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12/12/2024
By; Marni Zinger
The Professional Women’s Hockey League is off to a terrific start in its second season as a professional league. All six teams have three games under their belt, with the defending Walter Cup champions, the Minnesota Frost sitting atop the league with seven points, winning two games in regulation and an overtime loss as Toronto Sceptres and Boston Fleet sit at the bottom of the standings, tied with three points each and both with a 1-2 record. The PWHL hosted a media availability for all six teams on Wed Dec 11, 2024, here's what they had to say about looking forward to home openers next week.
The New York Sirens (home arena is the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.), Sarah Fillier, (Sirens rookie forward) along with captain and veteran defender, Micah Zandee-Hart spoke about their excitement with the coming season.
Madeline Kenney from the New York Post engaged Sarah Fillier in a discussion about her upcoming home opener. She highlighted that Fillier's Princeton head coach mentioned that several teammates would be taking a train to the game, prompting her to reflect on how exciting it is to be so close to her college grounds.
In response, Sarah expressed her enthusiasm for the event, noting, “It's kind of a cool mix of both. But yeah, I think I'm super excited to get my Princeton teammates up to watch us, but I have a ton of friends and family coming down from Toronto to watch…it's been a huge group effort by my friends and family. And they've been just as much of a part of it as I've lived it…for them [to get] to see me play pro, in person will be really cool.”
Jolene Latimer with The Score asked Micah Zandee-Hart, who is native to Canada, about the biggest differences on the ice from last season to this one. Micah answered, “Just the games that you've played. I think just the confidence. When we started this league last year, we had some players who had gone a couple seasons where they maybe only played 20 games or maybe less than that. Depending if you're in the PWHPA, maybe you're in the PHF, maybe you're in college. We had some players that didn't have a ton of gameplay coming into a 24-game season, whereas this year we have girls from last year that played a full season, and then we have all the draft class that were coming from a season previous as well. So I think it just made the transition into gameplay a bit easier. There wasn't as much of an adjustment period leading to kind of the confidence you're seeing.
The Ottawa Charge (home arena is the TD Place Arena, in Ottawa, Ontario), Mannon McMahon (recent University of Minnesota-Duluth Women’s Hockey alumni and Charge rookie forward) and Ashton Bell (University of Minnesota-Duluth Women’s Hockey alumni and Charge veteran defender) spoke about the transition from collegiate level hockey to the pro level as well as the changes made by General Manager Hirshfeld to better their team.
Ian Kennedy for The Hockey News asked Mannon McMahon who is from Minn, about the biggest challenges going from the college ranks to the pro ranks. Mannon answered confidently, “Obviously the physicality is one piece that a lot of people talk about, but I think from my perspective, just the pace of the game, just like from my first practice, pucks are moving so quickly. Everyone on the ice is fast. So, in order to keep up with the pace, you need to play faster too.”
Tyler Kuehler for Daily Faceoff asked Ashton Bell about the activity and transactions the Charge made during the offseason and how its making the team better.
Ashton who is native to Canada, shared with joy, “Yeah, I think really well. I think we learned a lot about ourselves in the first three games. Obviously, we lost our first one to Montreal in a shootout, which was a really close game, and then getting our first win in our home opener was pretty special. And then our game at Canadian Tire. But I think we learned a lot about our group and where we need to grow, but it's definitely exciting with the group we do have and we think we could be very competitive this year, so we're excited.”
The Boston Fleet, who made the 2024 Walter Cup Finals alongside the Frost (home arena is Tsongas Center in Lowell, Mass) Hannah Bilka (the fourth overall draft pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft (Northeastern University alumni) and Aerin Frankel (Boston Fleet veteran goaltender) spoke about their playing styles and the impact this years draft class is having on the league.
Tyler Kuehler with Daily Faceoff asked Hannah Bilka, about the physical level of play in the league versus the collegiate level. Hannah answered, “Yeah, I think it's a bit of an adjustment, but you kind of learn ways to play your game by also balancing the physicality. I think [you] just kind of keep moving your feet and always having your head up, knowing the play, before you get the puck. So it's just little things that I think I'm learning every game and trying to get better at, but yeah, it's definitely, I think it makes the game overall more fun and competitive because people are playing with that extra edge.”
Madie Hricik with the Associated Press asked Aerin Frankel about this years draft class and the contribution they’re giving on the ice. Aerin answered, “There's just no nights off. Every team is so strong and so deep, especially offensively. Every team is pretty stacked with goal-scoring ability. So you kind of have to be ready every shift, every shot of the game for me. And, it's been fun though. It adds a challenge to the game playing against some of these young players with so much skill, [and] so much talent, and it makes the games a lot more fun. And we saw a lot of that last year, but obviously this year we didn't expand and we just brought in more talent. So it's just an even more concentrated pool of the best players in the world.”
