Latest news with #MeghanTurner
Reuters
3 days ago
- Sport
- Reuters
F Alex Carpenter signs with expansion Seattle
June 6 - PWHL Seattle signed forward Alex Carpenter to a one-year contract on Friday. Financial terms were not disclosed by the team for Carpenter, a silver medalist with the United States Olympic team in both 2014 and 2022. Carpenter, 31, recorded 43 points (19 goals, 24 assists) -- including 18 (five goals, 13 assists) on the power play -- in 50 games while playing the last two seasons with the New York Sirens. "Alex is a true competitor who brings intensity every time she steps on the ice," Seattle general manager Meghan Turner said. "She's an elite two-way player who has proven to be one of the best in the world for years, and she has the ability to take over a game at both ends of the ice. She's hungry to win and brings the kind of drive that sets the tone for a team. We're excited to have her join us as we build the foundation of our team." Carpenter is the fourth player to sign with PWHL Seattle ahead of its inaugural season, joining forwards Hilary Knight and Danielle Serdachny and defender Cayla Barnes. "I am very excited for the opportunity to be a part of PWHL Seattle in its inaugural season," Carpenter said. "Joining Seattle, a city known for its passionate sports fans, is something I'm truly looking forward to. I'm eager to build something special and bring a championship to Seattle." The Seattle franchise will play at Climate Pledge Arena, the home of the NHL's Kraken. --Field Level Media
Reuters
4 days ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Star F Hilary Knight signs with expansion Seattle franchise
June 5 - The expansion Seattle franchise of the Professional Women's Hockey League signed legendary forward Hilary Knight to a one-year contract on Wednesday. Knight was left exposed in the expansion draft by the Boston Fleet. Seattle and fellow expansion franchise Vancouver were given a five-day window from June 4-8 to sign a maximum of five players prior to the June 9 zxdraft. Knight, a four-time U.S. Olympian who recently announced her intention to play in the 2026 Games in Milan, tied for the PWHL lead of 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in the recently concluded season. It was her second season with the Fleet. "Signing Hilary Knight was an absolute no-brainer -- she's the heartbeat of any team she joins," Seattle general manager Meghan Turner said in a news 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, who turns 36 in July, has won one Olympic gold medal and three silvers. She had a regulation-time goal when the U.S. famously beat Canada in a shootout to win the 2018 gold medal in South Korea. In the 2022 Olympics, Knight had six goals and four assists. Overall, she has 12 goals and 15 assists in 22 Olympic contests. She also owns a record 15 medals (10 gold, five silver) at the Women's World Championships. The most recent gold came in April. "I'm incredibly proud to be part of bringing professional women's hockey to the Pacific Northwest," Knight said. "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. "To my teammates, the staff, and the fans of Boston --- thank you. The Fleet wasn't just a team, it was home. These past two seasons were some of the most meaningful of my career, and I'll carry those memories with me forever." Across all levels of U.S. national team play, Knight has 161 goals and 125 assists in 243 games. The longtime resident of Sun Valley, Idaho, was a college star at Wisconsin and helped the Badgers win two national championships. The Seattle franchise will play at Climate Pledge Arena, the home of the NHL's Kraken. --Field Level Media
Associated Press
30-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
PWHL's 2 newest GMs, Gardner Morey and Turner, eager to begin building expansion rosters next week
Cara Gardner Morey was so eager to begin building PWHL Vancouver's expansion roster, the now-former Princeton coach was already formulating a priority list of potential players she'd target before landing the general manager's job. 'I started thinking about it on the first phone call,' Gardner Morey said Friday during a Zoom session introducing her and fellow PWHL Seattle expansion team GM Meghan Turner. 'Watching all the games, you're like, 'Oooh, who would be great in this spot?'' Gardner Morey added. 'That's what's exciting about this position, right, is building your own team and this fantasy that you could almost choose anybody you want.' Acknowledging there are constraints built in, including the league's salary cap, Gardner Morey and Turner begin that process next week. It starts Wednesday with an exclusive four-day player signing period, when the two yet-to-be-named expansion teams can add up to five players. It will be followed with an expansion draft on June 9, in which Vancouver and Seattle will each have their first 12 players, with the remainder of the rosters filled out in the PWHL draft on June 24 followed by free agency. Each of the PWHL's six existing teams are initially allowed to protect three players, and can add a fourth to the list once they lose two in the two-phased expansion process. In limiting the number of protected players, the PWHL placed on emphasis on ensuring the expansion teams can be competitive from the start of the league's third season expected to open in November. And it will lead to some notable high-profile players making the move to the Pacific Northwest. 'I'm excited to build a team that can really compete and win a championship in Year 1,' said Turner, who spent the past two season as the Boston Fleet's assistant general manager. 'I think it's going to be an immense help,' she added of spending the past two seasons working under Fleet GM Danielle Marmer. 'I feel like I have a good sense of what it takes to succeed in this league. ... And then organizationally, I have the background of having helped Danielle build an organization from scratch.' Another bonus, stems from her previous job as a risk assessment consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. 