Latest news with #KellyPannek
Toronto Star
7 days ago
- General
- Toronto Star
Boston captain Hilary Knight tops list of unprotected players available to PWHL expansion teams
Boston Fleet captain and MVP candidate Hilary Knight heads a star-caliber list of players left unprotected by their respective teams in being made available to the PWHL's expansion franchises in Seattle and Vancouver. Among the other high-profile players left unprotected in a list released by the league on Tuesday were Minnesota's Kelly Pannek and Grace Zumwinkle, New York's Alex Carpenter, Ottawa captain Brianne Jenner and veteran defenseman Jocelyne Larocque and Toronto's Sarah Nurse.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The PWHL just crowned a champion, but the league's next step will be ‘heartbreaking' for many
The PWHL just crowned a champion, but the league's next step will be 'heartbreaking' for many ST. PAUL, Minn. — For a second consecutive season, Kendall Coyne Schofield and the Minnesota Frost hoisted the Walter Cup as champions of the Professional Women's Hockey League. Prosecco was sprayed in the locker room, Kelly Pannek had her goggles on (again), and friends and family celebrated on the ice after the championship was won at the Xcel Energy Center. Advertisement But now, change is coming for the Frost, and the rest of the league's original six franchises, as PWHL expansion is fast approaching and teams as we know them will look much different in 2025-26. 'I mean, it is exciting news, but it's also a bit heartbreaking,' said Minnesota defender Claire Thompson. 'The group that we had is so special, and we just knew that this will be our last time together.' The PWHL will soon welcome two new franchises in Vancouver and Seattle. Each of the league's existing teams will lose four players from their 2024-25 roster through the player dispersion process, which includes an expansion draft and an exclusive signing window designed to ensure the PWHL's newest teams will be able to compete on Day 1. Advertisement 'The priority is always about competitive balance,' said executive vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford. 'When you look at our league, over 50 percent of the games have been decided by one goal or in a shootout. That is something that is rare in professional sports, and it's something that we're committed to protecting through this expansion process.' Next week, each team will submit a list of three players protected from the draft. A pre-draft signing window — from June 4 to 8 — will open for both expansion teams to sign up to five players, either free agents or players under contract who were left unprotected. Once teams lose two players, either through the signing window or the draft, which will be held June 9, general managers will be permitted to protect one additional player, increasing their protected list to four. Even with that extra slot, star players will be on the move in just a few short weeks, not just role players, as we've historically seen in professional sports expansion. When the NHL expanded to Seattle in 2021, teams could protect seven forwards, three defenders and one goalie, or eight skaters and one goaltender, which left the Kraken with a team that has only made the playoffs once in four seasons. That likely won't be the case in the PWHL. As Montreal Victoire general manager Danièle Sauvageau said: 'It's a great buffet that those expansion teams have.' Advertisement The PWHL's expansion in just two years speaks to the league's early success and rapid growth. In Year 1, millions of viewers tuned in for games, attendance records were repeatedly set and broken, and demand for tickets in some markets was so high that teams had to move into bigger venues. The league's sophomore season saw even more growth in the business, according to executive vice president of business operations Amy Scheer. Ticket sales and average attendance increased 33 percent, she said. Merchandise sales doubled, and the number of league partners was up 50 percent. The PWHL Takeover Tour — a nine-city barnstorming series around North America — was heralded as a success with crowds as large as 19,038 in Vancouver. While most players would agree that the idea of expansion is exciting and signals success for the league, it's been a bittersweet end to the 2024-25 season, knowing that teams will be almost unrecognizable next season. 'When the rules and things came out, you definitely could see it hurt people,' said Minnesota forward Taylor Heise. 'When you see you're going to be able to keep three people and maybe a fourth. … There's 25 people on a team, like there's a lot of people that could be gone or missing next year. Advertisement 'It's a really hard thing to deal with.' For teams that didn't just go out on top with a Walter Cup, it's even harder. Ottawa Charge captain Brianne Jenner said the toughest part about losing Game 4 on Monday night was that the team had its final few minutes in the dressing room thrust upon them. Montreal defender Erin Ambrose shared a similar thought after the Victoire lost in the semifinals. 'The hardest thing is knowing this group will never be back together,' Ambrose said. 