Category Archives: USA Hockey News

Post #124 – 8/18/23 – Friday’s Sifters

Posted on August 18, 2023 by Grant Kimball Leave a comment

Little lobs of news and info from around the world of women’s college hockey and beyond

The Women’s College Hockey Pipeline…

Stay informed. Get educated. Become ‘HOCKEY-WISE’!

Your leading online resource for NCAA Women’s College Hockey

Latest From… The Women’s College Hockey Podcast – Episode #3B…

Episode #3A Part I – Is Now LIVE|The Recap

Friday’s Sifters

It’s been a busy week with lots of activity. Here is what’s happening in today’s Sifters edition.

-Lots of last minute coaching and staff hires to announce.

-USA Hockey and Hockey Canada are battling it out in their Under-18 and Collegiate Team 3-game series in Lake Placid.

-The IIHF Women’s Division 1A World Championships are set to begin (finally) in China

-The NCAA Women’s and Men’s rules committee makes a tweak to video review

-Leadership changes coming for the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA)

Let’ get to it!

Coaching/Staff News

Staff news to announce at… Amherst, Augsburg, Franklin Pierce, Keene State, King’s College, Merrimack, Middlebury, MN-Duluth, UNH, Penn St. x 2, RPI, St. Cloud, Syracuse, and Vermont

August is usually a busy month for hiring announcements due to university budgets opening up for the new academic year. There seems to be about a 50/50 split between hiring announcements vs. open positions needed to be filled.

Here’s what I have this week… In the NCAA and on the Professional side

In The NCAA

Amherst College and Head Coach Jeff Mathews has announced the hiring of Kaylain Kelly as an Assistant Coach. Kelly is a graduate and former captain of Worcester State.

Augsburg College and Head Coach Michelle McAteer has announced that former Wisconsin-Stevens Point Nicole Neuberger will be the new Graduate Fellow Assistant Coach.

Franklin Pierce has announced it is hiring for a Graduate Assistant Coach position.

Keene State College, a new D-III program starting in 24-25, is hiring its inaugural Head Coach to build the program.

Merrimack College has announced 2 new Assistant Coach hirings – Danielle Blanchard, former UMASS-Boston Head Coach and Yale/Plattsburgh Assistant. And Stephanie Wood, former Director of Hockey and Head Coach at Austin Prep high school and managing director at the Islanders Hockey Club.

Middlebury College and Head Coach Bill Mandigo announced the hiring of Emily McNamara as its new Assistant Coach. McNamara spent the last 11 seasons as the Head Coach at Hamilton College. She now returns to her alma matter for a 2nd tour of duty with Mandigo as an Assistant Coach.

With McNamara’s departure, Hamilton now needs a Head Coach.

King’s College has announced it is seeking applications for its 2 Graduate Assistant Coaches.

Minnesota-Duluth and Head Coach Maura Crowell has announced the hiring of Mark Breiter as its Director of Operations. Breiter spent the last season with the NHL’s St. Louis Blues as the Equipment Assistant Manager. Prior to his stint in St. Louis, from 2017-2022 he was the Equipment Manager for the MSU-Mankato Women’s Hockey Program.

The University of New Hampshire is seeking applications for Director of Women’s Hockey Operations.

Penn State and Head Coach Jeff Kampersal has promoted volunteer goaltending coach Ben Halford to the position of Assistant Coach and has named former RIT, Dartmouth, and Boston University operations manager Olivia Fox as Director of Hockey Operations.

RPI has announced it is seeking applications for a full-time Assistant Coach.

St. Cloud State University and Head Coach Brian Idalski has announced the hiring of ’06 Husky alum Billy Hengen as its new Assistant Coach. Hengen comes to St. Cloud after winning a MN Class AA State Title with Gentry Academy last season.

Vermont and Head Coach Jim Plumer announced the promotion of Alex Gettens to Associate Head Coach and the addition of Assistant Coach Victoria Blake. Blake comes to UVM after a 4-year assistant stint at Sacred Heart.

In The Pros

The Kitchener Rangers of the OHL have hired former Syracuse Defender Lindsay Eastwood as their Manager of Communications and Team Services.

The Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL have hired former Minnesota Gopher and US Gold Medalist Amanda Kessel as the inaugural participant in the new Penguins’ Executive Management Program. The program provides a one-year opportunity to work alongside executives within the Penguins partnership, marketing, communication and broadcast departments, as well as hockey operations.

USA Hockey and Hockey Canada Clash In Lake Placid

USA Hockey’s Collegiate Select Team has won the first 2 games by scores of 4-0 and 4-3. Hockey Canada’s Under-18 team has won its first 2 games also by scores of 4-0 and 6-1.

Both groups will play the 3rd and final game tomorrow, Saturday in Lake Placid. The Under18’s play at 3pm with the Collegiate Select/Development group at 6pm.

Older Players A Factor?

