Connecticut Whale (PHF)
The Connecticut Whale are a professional ice hockey team based in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). They play 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; renamed PHF in 2021). Their name and colors pay homage to the Hartford Whalers, a former NHL and WHA franchise based in Connecticut.
| Connecticut Whale | |
|---|---|
| City | Simsbury, Connecticut |
| League | Premier Hockey Federation |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Home arena | International Skating Center of Connecticut[1] |
| Colors | White, blue, green |
| Owner(s) | Shared Hockey Enterprises (SHE), LLC |
| General manager | Alexis Moed[2] |
| Head coach | Colton Orr |
| Captain | Shannon Turner |
| Media | ESPN+ The Collinsville Press[citation needed] |
| Website | Official website |
| Current season | |
History
For their first season, the Whale played home games in Stamford, Connecticut at Chelsea Piers. Chris Ardito was hired as the first general manager in franchise history,[3] while Jake Mastel and Lisa Giovanelli coached the team. The team is the second professional hockey team to bear the Connecticut Whale name, following the American Hockey League team previously and currently known as the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Among their off-season acquisitions, the Whale signed Kaleigh Fratkin to a contract on July 1, 2015. She was the first Canadian player to sign a contract in the NWHL.[4]
The team made its debut in the 2015–16 season. Jessica Koizumi was named first team captain in franchise history.[5] The first game in NWHL history was a sell out on October 11, 2015 between the New York Riveters and Connecticut Whale.[6] The Whale prevailed by a 4–1 tally as Jessica Koizumi scored the first goal in both franchise and NWHL history. In the same game, Kelli Stack had one goal and two assists, becoming the first player to record a multi-point performance. Whale goaltender Jaimie Leonoff was credited the win, capturing the game's First Star. Stack was recognized as the Second Star, and Kelly Babstock, who became the first Canadian-born player to score a goal in an NWHL regular season game, was acknowledged as the Third Star.
The Whale won their first three games in franchise history with three different goalies. In the first game, the Whale prevailed with Jaimie Leonoff, while former Quinnipiac goaltender Chelsea Laden captured the second win, and Nicole Stock played her first game in over five years to capture the third win on the road against the New York Riveters.
Prior to the team's second season, the Whale moved to the Northford Ice Pavilion in Northford, Connecticut.[7] This lasted one season as the Whale moved to the Terry Conners Ice Rink at Cove Island Park in Stamford, Connecticut, for the 2017–18 season.[8]
On August 20, 2018, the Whale named active player Cydney Roesler an assistant coach for the 2018–19 season making her the first player-coach in franchise history.[9]
After two seasons at Terry Conners Ice Rink, the Whale moved again to the larger Danbury Ice Arena in Danbury, Connecticut.[10] Former NHL enforcer Colton Orr was named as head coach for the 2019–20 season.[11] The team was eliminated in the semifinal game by the Boston Pride, the eventual league titlist, prior to the championship being cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following season was then delayed amidst the capacity and travel restrictions during the pandemic. The 2020–21 season eventually started on January 23, 2021, with the entire season to be played at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, New York, without fans in attendance and teams kept in isolation. However, the Metropolitan Riveters were forced to withdraw from the two-week season on January 28 after several members of the organization tested positive for COVID-19.[12] The schedule was then adjusted to have the top three teams at the time play a round-robin tournament to determine playoff seeding with the Whale as the second seed. Connecticut then lost to the expansion Toronto Six 0–6 on January 31. The next day, the team forfeited their final game to the Minnesota Whitecaps and withdrew from the playoffs[13] citing concerns with increased positive cases within the bubble and protecting their players from the virus.[14] Two days later, the league suspended the season before the playoffs could commence due to several more positive tests throughout the league.[15] The league then re-scheduled the playoffs to be held at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton, Massachusetts, with the Whale re-entered as the third seed to face the Minnesota Whitecaps, who they would have faced regardless of the outcome of the game the Whale withdrew from in Lake Placid, in a semifinal game.[16] The Whale then lost to the Whitecaps 7–0 in the semifinal game.