'I'm anxious that I might not be in Montreal, I might not be part of the Victoire.' Ambrose, last year's Defender of the Year, is one of the many elite players who could be on the move with Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey and Ann-Renée Desbiens the betting favorites to be protected by Montreal on the June 3 deadline. Advertisement 'It's an unfortunate situation because I'd love to stay here,' she said. 'But it's out of my control.' Much like the league's first-ever trade, the expansion draft represents a new reality for professional women's hockey players. In previous women's hockey leagues, players were drafted, signed, and traded to the markets they had chosen. That is no longer the case. 'It's part of (being in) a professional league,' said Ambrose. 'It's a great opportunity for those two teams to have success. The worst thing for our league would be having two teams out there that didn't have success or weren't even competitive. … Unfortunately, it's going to come at a price to the teams that are already in existence.' The league has tried to give players some control through the signing window, which permits players who are under contract but left unprotected to sign with an expansion franchise. Ambrose, for example, could sign with Vancouver during that five-day window rather than risk being selected by Seattle (or vice versa). Additionally, only players who are under contract or team control next season can be taken in the draft, meaning players who have 'earned' their free agency will get to explore that however they may choose. Advertisement 'We pride ourselves on trying to make decisions that are good for players,' said Hefford. 'They have to be good for the league and the business, but then also think about the players' interests.' For general managers, the expansion draft will upend the rosters they've constructed from Day 1, with unenviable decisions to be made in the coming days. In Boston, will Danielle Marmer protect captain Hilary Knight and leave first-round pick Hannah Bilka exposed? (Assuming goalie Aerin Frankel and defender Megan Keller are locks.) Or will she risk losing a future Hockey Hall of Fame forward in favor of keeping a younger player? The Frost, with three No. 1 caliber defenders and the top offense in the league, are primed to lose difference-makers no matter who they protect. 'There are going to be four big vacancies wherever they come on our roster,' Frost general manager Melissa Caruso told . 'But I think we have to think about the bigger picture and how great it is that the league is expanding.' Advertisement Ottawa general manager Mike Hirshfeld is also taking the looming changes in stride. 'I think we're all a little sad,' he said. 'But, more fans are gonna get to see women's hockey. There's 46 new jobs on the way because of it. What a great moment that we are growing and that we are successful.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Minnesota Wild, NHL, Sports Business, Women's Hockey 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
The PWHL just crowned a champion, but the league's next step will be ‘heartbreaking' for many
ST. PAUL, Minn. — For a second consecutive season, Kendall Coyne Schofield and the Minnesota Frost hoisted the Walter Cup as champions of the Professional Women's Hockey League. Prosecco was sprayed in the locker room, Kelly Pannek had her goggles on (again), and friends and family celebrated on the ice after the championship was won at the Xcel Energy Center. Advertisement But now, change is coming for the Frost, and the rest of the league's original six franchises, as PWHL expansion is fast approaching and teams as we know them will look much different in 2025-26. 'I mean, it is exciting news, but it's also a bit heartbreaking,' said Minnesota defender Claire Thompson. 'The group that we had is so special, and we just knew that this will be our last time together.' WINNESOTA — x – Minnesota Frost (@PWHL_Minnesota) May 27, 2025 The PWHL will soon welcome two new franchises in Vancouver and Seattle. Each of the league's existing teams will lose four players from their 2024-25 roster through the player dispersion process, which includes an expansion draft and an exclusive signing window designed to ensure the PWHL's newest teams will be able to compete on Day 1. 'The priority is always about competitive balance,' said executive vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford. 