Latest news with #MeganKeller
New York Times
6 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Hilary Knight signs with PWHL Seattle after going unprotected in expansion
One day after being left unprotected for PWHL expansion, Hilary Knight has signed with the league's new Seattle franchise. The league, which launched in January 2024 with six teams, is adding two franchises in Seattle and Vancouver. PWHL expansion rules allow unprotected players and free agents to negotiate with either of the new teams during a five-day window that opened Wednesday morning. Advertisement As expected, the Boston Fleet protected star goalie Aerin Frankel and No. 1 defender Megan Keller ahead of Tuesday's deadline. But the team opted to protect 27-year-old forward Alina Müller in a surprising move that left Knight, the team's captain, exposed. Knight will turn 36 this summer and she's already announced that the 2026 Milan Olympics will be her fifth and final trip to the Games. She's also said she plans to continue playing in the PWHL. IT'S KNIGHT TIME, SEATTLE! 😎 2025 PWHL Points co-leader, four-time Olympic Gold Medalist and ten-time World Champion Hilary Knight has signed a one-year Standard Player Agreement.📰 — PWHL Seattle (@PWHL__Seattle) June 5, 2025 Still, if Boston general manager Danielle Marmer were to protect Knight, she'd run the risk of losing three top forwards in short order — Müller and rookie forward Hannah Bilka to expansion, and Knight to retirement. Protecting Müller — even if it likely means losing Knight — ensures the team keeps at least one of its core forwards for more than a few years. For Seattle, however, making one of the greatest women's hockey players of all-time the team's first signing is an easy win. Especially considering Knight is an all-time great who is still a high-end player. 'Signing Hilary Knight was an absolute no-brainer,' said PWHL Seattle general manager Meghan Turner in a press release. 'Her proven leadership and drive, the way she elevates everyone around her, those are qualities you can't teach. 'Hilary's not just a game-changer on the ice, she's the kind of person who defines a culture, and we're incredibly proud to have her as the first-ever player to join PWHL Seattle.' Knight was one of the best players in the PWHL in 2024-25, with a league leading 29 points in 30 games. Knight finished second in goals (15), behind only Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin, and was named a finalist for league MVP and Forward of the Year. Advertisement She was also (once again) among the top scorers at women's world championships in April, where she won her record 10th gold medal with Team USA. Off the ice, very few have anything close to the cachet that Knight has in women's hockey, particularly in an American market. As a cornerstone player in Seattle – and perhaps captain – she should undoubtedly help grow the fan base and market swiftly, much like her star counterparts in soccer (Megan Rapinoe) and basketball (Sue Bird) have done. Turner, who spent the first two seasons as Boston's assistant general manager, is obviously familiar with Knight, and the kind leadership and experience she can add to a brand-new franchise. Signing in Seattle also offers Knight – who is from Sun Valley, Idaho – a chance to be closer to family. 'I'm incredibly proud to be part of bringing professional women's hockey to the Pacific Northwest,' said Knight. 'Seattle holds a special place in my heart, and I'm beyond excited to join PWHL Seattle in such a storied sports city. I'm grateful to Meghan Turner for believing in me and bringing me on board as part of this new chapter.' The PWHL's Seattle team will debut in the fall of 2025 and will play Climate Pledge Arena, home of the NHL's Seattle Kraken.