'I think it really set me up well to be able to take on some of the transition out of consulting and into the sports industry,' she said. 'Just be comfortable knowing how to learn on the fly and build a team and build each project as kind of its own little organization.' Though new to the PWHL, Gardner Morey has followed the league closely over its first two seasons, while noting she's familiar with numerous players in having coached or faced them during her 14 years at Princeton, including the past eight as head coach. Two former Tigers are New York forward Sarah Fillier, the No. 1 pick in last year's draft, and Minnesota defenseman Claire Thompson, who enjoyed successful rookie seasons this year. Both expansion GMs have hit the ground running since being hired last week. Aside from building their rosters, both are in the process of a coaching search as well as building out their respective team's support staff. The two have previous playing experience at both college and previous women's pro ranks, with the 46-year-old Gardner Morey being a former teammate of PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford in the first iteration of the National Women's Hockey League. Both placed an emphasis on establishing strong leadership cultures, and building teams featuring both speed and strength in a league that has introduced checking to women's hockey. Gardner Morey also looked forward to build on the natural geographic rivalry between two expansion teams separated by a two-plus hour drive, and joined the league a week apart in April. 'Maybe there'll be some, I don't know, trash-talking here and there to make sure we get this rivalry going,' said Gardner Morey, who is married to former NFL Steelers receiver Sean Morey, a member of the 2005 Pittsburgh team which defeated Seattle in the Super Bowl. 'The more you stir up, the better it is for everybody.' ___ AP Women's Hockey:
CBC
22-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
PWHL hires Boston Fleet assistant GM Meghan Turner as GM of its Seattle expansion franchise
Boston Fleet assistant GM Meghan Turner is switching coasts after being hired as the PWHL Seattle expansion franchise's general manager and first employee, the league announced Wednesday. Turner spent the past two seasons working under Fleet GM Danielle Marmer, and earned an MBA during her college playing days at Quinnipiac. She went on to compete in the Canadian Women's Hockey League and the PWHL's precursor, PWHPA. Her first priorities will involve hiring coaching and support staffs, while also preparing for the PWHL's expansion exclusive signing period spanning June 4 to 8 and expansion draft on June 9. Turner's hiring fills one of the PWHL's two expansion team slots, with Vancouver's GM position still open. The six-team PWHL, in the midst of completing its second season, announced Vancouver and Seattle's additions in separate news conferences held a week apart late last month. "Meghan brings an extraordinary combination of hockey experience, strategic vision, and professionalism to PWHL Seattle," said Jayna Hefford, PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations. "During her time in Boston, Meghan distinguished herself as a big-picture thinker who quickly earned the respect of players and staff alike." The PWHL centrally controls all of its franchises and is responsible for hiring staff for each team. From Bedford, New Hampshire, Turner previously worked as a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, and remains an active member of the Army National Guard. Turner enjoyed a glimpse of Seattle's support for women's hockey in the Fleet's 3-2 shootout win over Montreal on Jan. 5 in a neutral site game played at the NHL Kraken's Climate Pledge Arena, which will also serve as the yet to be named PWHL team's home. The game was the PWHL's first of nine "Takeover Tour" games this season and attracted a crowd of 12,608. "I'm confident that we're stepping into an environment that is more than ready for women's hockey," Turner said. "I'm excited for the opportunity to build a team and an organization that reflects the passion of the city and the excellence of the league. We've got a lot of work to do and I'm ready to get started."
Reuters
21-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
PWHL Seattle names Meghan Turner GM
May 21 - PWHL Seattle announced the hiring of Meghan Turner to be the expansion franchise's first general manager. Turner has spent the past two seasons as an assistant general manager with the Boston Fleet, where she helped build the franchise's inaugural roster. The New Hampshire native played at Quinnipiac University before going on to play in the CWHL and the PWHPA. "Meghan brings an extraordinary combination of hockey experience, strategic vision, and professionalism to PWHL Seattle," PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Jayna Hefford said. "During her time in Boston, Meghan distinguished herself as a big-picture thinker who quickly earned the respect of players and staff alike. She's the ideal person to lead this exciting new chapter in Seattle." Turner has also worked as a consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers and serves in the Army National Guard. "I'm so honored to step into this role and have the opportunity to build a PWHL team in Seattle," she said in a statement. "From the excitement that we experienced at the Takeover Tour this past season to the established women's sports culture and the close relationship with the Kraken, I'm confident that we're stepping into an environment that is more than ready for women's hockey. The talent in this league is unmatched, and I'm excited for the opportunity to build a team and an organization that reflects the passion of the city and the excellence of the league. We've got a lot of work to do and I'm ready to get started." --Field Level Media