'When you look at our league, over 50 percent of the games have been decided by one goal or in a shootout. That is something that is rare in professional sports, and it's something that we're committed to protecting through this expansion process.' Next week, each team will submit a list of three players protected from the draft. A pre-draft signing window — from June 4 to 8 — will open for both expansion teams to sign up to five players, either free agents or players under contract who were left unprotected. Once teams lose two players, either through the signing window or the draft, which will be held June 9, general managers will be permitted to protect one additional player, increasing their protected list to four. Even with that extra slot, star players will be on the move in just a few short weeks, not just role players, as we've historically seen in professional sports expansion. When the NHL expanded to Seattle in 2021, teams could protect seven forwards, three defenders and one goalie, or eight skaters and one goaltender, which left the Kraken with a team that has only made the playoffs once in four seasons. Advertisement That likely won't be the case in the PWHL. As Montreal Victoire general manager Danièle Sauvageau said: 'It's a great buffet that those expansion teams have.' The PWHL's expansion in just two years speaks to the league's early success and rapid growth. In Year 1, millions of viewers tuned in for games, attendance records were repeatedly set and broken, and demand for tickets in some markets was so high that teams had to move into bigger venues. The league's sophomore season saw even more growth in the business, according to executive vice president of business operations Amy Scheer. Ticket sales and average attendance increased 33 percent, she said. Merchandise sales doubled, and the number of league partners was up 50 percent. The PWHL Takeover Tour — a nine-city barnstorming series around North America — was heralded as a success with crowds as large as 19,038 in Vancouver. While most players would agree that the idea of expansion is exciting and signals success for the league, it's been a bittersweet end to the 2024-25 season, knowing that teams will be almost unrecognizable next season. 'When the rules and things came out, you definitely could see it hurt people,' said Minnesota forward Taylor Heise. 'When you see you're going to be able to keep three people and maybe a fourth. … There's 25 people on a team, like there's a lot of people that could be gone or missing next year. 'It's a really hard thing to deal with.' For teams that didn't just go out on top with a Walter Cup, it's even harder. Ottawa Charge captain Brianne Jenner said the toughest part about losing Game 4 on Monday night was that the team had its final few minutes in the dressing room thrust upon them. Montreal defender Erin Ambrose shared a similar thought after the Victoire lost in the semifinals. Advertisement 'The hardest thing is knowing this group will never be back together,' Ambrose said. 'I'm anxious that I might not be in Montreal, I might not be part of the Victoire.' Ambrose, last year's Defender of the Year, is one of the many elite players who could be on the move with Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey and Ann-Renée Desbiens the betting favorites to be protected by Montreal on the June 3 deadline. 'It's an unfortunate situation because I'd love to stay here,' she said. 'But it's out of my control.' Much like the league's first-ever trade, the expansion draft represents a new reality for professional women's hockey players. In previous women's hockey leagues, players were drafted, signed, and traded to the markets they had chosen. That is no longer the case. 'It's part of (being in) a professional league,' said Ambrose. 'It's a great opportunity for those two teams to have success. The worst thing for our league would be having two teams out there that didn't have success or weren't even competitive. … Unfortunately, it's going to come at a price to the teams that are already in existence.' The league has tried to give players some control through the signing window, which permits players who are under contract but left unprotected to sign with an expansion franchise. Ambrose, for example, could sign with Vancouver during that five-day window rather than risk being selected by Seattle (or vice versa). Additionally, only players who are under contract or team control next season can be taken in the draft, meaning players who have 'earned' their free agency will get to explore that however they may choose. 'We pride ourselves on trying to make decisions that are good for players,' said Hefford. 'They have to be good for the league and the business, but then also think about the players' interests.' Advertisement For general managers, the expansion draft will upend the rosters they've constructed from Day 1, with unenviable decisions to be made in the coming days. In Boston, will Danielle Marmer protect captain Hilary Knight and leave first-round pick Hannah Bilka exposed? (Assuming goalie Aerin Frankel and defender Megan Keller are locks.) Or will she risk losing a future Hockey Hall of Fame forward in favor of keeping a younger player? The Frost, with three No. 1 caliber defenders and the top offense in the league, are primed to lose difference-makers no matter who they protect. 'There are going to be four big vacancies wherever they come on our roster,' Frost general manager Melissa Caruso told The Athletic. 'But I think we have to think about the bigger picture and how great it is that the league is expanding.' Ottawa general manager Mike Hirshfeld is also taking the looming changes in stride. 'I think we're all a little sad,' he said. 'But, more fans are gonna get to see women's hockey. There's 46 new jobs on the way because of it. What a great moment that we are growing and that we are successful.'