Vancouver Sun
03-06-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Fleet's Hilary Knight, Sceptres' Natalie Spooner highlight list of unprotected PWHL players
Several stars could be on the move as the Professional Women's Hockey League's new franchises start building their rosters this week. The league's six original teams released their lists of protected players Tuesday. The Boston Fleet are keeping goalie Aerin Frankel, defender Megan Keller and forward Alina Muller, while the championship-winging Minnesota Frost will hang on to forwards Kendall Coyne Schofield and Taylor Heise, and defender Lee Stecklein. The Montreal Victoire protected goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens, captain Marie-Philip Poulin and forward Laura Stacey, and the New York Sirens went with standout rookie Sarah Fillier, and defenders Ella Shelton and Micah Zandee-Hart. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. After making their first appearance in the PWHL final, the Ottawa Charge are hanging onto forward Emily Clark, first-year goalie Gwyneth Philips and defender Ronja Savolainen, while the Toronto Sceptres have protected defender Renata Fast, and forwards Blayre Turnbull and Daryl Watts. Just as revealing are the players that weren't included and are available for Vancouver and Seattle to sign this week or select in Monday's expansion draft. Here are some of the top players up for grabs. HILARY KNIGHT: Perhaps the most surprising name on the list of eligible players, the Boston Fleet captain is coming off a 2024-25 campaign where she tied for the league lead in scoring with 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists). The 35-year-old Knight is up for the Billie Jean King award as the PWHL's most-valuable player and has a long history on the international stage, including a gold medal with the United States at the 2025 women's world championships in April. CLAIRE THOMPSON: The Minnesota Frost had tough decisions to make after winning back-to-back Walter Cup titles, and opted to leave the 27-year-old defender exposed. Thompson put up four goals and 14 assists in her rookie season this year, and is a finalist for the PWHL defender of the year award. She also has history with Vancouver's new general manager, Cara Gardner Morey, having played for her at Princeton. ERIN AMBROSE: The veteran Canadian defender is a prime pick for expansion teams looking for both leadership and a stalwart presence on their blue line. Ambrose helped the Montreal Victoire finish the regular season atop the PWHL standings with 13 assists in 28 games. The 31-year-old from Keswick, Ont., has also been a key piece of Canada's women's squad, and won Olympic gold at the 2022 Beijing Games. ALEX CARPENTER: Over two seasons with the New York Sirens, Carpenter has emerged as an offensive specialist. The 31-year-old American notched 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) last season and was among the league's top-10 goal scorers. With ample experience on the international scene, Carpenter's presence would be missed by the Sirens. EMERANCE MASCHMEYER: A leg injury took the goalie out of Ottawa's lineup in mid-March and the Charge protected rookie netminder Philips after she backstopped the team to a nail-bitter overtime loss in the deciding game of the PWHL final. The 30-year-old Maschmeyer has big-game experience, helping Canada to gold at the 2022 Olympics. She's also coming off a season where she posted a 6-7-2-0 record with a .913 save percentage, a 2.58 goals-against average and two shutouts. NATALIE SPOONER: Spooner was named league MVP after the PWHL's inaugural season. The Toronto Sceptres forward spent much of the season rehabbing from knee surgery and played just 14 games in 2024-25, contributing five points (three goals two assists). A two-time gold medallist for Canada, the 34-year-old Spooner would add skill, experience and leadership to any expansion team. CANADIAN CONTENT: A number of the Canadians who won silver at the women's world championship in April are available to the expansion squads. Forwards up for grabs include Jenn Gardiner (Montreal Victoire), Julia Gosling (Toronto Sceptres), Brianne Jenner (Ottawa Charge), Emma Maltais (Toronto Sceptres), Sarah Nurse (Toronto Sceptres), Kristin O'Neill (Montreal Victoire), Jamie Lee Rattray (Boston Fleet) and Danielle Serdachny (Ottawa Charge). Vancouver and Seattle could also bring in defenders Sophie Jacques (Minnesota Frost) and Jocelyne Larocque (Ottawa Charge), and goalie Kristen Campbell (Toronto Sceptres). Vancouver and Seattle can sign players during an exclusive signing window between Tuesday and next Monday. An expansion draft will take place on Tuesday, followed by a league-wide entry draft on June 24.
