Connecticut Whale (NWHL)
| Connecticut Whale | |
|---|---|
 2016–17 Connecticut Whale season | |
 | |
| City | North Branford, Connecticut |
| League | National Women's Hockey League |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Home arena | Northford Ice Pavilion |
| Colors |
Blue, Green, White |
| Owner(s) | NWHL |
| General manager | Lisa Giovanelli |
| Head coach | Heather Linstad |
| Captain | Jessica Koizumi |
| Media |
The Collinsville Press NWHL Cross Ice Pass (on YouTube) |
| Website | Official Website |
The Connecticut Whale is a professional women's ice hockey team based in North Branford, Connecticut. It is one of the four charter franchises of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL). It is named in honor of the defunct NHL Hartford Whalers.
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,[1] while Jake Mastel and Ashley Parker coached the team. The team is named the "Connecticut Whale" and is not associated with the CT Whale, the name used by the American Hockey League team now known as the Hartford Wolf Pack for three seasons.
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. [2]
The team made its debut in 2015. The first game in NWHL history was a sell out on October 11, 2015 between the New York Riveters and Connecticut Whale.[3] 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.
Jessica Koizumi was named first team captain in franchise history.[4]
Prior to the team's second season, the Whale moved to the Northford Ice Pavilion in North Branford, Connecticut.[5]
During home games, the Whale plays Brass Bonanza after goals, to honor the same practice done by the Hartford Whalers.
Team
Current Roster
| # | Nat | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 |  |
Babstock, KellyKelly Babstock | F | L | 24 | 2015 | Mississauga, Ontario |
| 10 |  |
Berman, LindsayLindsay Berman | D | L | 28 | 2015 | Odenton, Maryland |
| 26 | |
Brickner, JordanJordan Brickner | D | L | 26 | 2015 | Lake Forest, Illinois |
| 19 | |
Dougherty, BrittanyBrittany Dougherty | F | L | 25 | 2015 | Chesterfield, Michigan |
| 6 | |
Doyle, ShannonShannon Doyle | D | R | 24 | 2015 | Baldwin, Ontario |
| 9 | |
Engstrom, MollyMolly Engstrom | D | R | 33 | 2015 | Siren, Wisconsin |
| 28 | |
Faber, SamSam Faber | F | R | 29 | 2015 | Mount Sinai, New York |
| 56 | |
Koizumi, JessicaJessica Koizumi (C) | F | L | 31 | 2015 | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| 78 | |
Laden, ChelseaChelsea Laden | G | L | 26 | 2015 | Lakeville, Minnesota |
| 16 | |
Long, MicaelaMicaela Long | F | L | 2015 | South Boston, Massachusetts | |
| 17 |  |
Smolentseva, YekaterinaYekaterina Smolentseva | F | L | 35 | 2015 | Yekaterinburg, Russia |
| 61 | |
Stack, KelliKelli Stack | F | R | 28 | 2015 | Brooklyn Heights, Ohio |
| 24 | |
Stock, NicoleNicole Stock | G | R | 2015 | Buffalo Grove, Illinois | |
| 22 | |
Ward, DanielleDanielle Ward | F | R | 27 | 2015 | Lansing, Michigan |
| 88 | |
Wohlfeiler, AlyssaAlyssa Wohlfeiler | F | R | 27 | 2015 | Saugus, California |
Draft history
Hannah Brandt from the Univ. of Minnesota program became the first player in franchise history to be selected in the inaugural 2015 NWHL Draft.[8] Raised in the state capital of Albany, New York, Picard was also the first defenseman selected in NWHL Draft history.
NWHL Draft
The following were the Whale's selections in the 2015 NWHL Draft on June 20, 2015.
| # | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
| 2 | Hannah Brandt | Forward | United States | Univ of Minnesota |
| 6 | Michelle Picard | Defense | United States | Harvard Univ |
| 10 | Milica McMillen | Defense | United States | Univ of Minnesota |
| 14 | Maryanne Menefee | Forward | United States | Univ of Minnesota |
| 18 | Cassandra Poudrier | Defense | Canada | Cornell |
Franchise milestones
- See also: List of Connecticut Whale records
| Milestone | Player | Date |
| First goal | Jessica Koizumi | October 11, 2015 |
| First multi-point game | Kelli Stack | October 11, 2015 |
| First win | Jaimie Leonoff | October 11, 2015 |
References
- ↑ http://nwhl.co/pro-hockey-returns-to-connecticut/
- ↑ "Whale signs Kaleigh Fratkin, First Canadian in the NWHL". NWHL.co. 2015-07-01. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
- ↑ http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/nwhl-sells-out-inaugural-game-manon-rheaume-to-drop-ceremonial-puck-in-buffalo/
- ↑ http://nwhl.co/whale-names-koizumi-captain-and-fratkin-assistant-captain/
- ↑ "Whale Moves to Northford Ice Pavilion for Second Season". OurSports Central. May 5, 2016.
- ↑ "Whale Roster | NWHL". NWHL.
- ↑ "Eliteprospects.com - Connecticut Whale". Elite Prospects.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
External Links
Sports teams based in Connecticut | ||
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| Baseball |  | |
| Basketball | ||
| Football | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| Soccer | ||
| Roller derby | ||
| Rugby union | ||
| Softball | ||
| College athletics (NCAA Div. I) | ||