On May 10, 2021, the league announced it had sold the Whale to a new independent ownership group called Shared Hockey Enterprises (SHE), LLC, led by Tobin Kelly, reducing the league operated teams to three.[17][18]
Season-by-season records
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts[a] | GF | GA | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 61 | 51 | Lost Isobel Cup Semifinal series to Buffalo Beauts |
| 2016–17 | 18 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 60 | 77 | Lost Isobel Cup Semifinal to Boston Pride |
| 2017–18 | 16 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 26 | 55 | Lost Isobel Cup Semifinal to Metropolitan Riveters |
| 2018–19 | 16 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 22 | 64 | Lost play-in game to Metropolitan Riveters |
| 2019–20 | 24 | 2 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 39 | 100 | Lost Isobel Cup Semifinal to Boston Pride |
| 2020–21 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 12 | Lost Isobel Cup Semifinal to Minnesota Whitecaps |
| 2021–22 | 20 | 15 | 3 | 2 | — | 47 | 74 | 44 | Lost Isobel Cup Final to Boston Pride |
Team
Current roster
Coaching staff and team personnel
- Head coach: Colton Orr
- Assistant coach: Jeff Devenney
- Assistant coach: Sue Merz
- Consulting coach: Jack Han
- Athletic trainer: Hailey Rock[22]
Team captains
- Jessica Koizumi, 2015–16
- Molly Engstrom, 2016
- Kelli Stack, 2017
- Sam Faber, 2017–18
- Emily Fluke, 2018–19
- Shannon Turner, 2019–present
Alternate captains
- Kaleigh Fratkin, 2015–16
- Kelli Stack, 2016
- Kelly Babstock, 2016–17
- Juana Baribeau, 2017–2019
- Shannon Turner, 2017–2019
- Jordan Brickner, 2019–20
- Elena Orlando, 2019–2021
- Emma Vlasic, 2020–present
- Janine Weber, 2020–present
- Kaycie Anderson, 2021–22
- Alyssa Wohlfeiler, 2021–present
- Kennedy Marchment, 2022–present
Head coaches
- Jake Mastel, 2015
- Heather Linstad, 2015–2017
- Ryan Equale, 2018–2019
- Colton Orr, 2019–present
General managers
- Chris Ardito, 2015–2016
- Lisa Giovanelli, 2016–2017
- Bray Ketchum, 2019–2020[23]
- Amy Scheer, 2020–21[24]
- Alexis Moed, 2021–present[2]
Draft history
Hannah Brandt from the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey program became the first player in franchise history to be selected in the inaugural 2015 NWHL Draft.[25] Michelle Picard was the first defenseman selected in NWHL Draft history.
2015 NWHL Draft
The following were the Whale's selections in the 2015 NWHL Draft on June 20, 2015.[25]
| Pick # | Nat | Player | Pos | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Hannah Brandt | F | University of Minnesota (Golden Gophers) | |
| 6 | Michelle Picard | D | Harvard University (Crimson) | |
| 10 | Milica McMillen | D | University of Minnesota (Golden Gophers) | |
| 14 | Maryanne Menefee | F | University of Minnesota (Golden Gophers) | |
| 18 | Cassandra Poudrier | D | Cornell University (Big Red) |
2016 NWHL Draft
The following were the Whale's selections in the 2016 NWHL Draft on June 18, 2016.[26]
| Pick # | Nat | Player | Pos | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Dani Cameranesi | F | University of Minnesota (Golden Gophers) | |
| 7 | Andie Anastos | F | Boston College (Eagles) | |
| 11 | Melissa Channell | D | University of Wisconsin (Badgers) | |
| 15 | Paige Savage | F | Northeastern University (Huskies) | |
| 19 | Sydney Rossman | G | Quinnipiac University (Bobcats) |
2017 NWHL Draft
The following were the Whale's selections in the 2017 NWHL Draft on August 17, 2017.[27]
| Pick # | Nat | Player | Pos | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Sam Donovan | F | Brown University (Bears) | |
| 9 | Eden Murray | F | Yale University (Bulldogs) | |
| 13 | Denisa Křížová | F | Northeastern University (Huskies) | |
| 17 | Nina Rodgers | F | Boston University (Terriers) |
2018 NWHL Draft
The following were the Whale's selections in the 2018 NWHL Draft on December 19 and 20, 2018.
| Pick # | Nat | Player | Pos | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Melissa Samoskevich | F | Quinnipiac University (Bobcats) | |
| 7 | Makenna Newkirk | F | Boston College (Eagles) | |
| 12 | Katelyn Rae | F | Merrimack College (Warriors) | |
| 17 | Dominique Kremer | D | Merrimack College (Warriors) | |
| 22 | Maggie LaGue | D | Robert Morris University (Colonials) |
2020 NWHL Draft
The following were the Whale's selections in the 2020 NWHL Draft on April 28 and 29, 2020. Connecticut held the Metropolitan Riveters fifth round pick (27th overall), as the future considerations from the trade of Maria Sorokina to the Riveters in 2019.