Team Canada U-18s have a decidedly older group as compared to Team USA. Canada has only five 2007 born players while the US has 10 players born 2007 or earlier… eight 2007’s and two 2008’s.
All but 3 members of Team Canada’s U18 Team played last season at the oldest amateur age group allowed in each players’ respective province.
Of 24-rostered players, Team USA’s Select 18 team has 13 players that played at the USA Hockey Under 16 age group last season .
Canada’s Development Team has 8 players who have yet to play a NCAA game.
The USA Hockey Collegiate Select Team has 3 Graduate players, 12 Seniors, 0 Juniors, 6 Sophomores, and 1 incoming freshman.
In terms of accumulated NCAA points from last season… Team USA’s Collegiate Group is led by Yale Senior Elle Hartje with 52 total points, the D corps had 34 G’s, 121 A’s for 155 PTS. The Forward group had 176 G’s, 229 A’s for 405 PTS.
Canada’s Development Team is led by Clarkson Senior Forward Anne Cherkowski with 52 total points.

IIHF Division 1 Group A World Championships Aug. 20-26

Shenzhen, China will play host the next weeks IIHF Women’s Division I Group A World Championships.

Austria, China, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, and Slovakia are participating countries. The tournament kicks off with Netherlands taking on Norway at 1pm local time.

Some countries will have live streams available. You can find the names of services HERE on the tournament home of the IIHF website.

There will certainly be NCAA players both past and current in this event. Once rosters are made public I’ll have a breakdown.

Rules Committee Removes Too Many Players On Ice For Video Review Rule

Last week, sighting ‘significant confusion’, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved a recommendation from the Women’s and Men’s Ice Hockey Rules Committee where: “Having too many players on the ice when a goal is scored on the ensuing play has been removed from the list of plays that can be reviewed by video in NCAA men’s and women’s hockey for the 2023-24 season”.

“Despite attempted education during the 2022-23 season, rules committee members think the rule is better managed by the on-ice officials and should not be part of the instant-replay criteria,” reads the NCAA announcement.

Leadership Changes Coming To AHCA

The American Hockey Coaches Association is the official Ice Hockey coaches association recognized by the NCAA of women’s and men’s programs participating in divisions I and III.

Starting with the upcoming 2023-2024 season, The AHCA will add 2 new Vice President positions to its leadership structure of Officers. One VP of Women’s Issues and one VP for Men’s Issues.

These two positions will help serve as conduits between the women’s and men’s coaching body of Division I / III and key stakeholders within the NCAA, member conferences, conference commissioners, and various sport specific NCAA committees. In addition, these people will help streamline communication and participation in important initiatives for both sides of the game.

Joe Bertagna enters his final year as AHCA Executive Director, a position he has held for more than 30 years. Joe will step down and take on a media relations role in for the start of the 2024-2025 season.

The process to find a successor for the Executive Director position has begun.

Until Next Time Everyone… Be Well and take Care,

Until Next Time Everyone… Be Well and take Car

-Streams for games in the ECAC can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in the WCHA can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in Hockey East this year can be found HERE. Hockey East once again is streaming all game live and for FREE.

-Streams for CHA games with the exception of Penn St. can be found HERE. Paid subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams for NEWHA games can be found at each teams’ website. Subscriptions may be necessary to watch games.

NCAA Coaching Changes… Keep up with all the coaching changes across D-I and D-III HERE.

Recruiting Events/League Online Directory… Find all the recruiting events on WCH.org right HERE. Want to add your event? Click HERE to fill out our WCH.org event form.

Grant Kimball is founder and contributing writer at Women’s College Hockey.org and beginning his 4th season as an Assistant Coach with the Yale University women’s hockey program. Grant has developed an experienced perspective in the world of women’s ice hockey, having coached and recruited players from across the globe during his 25+ year amateur and NCAA coaching career. He has coached at 6 NCAA DIII and DI programs in the NCHA (D3), the CHA, WCHA, Hockey East, ECAC, and the Ivy League (DI). Beyond coaching, Grant served as a site representative for the 2019 NCAA quarterfinal of the D-I NCAA Tournament. He also currently serves as an Officer with the American Hockey Coaches Association as Vice President of Membership and sits on the AHCA’s Women’s Hockey Executive Committee.

Post #122 – 8/14/23 – Canada vs. USA Lake Placid Preview

Posted on August 14, 2023 by Grant Kimball Leave a comment

Hockey Canada and USA Hockey Announced Teams That Will Play A 3-Game Series Aug. 16-19

The Women’s College Hockey Pipeline…

Stay informed. Get educated. Become ‘HOCKEY-WISE’!

Your leading online resource for NCAA Women’s College Hockey

Latest From… The Women’s College Hockey Podcast – Episode #3B…

Episode #3A Part I – Is Now LIVE|The Recap

Hockey Canada and USA Hockey Announce Teams For Lake Placid

The Under-18 and Development/Collegiate Select Teams for both Hockey Canada and USA Hockey were announced yesterday.