Economic Times
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Economic Times
Minnesota Frost beats Ottawa Charge in OT for second consecutive PWHL title, Liz Schepers nets historic game-winner
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Minnesota Frost clinched their second consecutive Professional Women's Hockey League ( PWHL ) championship with a 2–1 overtime victory over the Ottawa Charge in Game 4 of the finals on Monday night(May 26). This win secured the best-of-five series 3–1, making the Frost the only team to have won the Walter Cup since the league's Professional Women's Hockey League's Walter Cup belongs to the Minnesota Frost for the second straight decisive goal came 12 minutes into overtime, when Minnesota forward Liz Schepers , a native of Mound, Minnesota, scored from close range. This marked the third consecutive game in the series that extended into in the game, Kelly Pannek broke the scoreless tie midway through the second period, redirecting a pass from defender Claire Thompson into the net. Ottawa equalized late in the same period with a power-play goal from Emily on both sides delivered strong performances. Minnesota's Maddie Rooney made 35 saves, while Ottawa's Gwyneth Philips stopped 36 shots. Despite the loss, Philips was named the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP , boasting a 1.15 goals-against average and a .954 save percentage over eight playoff Frost's path to the championship was marked by resilience. They entered the playoffs as the fourth seed, edging out the Boston Fleet based on regulation wins. Minnesota defeated the Toronto Sceptres three games to one in the semifinals, while Ottawa overcame the Montreal Victoire by the same this victory, the Minnesota Frost have solidified their status as a dominant force in the PWHL, capturing back-to-back titles in the league's first two seasons.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Minnesota Frost beats Ottawa Charge in OT for second consecutive PWHL title, Liz Schepers nets historic game-winner
The Minnesota Frost clinched their second consecutive Professional Women's Hockey League ( PWHL ) championship with a 2–1 overtime victory over the Ottawa Charge in Game 4 of the finals on Monday night(May 26). This win secured the best-of-five series 3–1, making the Frost the only team to have won the Walter Cup since the league's inception. The Professional Women's Hockey League's Walter Cup belongs to the Minnesota Frost for the second straight year. The decisive goal came 12 minutes into overtime, when Minnesota forward Liz Schepers , a native of Mound, Minnesota, scored from close range. This marked the third consecutive game in the series that extended into overtime. Earlier in the game, Kelly Pannek broke the scoreless tie midway through the second period, redirecting a pass from defender Claire Thompson into the net. Ottawa equalized late in the same period with a power-play goal from Emily Clark. Live Events Goaltenders on both sides delivered strong performances. Minnesota's Maddie Rooney made 35 saves, while Ottawa's Gwyneth Philips stopped 36 shots. Despite the loss, Philips was named the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP , boasting a 1.15 goals-against average and a .954 save percentage over eight playoff games. The Frost's path to the championship was marked by resilience. They entered the playoffs as the fourth seed, edging out the Boston Fleet based on regulation wins. Minnesota defeated the Toronto Sceptres three games to one in the semifinals, while Ottawa overcame the Montreal Victoire by the same margin. With this victory, the Minnesota Frost have solidified their status as a dominant force in the PWHL, capturing back-to-back titles in the league's first two seasons.