New York Times
13-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
USA defeats Canada in IIHF Women's World Championship prelim matchup: Takeaways
ČESKÉ BUDĚJOVICE, Czechia – Team USA defeated Team Canada 2-1 in their preliminary round matchup at the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship on Sunday night. U.S. defender Lee Stecklein opened the scoring midway through the first period with a point shot through traffic that beat Ann-Renée Desbiens. Megan Keller doubled the lead in the second period after finishing an end-to-end chance, which would ultimately be the game-winner. Open ice, a nifty move and a rip from the slot.💪 Textbook from Megan Keller to put Team USA up 2-0! #WomensWorlds — USA Hockey (@usahockey) April 13, 2025 U.S. starter Aerin Frankel saved 18 of the 19 of the shots she faced for the win. Here's some key takeaways from the game. Stecklein was arguably the highlight of the U.S. roster when it was announced last month. The six-time world champion hadn't played for Team USA since the 2023 World Championships in Brampton, Ont., after which she took time off from the U.S. women's national team. Since then, Stecklein had remained one of the very best defenders in the world for the Minnesota Frost in the Professional Women's Hockey League and won the league's first-ever Walter Cup championship in 2024. Advertisement She scored in Team USA's opening game against Finland on Wednesday, and emotional in the locker room when she was given the team's 'player of the game robe.' 'I'm just really happy to be back with you all,' she said in the clip shared by USA Hockey.' Big win and a fresh player of the game robe! 👏 to Lee Stecklein#WomensWorlds — USA Hockey (@usahockey) April 9, 2025 Canada struggled to generate much offense early in the game, with only six shots on goal — half of the U.S. shot generation (12) — in the first period. The American forecheck, and defenders, made it difficult for Canada to set up deep in the American zone and sustain any significant offensive zone time. After the first period, Brianne Jenner was succinct when asked what they needed to do in the second period, saying 'generate more offense.' That was a work in progress in the second and third periods. Canada finally got on the board with Laura Stacey's breakaway goal in the third period. And the Canadians had some good chances late in the game to force overtime, but couldn't beat Frankel for a second time. .@LauraStacey7 on the breakaway. 💪 Stacey en échappée. 💪#WomensWorlds | #MondialFé — Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) April 13, 2025 It's notable to see the U.S. come out with such a strong forecheck after head coach John Wroblewski specifically called out Canada's after losing in last year's gold medal game. 'Canada was unbelievable in the trenches tonight,' he said. 'They did an amazing job winning wall battles. I thought their defense made life extremely difficult on our young forwards.' It's clear to see that beefing up their own work 'in the trenches' was a focus for Team USA heading into the tournament. And on Sunday, it worked. Advertisement One odd lineup decision was announced in the hours before the game: Kirsten Simms, one of the top young American forwards, would be a healthy scratch. The 20-year-old winger was second in scoring in the NCAA last season and was the hero in the championship game for the Wisconsin Badgers, scoring on a penalty shot to tie the game with 18 seconds left, and then notching the game-winner in overtime. She's one of the future faces of the American women's national team, and scored the game-winner against Canada at last year's preliminary round game. Beyond Simms' recent accomplishments, benching one of the top young players in the country is quite the departure from what we've seen from Wroblewski, who had been touted for the youth movement he brought to team USA when he was hired in June 2022. In her first two games at worlds, Simms was on the fourth line with Britta Curl and Hayley Scamurra, and only played around 12 and nine minutes in each contest. Still, she managed to tally two assists before being taken out of the lineup. With Simms' usage paired with Laila Edwards' move from an MVP forward to the blue line, it's fair to wonder where young American players' confidence might be as the tournament continues — and looking ahead to Milan 2026. This year's Canada-USA game is unique in that it's not the final game of group play. Typically, rivalry night serves as a finale before the playoff rounds, but after today both teams will have one more preliminary-round game to play before the quarterfinals. On Monday, Canada will play the tournament hosts, Czechia, at 1 p.m. ET. On Tuesday, Team USA will play Switzerland at 1 p.m. Quarterfinal games will take place on Thursday, April 17, followed by the semifinals on Saturday, April 19. The bronze medal game will be on Sunday, April 20 at 8 a.m., followed by the gold medal game at noon.
Boston Globe
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
The US-Canada rivalry will be renewed at the 2025 women's ice hockey world championships. Here's what to know.