You can view rosters below:

Hockey Canada (Link Below)

USA Hockey (Link Below)

Under-18 Series Schedule (Link)

Collegiate/Development Series Schedule (Link)

Live Stream

USA Hockey will provide a live stream for all six games through USAHockeyTV. Single game streams are $14.99 per game whereas the monthly pass is $29.99. You can purchase your pass HERE or go directly to USAHockeyTV.com for more info.

Diving In

USA Hockey Collegiate Select Team

The US Collegiate roster is represented by 9 NCAA D-I schools with 3 goaltenders, 8 defenders, and 12 forwards. Here is a breakdown of schools and # of players represented from each:

Ohio State – 9
Colgate – 4
Northeastern – 2
St. Cloud State – 2
Wisconsin – 2
Cornell – 1
MN-Duluth – 1
Minnesota – 1
Yale – 1

USA Notes

Kelsey King transferred to Ohio State this summer after a 4-year career at Minnesota State – Mankato
Kiara Zanon transferred to Ohio State this summer after three-years at Penn State
Sydney Morrow transferred to Colgate this summer after her freshman year at Ohio State
Joy Dunne will be entering her freshman year at Ohio State this fall

The US Collegiate Select Team Head Coach is Chelsea Wakland – Asst. Coach at Colgate and she is assisted by Lindsay Berman, Asst. Coach at Northeastern, Holley Tyng, Head coach at Colby College, and the Goaltending Coach is Mackenzie Bruch, Asst. Coach at Yale.

Canadian Development Team

The Canadian Development Team roster is represented by 11 NCAA D-I schools with 3 goaltenders, 7 defenders, and 13 forwards. Here is a breakdown of schools and # of players represented from each:

Colgate – 4
Wisconsin – 4
Ohio State – 3
Boston University – 2
Clarkson – 2
Cornell – 2
MN-Duluth – 2
Boston College – 1
Brown University – 1
Quinnipiac – 1
Stonehill – 1

Canada Notes

Canada has 8 players who have yet to play an NCAA game, 1 goaltender, 1 defender, and 6 forwards.
Cassandra Turner is the only NCAA coach on staff.
Cornell defender Ashley Messier and Princeton forward Sarah Paul were invited but unable to participate.

The Canadian Development Team Head Coach is Kori Cheverie and is assisted by Rachel Flanagan, Head Coach at the University of Guelph, Noémie Marin, Head Coach at John Abbott College, Cassandra Turner, Head Coach at Quinnipiac University, and the Goaltending Coach is Sheldon Goertzen, Goaltending Coach at the Univ. of Saskatchewan.

Until Next Time Everyone… Be Well and take Care,

-Streams for games in the ECAC can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in the WCHA can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in Hockey East this year can be found HERE. Hockey East once again is streaming all game live and for FREE.

-Streams for CHA games with the exception of Penn St. can be found HERE. Paid subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams for NEWHA games can be found at each teams’ website. Subscriptions may be necessary to watch games.

NCAA Coaching Changes… Keep up with all the coaching changes across D-I and D-III HERE.

Recruiting Events/League Online Directory… Find all the recruiting events on WCH.org right HERE. Want to add your event? Click HERE to fill out our WCH.org event form.

Post #113 – 7/19/23 – Diving In

Posted on July 19, 2023 by Grant Kimball Leave a comment

Is there a ‘best’ type of youth hockey program?

The Women’s College Hockey Pipeline…

Stay informed. Get educated. Become ‘HOCKEY-WISE’!

Your leading online resource for NCAA Women’s College Hockey

Latest From… The Women’s College Hockey Podcast – Episode #3B…

Episode #3A Part I – Is Now LIVE|The Recap

What Do The Numbers Say?

College coaches get asked a lot from parents and players – which type of program is best to play? Should I go to a prep school or a hockey academy? Should I stay at my age group of ‘play up’. Should I switch teams for next year? Stay at my local high school?

So, as the years have gone by, I’ve always been curious as to what type of program might be considered ‘best’ to play for. Is there even a ‘best’ program type? ‘Program types‘ would be your local area high school team, a USA Hockey sanctioned tier I club team, a prep. school, or hockey academy, etc.

Given the USA Hockey Under-18 Select Camp is this week, I thought it would be a fun to dive into the player field and see what types of programs are represented and how many in each.

So, below is a PDF of that breakdown. You can see the numbers of how many players came from each type of program and what age levels are represented. MN high schools led the way with 26 of 76 players in attendance. Does the mere fact someone plays for their local high school vs. playing at a hockey academy mean anything? Tough to answer.

At the top of the PDF below highlighted in yellow are all the ‘types’ of program I identified and the numbers of players in each.

What I found was 12 different ‘types’ of programs that players came from based on age classification, gender – girls or boys, whether someone played for multiple types of teams like Prep. School and a club team.