| Pick # | Nat | Player | Pos | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Kayla Friesen | F | Clarkson University (Golden Knights) | |
| 7 | Victoria Howran | D | University of New Hampshire (Wildcats) | |
| 13 | Savannah Rennie | F | Syracuse University (Orange) | |
| 19 | Amanda Conway | F | Norwich University (Cadets) | |
| 25 | Nicole Guagliardo | F | Adrian College (Bulldogs) | |
| 27 | Maddie Bishop | F | Sacred Heart University (Pioneers) |
2021 NWHL Draft
The following were the Whale's selections in the 2021 NWHL Draft on June 29, 2021.
| Pick # | Nat | Player | Pos | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taylor Girard | F | Quinnipiac University (Bobcats) | |
| 8 | Emma Polaski | F | Syracuse University (Orange) | |
| 20 | Hannah Bates | D | St. Cloud State University (Huskies) | |
| 26 | Grace Middleton | F | University of New Hampshire (Wildcats) |
Franchise milestones and statistics leaders
This section needs to be updated. (August 2019) |
As of the 2016-17 season:
| Milestone | Player | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First goal | Jessica Koizumi | October 11, 2015 |
| First multi-point game | Kelli Stack | October 11, 2015 |
| First win | Jaimie Leonoff | October 11, 2015 |
| Most points | Kelly Babstock | 45 points (23G, 22A) |
Awards and honors
- Grace Kleinbach, 2021 Foundation Award[28]
References
- ^ "Connecticut Whale Announce New Home Ice". Premier Hockey Federation (Press release). September 15, 2022. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
- ^ a b Bryant, Casey (June 23, 2021). "Connecticut Whale tap Alexis Moed as general manager". The Ice Garden. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- ^ "The Whale Brings Pro Hockey Back to the Nutmeg State". NWHL.co.
- ^ "Whale signs Kaleigh Fratkin, First Canadian in the NWHL". NWHL.co. July 1, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
- ^ Ciambra, Rob. "Whale Names Koizumi Captain and Fratkin Assistant Captain". NWHL.co.
- ^ Clinton, Jared (October 7, 2015). . The Hockey News. Archived from the original on October 8, 2015. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
- ^ "Whale Moves to Northford Ice Pavilion for Second Season". OurSports Central. May 5, 2016.
- ^ . OurSports Central. May 5, 2016. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ "Cydney Roesler Named Assistant Coach". NWHL.zone. August 20, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
- ^ "Danbury Arena the New Home of the Connecticut Whale". OurSports Central. July 8, 2019.
- ^ "NHL Veteran Colton Orr, NWHL Veteran Laura Brennan to Coach Connecticut Whale". OurSports Central. September 17, 2019.
- ^ "METROPOLITAN RIVETERS WITHDRAWN FROM NWHL SEASON". NWHL. January 28, 2021.
- ^ "The Connecticut Whale have withdrawn from Lake Placid". SB Nation. February 1, 2021.
- ^ @CTWhale_NWHL (February 3, 2021). "A statement from the Connecticut Whale" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Transcript: NWHL media availability on the suspension of the 2021 season". SB Nation. February 3, 2021.
- ^ "NWHL TO AWARD ISOBEL CUP IN MARCH 2021". NWHL. March 8, 2021.
- ^ "NWHL Announces Sale of the Connecticut Whale". OurSports Central. May 10, 2021.
- ^ "Connecticut Whale sold, bolstering women's hockey league". Greenwich Time. May 10, 2021.
- ^ Krotz, Paul (November 6, 2021). "PHF Announces Changes to Playing Regulations". PremierHockeyFederation.com. Premier Hockey Federation. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
- ^ "Connecticut Whale, 2022-23 PHF – Roster". Premier Hockey Federation. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ "Connecticut Whale, 2022-2023 Roster". Elite Prospects. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ "Athletic Trainer Hailey Rock Brings Olympic Experience to Whale". Premier Hockey Federation. October 24, 2022. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
- ^ "Connecticut Native Bray Ketchum Takes over the Whale as General Manager". OurSports Central. April 20, 2019.
- ^ "Amy Scheer Named GM of the Connecticut Whale". NWHL. August 20, 2020.
- ^ a b . Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
- ^ "First-round picks show how NWHL GMs view their teams". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ . nwhl.zone. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
- ^ Paul Krotz (April 28, 2021). "NWHL ANNOUNCES 2021 AWARD RECIPIENTS". NWHL. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
External links
- Official website