The Toronto Sceptres, (home arena is the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario) Izzy Daniel (Sceptres rookie forward) and Renata Fast (Sceptres alternate captain) spoke about the upcoming season and how Izzy Daniel is making the transition from living in the United States to living in Canada.
PWHL PR asked Renata Fast about her second season in the PWHL and how it has been going for her so far. Fast answered, “It's been great. It's been awesome to be back. I think the group's been really enjoying it, we have a new space at our practice facility at Ford Performance Center. So that's been awesome to kind of get settled in with our group and, and have, a nice locker room, a nice space to enjoy each other. And then obviously being back at Coca-Cola and building off of playoffs and how incredible the fans were there. So, yeah, the first couple weeks of season two have been incredible.”
Mike Gantry of the Toronto Sun asked Izzy Daniel about adapting to a new country on and off the ice. Daniel answered, “I mean, it's definitely different. Canada is very similar to Minnesota in a lot of different ways, but just little things like the metric system or the temperature and stuff, that is new to me. The currency. It’s been really great. I'm living with Julia Gosling, so she's been a big help. She's my chauffeur, so she's helped a lot. And then everyone’s been super welcoming, and I felt really comfortable right off the bat. I feel like I'm kind of finally starting to open up and be myself, so that's a credit to my teammates. It's been a really great experience so far.”
The Montréal Victoire (home arena is Place Bell in Laval, Quebec) Cayla Barnes (Victoire rookie defender) and Ann-Renée Desbiens (Victoire veteran goaltender) spoke about the upcoming West Coast trip and Barnes spoke talked about the changes and differences of living in Quebec.
Ian Kennedy from The Hockey News asked Ann-Renée Desbiens, who along with Izzy Daniel and Aerin Frankel, also won the Patty Kazmaier award in 2017 about the upcoming four-game road trip to the West Coast. Desbiens answered excitedly, “For the potential of playing that way in the future, having a Western conference at some point, I think it's very exciting. You get a lot of the road games out at the same time so you don't have to pack your suitcase four times a month; you can kind of do it all at once. But obviously, very interesting cities. I've been fortunate enough to play in Seattle and Vancouver in the past, and the crowds have always been so supportive of women's hockey, so I can't wait to get back there being in Colorado and Denver for the first time is also going to be pretty exciting so yes it's going to be an adaptation. We'll definitely use that time to spend more quality time as a team, maybe do some team-building activities, explore, and enjoy your time as a team together.”
Mike Gantry from the Toronto Sun asked Cayla Barnes, who played Division 1 collegiate hockey in the States about how she’s adjusting to living in a new country and adapting to a new language. Barnes said candidly, “Honestly, the transition has been really smooth. I was a little nervous at first, just never knowing what to expect, but it's been amazing. Ever since I got here, the girls here and the staff here have been so welcoming and helpful with anything that I have needed. And honestly, we honestly have a really great group of girls here; We all get along, we're always laughing, [and] having a good time at the rink. It's been a really smooth transition, and honestly, I feel really honored to be around such a great group of women every day.”
The Minnesota Frost (home arena is the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn) Dominique Petrie (Frost rookie forward) along with, Michela Cava (Frost veteran forward) talked to the media about accolades given to Cava and Petrie’s notable start to her rookie season.
PWHL PR asked Michela Cava, who previously played for the Swedish Women’s Hockey League in Sweden, about her accomplishment as second PWHL star of the week and her own start to the season. Cava told PWHL PR, “Season going, we had really good games. Got six points on the road, and I thought our team played really well. Physical, fast, exactly what we needed to do to come back with the two wins. It was a pretty good week. A good week for us, just getting some recovery and now having some good practices again this week, so great.
PWHL PR talked to Dominique Petrie about her start to her professional career and how she’s been contributing with her three goals in three games. Petrie answered, “Yeah, I mean, it's been awesome. I think as you said, I don't really think I could have pictured this happening, but just really excited that it is. And I said it before, but I think a lot of it comes down to the players around me and the coaching staff behind me, just kind of instilling the confidence in myself and in my game to go out there night in and night out and to perform to the best of my ability. And then ultimately, just doing whatever I can to help the team win in our first three games.”
All six PWHL teams are on an International Break from Dec 9 until Dec 16. The PWHL will resume play on Dec 17 where the Charge will take on the Fleet at the Tsongas Center at 7 pm EST in Lowell, Mass. Few teams looking forward to their home openers and ready to jump back into action.
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