I’m not sure if any of the findings answer what is the ‘best’ path to becoming a successful hockey player. Perhaps we can go back to previous years data and run the same kind of report. But considering the U18 Select camp should have the ‘best’ collection of U18 players, this none-the-less is pretty interesting to see.

What’s great about there being so many options – is – there are so many options and not just one or two.

2023-Program-Types-@-USA-U18-Select-Camp-2 Download

Until Next Time Everyone… Be Well and take Care,

-Streams for games in the ECAC can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in the WCHA can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in Hockey East this year can be found HERE. Hockey East once again is streaming all game live and for FREE.

-Streams for CHA games with the exception of Penn St. can be found HERE. Paid subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams for NEWHA games can be found at each teams’ website. Subscriptions may be necessary to watch games.

NCAA Coaching Changes… Keep up with all the coaching changes across D-I and D-III HERE.

Recruiting Events/League Online Directory… Find all the recruiting events on WCH.org right HERE. Want to add your event? Click HERE to fill out our WCH.org event form.

Post #112 – 7/17/23 – Monday’s Sifters + A Little Extra:

Posted on July 17, 2023 by Grant Kimball Leave a comment

Little lobs of news and info from around the world of women’s college hockey and beyond

The Women’s College Hockey Pipeline…

Stay informed. Get educated. Become ‘HOCKEY-WISE’!

Your leading online resource for NCAA Women’s College Hockey

Latest From… The Women’s College Hockey Podcast – Episode #3B…

Episode #3A Part I – Is Now LIVE|The Recap

A Lot Going On

There is a lot to get to. Coaching hires, USA Hockey & Hockey Canada news, as well as a little extra – so we’re going to dive right in.

Let’s get to it.

Coaching Hires

Merrimack… Has named former UMASS-Boston Head Coach Danielle Blanchard as one of its Assistant Coaches.

Minnesota… Brad Frost has rounded out his staff. Back to the college ranks as one of coach’s Frost’s Assistant Coaches is Mitch Baker. The former assistant coach at Union College has been the U-19 team Head Coach at Shattuck St. Mary’s for the past 2 seasons. Also joining Frost’s staff is Greg “Boom” May who will serve as an Associate Head Coach. May was the men’s Head Coach at D-III Augsburg College for 2 seasons. Jessica Scott has had the ‘interim’ tag removed and is now a Full-Time Assistant Coach.

St. Michael’s College… Has named Kevin Salinas it’s first ever full-time assistant coach. Salinas comes to St. Mike’s after working with the Lawrence Viking’s women’s program during their first two years of existence in the NCHA. You can read more on his hiring HERE.

Curry College… Head Coach Kelly Rider announced the hiring of new Assistant Coach Rebecca Taylor. Click HERE to read more on Taylor’s appointment.

Elmira College… Has hired former SUNY-Potsdam Head Coach Greg Haney. Greg was a former D-I Assistant Coach at Lindenwood before taking over the Potsdam program. You can read more on Haney’s hiring HERE.

Plymouth State University… Has opened a national search for a new Head Coach after Mollie Fitzpatrick stepped down to pursue other endeavors.

USA Hockey & Hockey Canada News

There is lots to report from USA Hockey and Hockey Canada.

On the USA Hockey Front…

The USA Hockey U-15 National Development Camp ended last week in Oxford, Ohio with 215 players taking part. You can see the list of camp participants and player stats HERE.
The USA Hockey U-18 Select Camp get’s underway today with each team getting in a 1-hour practice and game. A group of 32-players will be named at the end of camp to move on to the August National Festival help in Lake Placid, NY.
Full-Time Scouting Position… USA Hockey is seeking applicants for its Women’s National Team Head Scout. You can find the job description and posting HERE. Current Providence Head Coach Matt Kelly last held this position leading up to the 2018 Gold Medal which Team USA won.

While north of the border, Hockey Canada…

Katherine Henderson, former Head of Canada Curling, has been hired as Hockey Canada’s new President and CEO. You can read more on her hiring HERE.
Hockey Canada announced earlier this weekend its player pool of attendee’s and camp schedule for the National Under-18 and National Development Teams. You can find the U-18 Camp schedule HERE and Camp Roster HERE. The National Team Roster of players can be found HERE. Unlike the US, it appears Hockey Canada has already selected its Development Team Roster.
As I suspected, Hockey Canada’s Under-18 and National Development Team Camp will be held in Ontario. St. Catherines, Ontario at Canada Games Park.
Also taking part in Hockey Canada’s U-18 Camp will be a group from Finland. This has been something Hockey Canada has done before.