The Americans have prevailed in five of the past eight tournaments, including in 2019, when The United States and Canada also are the only teams to have won Olympic gold in women's ice hockey since the sport was added to the Games in 1998. The frequency of their meetings have created a fierce rivalry deepened by the advent of the PWHL. The small size of the league has allowed elite players from both sides of the border to compete with and against their international rivals more frequently than ever. Advertisement This year's championship is the last major international tournament before the 2026 Milan Olympics. The Olympic field is already set, so this year's worlds won't factor into qualification. The top six teams from the 2024 IIHF world rankings and Italy, the Olympic host nation, qualified automatically, while Japan, Sweden, and Germany earned spots via tournament play. Still, the world championships are a prime opportunity for teams to evaluate the state of their rosters. Advertisement Here's everything you need to know about the IIHF Women's World Championships. Format and dates The tournament begins Wednesday and runs through April 20. The 10 competing teams are split into two groups. Group A features Canada, Czechia, Finland, Switzerland, and the United States; while Group B is Germany, Hungary, Japan, Norway, and Sweden. Each team will play four preliminary-round games during the first week of the tournament, one each against all other teams in its group. Quarterfinal games will take place on April 17, followed by the semifinals on April 19. The bronze medal game will be played on April 20 (8 a.m. EDT), followed by the gold medal game at noon. All games will be broadcast on NHL Network in the United States and TSN in Canada. The IIHF also launched its own web stream that has 'global access to all IIHF tournaments,' though some restrictions may apply due to media rights agreements. Introducing 🎥 600+ games per season live, game highlights, exclusive content 🌍 Global access to all IIHF tournaments 🚀 Launching April 7 with live action from upcoming Women's tournaments 💻… — IIHF (@IIHFHockey) Here's the schedule for Team USA's preliminary-round games. All times are listed in Eastern Daylight Time. Wednesday, April 9: USA vs. Finland, 9 a.m. Friday, April 11: USA vs. Czechia, 1 p.m. Sunday, April 13: USA vs. Canada, 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 15: USA vs. Switzerland, 1 p.m. Team USA roster The United States roster is packed with New England talent, including Fleet players, college alumnae, and natives. Fleet players on Team USA's roster include goaltender Aerin Frankel (Northeastern), defender Megan Keller (Boston College), and Hilary Knight . Other New Englanders include goaltender Gwyneth Philips (Northeastern); defenders Cayla Barnes (New Hampton School/BC) and Caroline Harvey (Salem, N.H.); and forwards Hayley Scamurra (Northeastern), Jesse Compher (Boston University), Alex Carpenter (Governor's Academy/BC), and Kendall Coyne Schofield (Berkshire School/Northeastern). Advertisement Doug Ferry , Team USA's manager for hockey operations and events, hails from Warwick, R.I. Team USA head athletic trainer Amanda Kelley works for the Fleet. Fleet players on international rosters Across the PWHL, 57 players and 15 staff members are set to represent their countries at worlds. In addition to the three Fleet players on Team USA, the team landed five players on international rosters: Susanna Tapani (Finland), Daniela Pejšová (Czechia), Klára Peslarová (Czechia), Alina Müller (Switzerland), and Emma Söderberg (Sweden). Emma can be reached at
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
All Fantasy Hockey Card Updates Through Feb. 23
Back again with another NHL 25 Fantasy Hockey Card update, today we have 4 Nations Face-Off and PWHL upgrades. Megan Keller is now up to 98 overall and is the third highest rated player in HUT. Hannah Miller is tied with Jason Zucker as the fourth highest rated card. Gabbie Hughes is up to 91 overall. The 4 Nations Face-Off Fantasy Cards were somewhat underwhelming, with only Jake Guentzel making a big leap, his card is up to 93 overall after he scored three goals at the tournament. Mitch Marner is up to 91 after scoring the overtime winner against Sweden. Elias Pettersson and Patrik Laine both went scoreless in the 4 Nations, leaving their cards at 90 overall. With the NHL back to its regularly scheduled programming there will be lots of Fantasy updates on Tuesday. Follow iHaller on X for more Fantasy Hockey updates. For more NHL 25 news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed. For gaming discussion check out our forum.
