playoff hockey, and anything could happen, particularly depending on how these keys to the series play out. On paper, Ann-Renee Desbiens is a leading candidate for the PWHL's Goaltender of the Year award, and has the international resume to make her an eventual Hall of Fame candidate. At the other end is PWHL rookie Gwyneth Philips, entering her first year in the league, first ever playoff game, but coming off a head-to-head win over Desbiens and Canada in overtime of the World Championship gold medal game. Goaltending will certainly be a key to this series. In particular, Ann-Renee Desbiens did miss time this season with injury, and Philips is the only active netminder for Ottawa who has played a game this season. Both are capable of big game performances and will need to be sharp. Could a hot goalie be the difference? Ottawa is the PWHL's most penalized team and it's not by a close margin. At times this year, it hurt the Charge. They need their best players, including the PWHL's penalty minutes leader Tereza Vanisova, on the ice. Luckily for Ottawa (and Montreal), this series will probably be decided 5-on-5 as the Charge and Victoire have the two worst power plays in the league. That doesn't mean penalties can't change momentum and provide spurts of offense. Both teams will need to remain disciplined, but the emphasis here is on Carla MacLeod getting her roster to play physical, but within the lines. Some of Ottawa's penalties recently have come following sloppy zone exits resulting in turnovers trapping tired groups, or causing players to reach after being out of position. If there's one key that will decide this series, it's how Ottawa manages to handle Montreal's top line of Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, and Jennifer Gardiner. No line in the PWHL scored more goals this season than the trio, and that's troublesome for Ottawa. The Charge will likely look to line match, but as the away team for the opening two games of the PWHL playoffs, it will be difficult. For Ottawa to match Montreal's attack, it will need to come from mismatches Ottawa can create with the players with offensive upside the have sprinkled lower in their lineup. At some point, Danielle Serdachny has to break out. And with a second line that often features Brianne Jenner and Tereza Vanisova, and Katerina Mrazova landing up and down the lineup, there are opportunities for Montreal to attack beyond their top unit. In fact, it's not unlikely Ottawa's top line ends up playing a checking role, and the offensive expectations gets shifted to their other groups. However they manage it, it's about Ottawa finding a way to combat Montreal's dynamic trio, and Montreal trying to find better match ups in the first games for that group.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Three Keys: Ottawa And Montreal Ready For Round One
The Ottawa Charge and Montreal Victoire will drop the puck on round one of their PWHL playoff series tonight. The Victoire were the regular season champions choosing Ottawa as their opening round opponent. While Montreal enters as the favorite, anything can happen in playoff hockey, and anything could happen, particularly depending on how these keys to the series play out. 1. Gold Medal Goaltending Rematch On paper, Ann-Renee Desbiens is a leading candidate for the PWHL's Goaltender of the Year award, and has the international resume to make her an eventual Hall of Fame candidate. At the other end is PWHL rookie Gwyneth Philips, entering her first year in the league, first ever playoff game, but coming off a head-to-head win over Desbiens and Canada in overtime of the World Championship gold medal game. Advertisement Goaltending will certainly be a key to this series. In particular, Ann-Renee Desbiens did miss time this season with injury, and Philips is the only active netminder for Ottawa who has played a game this season. Both are capable of big game performances and will need to be sharp. Could a hot goalie be the difference? 2. Discipline On Both Sides Ottawa is the PWHL's most penalized team and it's not by a close margin. At times this year, it hurt the Charge. They need their best players, including the PWHL's penalty minutes leader Tereza Vanisova, on the ice. Luckily for Ottawa (and Montreal), this series will probably be decided 5-on-5 as the Charge and Victoire have the two worst power plays in the league. That doesn't mean penalties can't change momentum and provide spurts of offense. Both teams will need to remain disciplined, but the emphasis here is on Carla MacLeod getting her roster to play physical, but within the lines. Some of Ottawa's penalties recently have come following sloppy zone exits resulting in turnovers trapping tired groups, or causing players to reach after being out of position. 3. Top Line Trouble For Ottawa If there's one key that will decide this series, it's how Ottawa manages to handle Montreal's top line of Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, and Jennifer Gardiner. No line in the PWHL scored more goals this season than the trio, and that's troublesome for Ottawa. The Charge will likely look to line match, but as the away team for the opening two games of the PWHL playoffs, it will be difficult. For Ottawa to match Montreal's attack, it will need to come from mismatches Ottawa can create with the players with offensive upside the have sprinkled lower in their lineup. At some point, Danielle Serdachny has to break out. And with a second line that often features Brianne Jenner and Tereza Vanisova, and Katerina Mrazova landing up and down the lineup, there are opportunities for Montreal to attack beyond their top unit. In fact, it's not unlikely Ottawa's top line ends up playing a checking role, and the offensive expectations gets shifted to their other groups. However they manage it, it's about Ottawa finding a way to combat Montreal's dynamic trio, and Montreal trying to find better match ups in the first games for that group.
Boston Globe
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Boston College lacrosse finds itself in familiar position as it begins title defense
If the Eagles can get back there this time around, they will be close to home at Gillette Stadium, which is hosting the Final Four for both the men's and women's tournaments May 23-26. BC lost the 2017 title game to Maryland in Foxborough. The Eagles are 17-2 with both losses coming to top-seeded North Carolina, the most recent coming April 27 in the ACC Tournament final. Advertisement Senior Rachel Clark leads BC with 91 goals, fourth-most in a season in program history, just 11 off the mark set by Charlotte North in 2021. Clark, who was recently named ACC Attacker of the Year, is also 16 points shy of the single-season mark of 129 set by Sam Apuzzo in 2018. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Junior Shea Baker was named the ACC Defender of the Year and junior Shea Dolce was the conference's Goaltender of the Year. UMass, which won the regular season and conference tournament in its final season as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, will face Princeton on Friday in Baltimore. Northwestern, which has been BC's opponent in each of the last two title games, is the No. 3 seed and earned the final bye. Advertisement The Harvard men will visit sixth-seeded Syracuse on Sunday after earning an at-large bid following a 10-4 regular season. Among the wins for the Crimson was a 15-14 contest against the Orange.