Sifter Extras

Recruiting Events Coming Up

The last 2 weeks of July will be a busy one for college coaches. Here are some of the remaining July events coaches will be out at:

USA U-18 Select Camp, July 16-22 (schedule + Live Stream Link… must pay
NAE July College Exposure Showcase, July 17-19
Beantown WKND #1 – College Super Series, July 21-23 (schedule)
NAE July Development & Showcase, July 24-26
East Coast Wizard Summer Showcase, July 27-30, (schedule)
Beantown WKND #2, U19 & 2007/2008, July 28-30
MN Os Prospects Weekend, July 28-30

Additional Coaches Pool?

With the closure of the PHF, could there be a new pool of ex-pro players ready to jump on some of these 4th coaching positions at the D-I level?
Speaking of 4th coaches… we’re beginning to see some of them are on the road recruiting.

IIHF Division 1-A World Championships Scheduled to begin Aug. 20

The IIHF Div. 1-A World Championships are set to kick off August 20th in Shenzhen, China. You can find schedules HERE.

Robert Morris Announces 23-24 Roster…

Robert Morris University Head Coach Logan Bittle has announced the Colonials’ roster last week for the 23-24 season. As you may recall, RMU shut both its women’s and men’s hockey programs down citing budget constraints in the Spring of 2021. Ultimately, the programs have been reinstated and Bittle has been hard at work rebooting the program. 9 incoming freshmen, 9 transfers, and 6 current members of the program from when it was shut down makeup the 24-player roster – which you can get right HERE.

Assumption University Greyhounds Announce Inaugural Schedule…

Looks like the Greyhounds have their 23-24 schedule posted. Beyond conference games in the NEWHA, they have non-conference games vs. RIT x 2, Dartmouth, Holy Cross x 2 (The Battle of Worcester… I just made that up. I’ll give them license to use if they want though), and RPI.

ECAC Tweaks Conference Playoff Format + Announces Conference Schedule…

ECAC Hockey released its 132-game conference slate of games July 11 including a new women’s playoff format to mirror what the men used last season. The first ECAC contest takes place October 13th when Harvard travels to play Dartmouth.
The ECAC playoffs will now include all 12 teams up from 8. Seeds 1-4 get a first round bye while seeds 5-8 host seeds 9-12 in one-game playoff the weekend of Feb 23-24. Winners of the first round will travel to play seeds 1-4 in a best two-out-of-three quarter-final series March 1-2 with quarter-final round winners moving on to the ECAC Championship Weekend March 8-9 hosted by the highest remaining seed. You can read the full release HERE.

Summer College Hockey Fix…

According to the Mercyhurst Lakers Twitter account and the schedule banner at the top of their website homepage, the Lakers’ European Summer Tour games will be steamed. Games are scheduled for July 25, 26, 28, and 29. All times listed are 6pm… we’re just not sure if that is Swedish time or EST. I’ll find a link and confirm game times if possible.

Until Next Time Everyone… Be Well and take Care,

-Streams for games in the ECAC can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in the WCHA can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in Hockey East this year can be found HERE. Hockey East once again is streaming all game live and for FREE.

-Streams for CHA games with the exception of Penn St. can be found HERE. Paid subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams for NEWHA games can be found at each teams’ website. Subscriptions may be necessary to watch games.

NCAA Coaching Changes… Keep up with all the coaching changes across D-I and D-III HERE.

Recruiting Events/League Online Directory… Find all the recruiting events on WCH.org right HERE. Want to add your event? Click HERE to fill out our WCH.org event form.

Grant Kimball is founder and contributing writer at Women’s College Hockey.org and beginning his 5th season as an Assistant Coach with the Yale University women’s hockey program. Grant has developed an experienced perspective in the world of women’s ice hockey, having coached and recruited players from across the globe during his 25+ year amateur and NCAA coaching career. He has coached at 6 NCAA DIII and DI programs in the NCHA (D3), the CHA, WCHA, Hockey East, ECAC, and the Ivy League (DI). Beyond coaching, Grant served as a site representative for the 2019 NCAA quarterfinal of the D-I NCAA Tournament. He also currently serves as an Officer with the American Hockey Coaches Association as Vice President of Membership and sits on the AHCA’s Women’s Hockey Executive Committee.

Post #110 – 7/15/23 – Schedule Adjustment

Posted on July 15, 2023 by Grant Kimball Leave a comment

Weekly Review Coming Sunday, Sifters Monday or Tuesday

The Women’s College Hockey Pipeline…

Stay informed. Get educated. Become ‘HOCKEY-WISE’!

Your leading online resource for NCAA Women’s College Hockey

Latest From… The Women’s College Hockey Podcast – Episode #3B…

Episode #3A Part I – Is Now LIVE|The Recap

It’s Been Busy…

As I indicated a few posts ago, July is a busy month for college coaches. Yours truly included.

I wasn’t able to get my normal Friday Sifters post out yesterday due to my recruiting travel schedule. There are just so many hours in the day.

So, that post will come early next week – and there is a lot to share.

Stay tuned for our normal Pipeline Weekly Review tomorrow.

Until Next Time Everyone… Be Well and take Care,

-Streams for games in the ECAC can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in the WCHA can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in Hockey East this year can be found HERE. Hockey East once again is streaming all game live and for FREE.

-Streams for CHA games with the exception of Penn St. can be found HERE. Paid subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams for NEWHA games can be found at each teams’ website. Subscriptions may be necessary to watch games.

NCAA Coaching Changes… Keep up with all the coaching changes across D-I and D-III HERE.

Recruiting Events/League Online Directory… Find all the recruiting events on WCH.org right HERE. Want to add your event? Click HERE to fill out our WCH.org event form.

Post #109 – 7/12/23 – NCAA Influence

Posted on July 12, 2023 by Grant Kimball Leave a comment

NCAA Coaches Dot USA Hockey and Hockey Canada National Team & Camp Positions

The Women’s College Hockey Pipeline…

Stay informed. Get educated. Become ‘HOCKEY-WISE’!

Your leading online resource for NCAA Women’s College Hockey

Latest From… The Women’s College Hockey Podcast – Episode #3B…

Episode #3A Part I – Is Now LIVE|The Recap

USA Hockey And Hockey Canada Tap NCAA Coaching Talent

Of 38 National Team coaching positions announced by USA Hockey and Hockey Canada this week, 16, are current Head or Assistant Coaches at NCAA D-I and D-III schools for this upcoming season.

The US and Canada each announced 3 sets of coaching staffs for their respective Senior, Development or Collegiate, and U18 teams. A roster of each teams staff is listed below. Coaches currently working at NCAA schools are noted as well.

In total, 21 coaches have ties to NCAA women’s programs either as a coach or player. You can see the coaching staff rosters and NCAA affiliations below.

USA Hockey National Women’s Team

John Wroblewski, Head Coach
Josh Sciba, Assistant Coach (Head Coach, Union College)
Shari Dickerman, Assistant Coach, (Assistant Coach, MSU-Mankato)
Brent Hill, Assistant Coach, (Assistant Coach, Quinnipiac University)
Alli Altmann, Goaltending Coach, (Played at MSU-Mankato)

Hockey Canada National Women’s Team

Troy Ryan, Head Coach, (Hockey Canada)
Kori Cheverie, Assistant Coach
Caroline Ouellette, (played/coached at Univ. MN-Duluth)
Courtney Birchard-Kessel, (Assistant Coach, Boston University)
Brad Kirkwood, Goaltending Consultant

USA Hockey Collegiate Select Team

Chelsea Walkland, Head Coach, (Assistant Coach, Colgate University)
Lindsey Berman, Assistant Coach, (Assistant Coach, Northeastern University)
Holley Tyng, Assistant Coach, (Head Coach, Colby College)
Mackenzie Bruch, Goaltending Coach, (Yale University)

Hockey Canada National Development Team

Kori Cheverie, Head Coach
Rachel Flanagan, Assistant Coach
Noémie Marin, Assistant Coach, (Played at MN-Duluth)
Cassandra Turner, Assistant Coach, (Head Coach, Quinnipiac University)
Sheldon Goertzen, Goaltending Consultant

USA Hockey U-18 Team

Liz Keady-Norton, Head Coach, (Head Coach, Dartmouth College)
Brianna Decker, Assistant Coach, (Played at Wisconsin)
Meredith Roth, Assistant Coach, (Assistant Coach, College of The Holy Cross)
Zoe Hickel, Assistant Coach, (Played at MN-Duluth, Coached at Ohio State)
Sanya Sandahl, Goaltending Coach, (Assistant Coach, Aurora University)

Hockey Canada U-18 Team

Tara Watchorn, Head Coach, (Head Coach, Boston University)
Stefanie McKeough, Assistant Coach, (Played at Wisconsin)
Vicky Sunohara, Assistant Coach
Haley Irwin, Assistant Coach, (Played at MN-Duluth)
Gord Woodhall, Goaltending Coach

Hockey Canada has named additional camp support staff coaches with NCAA ties to help at their National Women’s Team camp. They are ⬇️

Doug Derraugh, (Head Coach, Cornell University)
Greg Fargo, (Head Coach, Colgate University)
Britni Smith, (Head Coach, Syracuse University)

USA Hockey kicks off its National Festival in Lake Placid, NY, August 7-13. Hockey Canada has yet to officially announce its dates and locations.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Hockey Canada chooses to hold them in Ontario this year. Both the US and Canada will play a 3-game series with their respective U-18 and College Select/Development teams in Lake Placid Aug. 16-19. It probably makes a lot more sense financially to bus to LP from Ontario rather than fly everyone from Calgary where Hockey Canada has held these camps in the past.

You can find links to both USA Hockey and Hockey Canada’s national team staff announcements ⬇️

USA Hockey 🇺🇸

Hockey Canada 🇨🇦

Until Next Time Everyone… Be Well and take Care,

-Streams for games in the ECAC can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in the WCHA can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in Hockey East this year can be found HERE. Hockey East once again is streaming all game live and for FREE.

-Streams for CHA games with the exception of Penn St. can be found HERE. Paid subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams for NEWHA games can be found at each teams’ website. Subscriptions may be necessary to watch games.

NCAA Coaching Changes… Keep up with all the coaching changes across D-I and D-III HERE.

Recruiting Events/League Online Directory… Find all the recruiting events on WCH.org right HERE. Want to add your event? Click HERE to fill out our WCH.org event form.

Post #107 – 7/9/23 – The Pipeline Weekly Review

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Grant Kimball Leave a comment

ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) – All Posts From The Past Week… Never Miss A Post!

The Women’s College Hockey Pipeline…

Stay informed. Get educated. Become ‘HOCKEY-WISE’!

Your leading online resource for NCAA Women’s College Hockey

Latest From… The Women’s College Hockey Podcast – Episode #3B…

Episode #3A Part I – Is Now LIVE|The Recap

The Pipeline Weekly Review

Miss a post from The Pipeline this week?

Get caught up with what’s going on in the world of women’s college hockey with The Pipeline Weekly Review every Sunday.

I’ll recap my posts from the past week so you never have to miss out. Just click any of the links below and stay informed.

Wednesday – Post #105 – A Little Time Away, Pro Power Shift, USA 16/17 Camp Recap

Times Are Changing

Quebec City Getaway
Game Changing Power Shift Paves Way For One Pro Women’s Hockey League
Miami University Proves Good Move For USA Hockey

Friday – Post #106 – Friday’s Sifters

Little lobs of news and info from around the world of Women’s College Hockey & Beyond

D-III Positions Open Up
NGHL News
Hockey East Facility Get’s An Upgrade
+ A Little Extra

Until Next Time Everyone… Be Well and take Care,

-Streams for games in the ECAC can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in the WCHA can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in Hockey East this year can be found HERE. Hockey East once again is streaming all game live and for FREE.

-Streams for CHA games with the exception of Penn St. can be found HERE. Paid subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams for NEWHA games can be found at each teams’ website. Subscriptions may be necessary to watch games.

NCAA Coaching Changes… Keep up with all the coaching changes across D-I and D-III HERE.

Recruiting Events/League Online Directory… Find all the recruiting events on WCH.org right HERE. Want to add your event? Click HERE to fill out our WCH.org event form.

Post #105 – 7/5/23 – A Little Time Away, Pro Power Shift, USA 16/17 Camp Recap

Posted on July 5, 2023 by Grant Kimball Leave a comment

Time in Quebec City, HUGE Women’s Pro Hockey News, + Miami Univ. Proving To Be A Great Set-Up

The Women’s College Hockey Pipeline…

Stay informed. Get educated. Become ‘HOCKEY-WISE’!

Your leading online resource for NCAA Women’s College Hockey

Latest From… The Women’s College Hockey Podcast – Episode #3B…

Episode #3A Part I – Is Now LIVE|The Recap

Quick Trip To Quebec City

My wife and I decided to get away for a few days and headed up to Quebec City this past weekend. Wow–what a city.

All of my pervious time in Quebec City has been on recruiting trips during Winter Carnival in February. It’s usually brutally cold and almost always snowy at that time of year. -20C temps (-4F / -5F) make exploring in the winter a little less appealing after a 10/12 hour day in the rink.

So, going in early July, and during Canada Day no less, was a much different and wonderful experience. My Biggest takeaway – how big and European the city seemed and how friendly everyone was. These are actual pictures I took below.

The streets, shops, pubs, and restaurants were packed. And not just because of the 8,000 cruise ships tourists who docked in town on Friday. Plenty of out of town visitors enjoyed Quebec City’s charm and Canada Day festivities.

The city has a true European feel. Small quaint side streets, bustling cobble-stone city square’s, smells of Mary’s freshly popped popcorn, (Garrett’s… those form Chicagoland know, has the slight edge over Mary’s pictured above IMO) and magnificent hotels like The Fairmont, make this a special place. Oh, and the Poutine wasn’t bad either… nor the croissants, or coffee, or anything else we had.

The weather cooperated and we definitely got our steps in walking down – and up – every square inch around town… 40,051 of them to be exact. That’s 14.3 miles in case you were wondering.

Quebec City was truly a great spot to visit. We’ll definitely be back.

Game Changing Power Shift. Mark Walter Group Acquires PHF. Paves Way For One Pro Women’s Hockey League

On Thursday evening June 29 various media outlets such as The Athletic, The Hockey News, and The AP, reported The Mark Walter Group, along with BKJ Enterprises (Billie Jean King), had purchased the Professional Hockey Federation or PHF, paving the way for one singular professional women’s hockey league in North America.

Walter’s group as well BJK Enterprises representing a new women’s hockey professional league, has been in talks with the Professional Women’s Hockey Player’s Association or PWHPA for months constructing a collective bargaining agreement, or CBA. Walter is the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, co-general partner of the ownership group of the Premier League’s Chelsea Football Club and holder of a large interest in the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers. All said, it means deep and experienced pockets are behind this endeavor.

Here is the cliff-notes version of what you need to know.

-In May of 2022, the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association partnered with the Mark Walter Group and BJK Enterprises to launch a new professional women’s hockey league.

-Thursday evening June 29, it was announced The Mark Walter Group and BJK Enterprises purchased the PHF. The PHF no longer exists. All player contracts signed for the 23-24 season have been terminated.

-On Thursday evening players in both the PHF and PWHPA were told on separate calls with their respective leadership groups about the purchase of the PFH.

-The PWHPA voted Sunday evening to ratify a collective bargaining agreement that had been in the planning stages for months, between them and the Mark Walter Group and BJK Enterprises.

-The new league is expected to begin in January of 2024. An official league name has not been announced yet. It is being reported the league will feature 6 teams with 23-player active rosters, a player draft and free-agency period.

Certainly there are many more questions than answers.

As The dust settles, I would give Ian Kennedy a follow on Twitter as he seems to be at the forefront of this fluid development. You can find his Twitter account here: @InKennedyCK

USA Hockey 16/17 National Development Camp Wrap-Up

Well done Miami University and USA Hockey.

It would appear the change of venue to Miami University and Goggin Ice Center for USA Hockey’s Girls National Development Camps has been a hit.

Change is often sometimes hard. But from those who I got the chance to speak with – mostly camp coaches and professional staff working last week, it seemed like this change was pretty easy to say ‘ 👍 thumbs up’ to. They all came back with rave reviews.

Comments included everything from dorm accommodations to be more than adequate with AIR CONDITIONING. The food surprisingly good, outside rink facilities excellent, and town just a short walk away from campus to enjoy a bite or grab a coffee.

I spent about 4 days scouting the event myself. For anyone who may be traveling there over the next few weeks, Here’s my recap of the area, with some photos included.

Getting There… We know travel is tricky this summer. Cincinnati is your closest major airport. It’s about an hour drive to Goggin. I had to fly into Indianapolis and drive since my original flight got cancelled into Cincy. Which took about 1:45hr.

Oxford… The city where Miami University exists kind of pops up out of no where. The University takes up quite a bit of real estate but is easy to get around and in city-grid format. Cobble stone streets around campus let you know just that – you’re around campus. While I only got a chance to explore a few downtown streets, the area close by seems to have everything you would expect an institution with 20K+ students to have. Do check-out the Bagel & Deli Shop on High Street. This place has been around for ever and serves up ‘Steamed’ old school bagel sandwiches.

Hotels… There aren’t many in Oxford. I wound up staying in Hamilton, OH about 20-mins from the Goggin Ice Center which was an easy drive. Hamilton is a city of approx. 60K+. Plenty of hotels and places to eat.

Food if staying in Hamilton… Anyone who knows me well, knows I’m a bit of a foodie and like my food history. So if you’re wondering why I have a picture below of a Skyline Chili sign, here’s why… To my surprise, the city of Cincinnati is renowned for its ‘Cincinnati Style’ Chili. Hence all the Skyline Chili locations you’ll come across around the area. You’ll also find Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers. They are developing a cult-like following and I am a proud card carrying member. Try it. You wont regret it. If Italian is more your thing, I’d recommend Gina’s Italian Kitchen. It’s your local-yokel bar – tasty and reasonably priced. Complete with video poker and friendly servers.

Watering Holes In Hamilton… Two establishments that seemed very busy were The Casual Pint and Municipal Brew Works. Both serve food, but the Municipal Brew Works has food truck service only.

The Goggin Ice Center… is in a word, magnificent. With two ice sheets, one beautifully appointed 2,800 seat main arena where all games took place, and a perfect practice sheet right beside it. Players, staff, and anyone else there to watch didn’t have any difficulty shuffling between the two rinks. As you can see from the picture below, the practice rink even has a suspended rink-board divider system. Do bring a jacket and wear pants – they keep it cold.

Honestly the only disappointing part of the trip was, all the smog/smoke (pictured below). That said, the set-up and experience at Goggin seems to be a home run.

Until Next Time Everyone… Be Well and take Care,

-Streams for games in the ECAC can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in the WCHA can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in Hockey East this year can be found HERE. Hockey East once again is streaming all game live and for FREE.

-Streams for CHA games with the exception of Penn St. can be found HERE. Paid subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams for NEWHA games can be found at each teams’ website. Subscriptions may be necessary to watch games.

NCAA Coaching Changes… Keep up with all the coaching changes across D-I and D-III HERE.

Recruiting Events/League Online Directory… Find all the recruiting events on WCH.org right HERE. Want to add your event? Click HERE to fill out our WCH.org event form.

Post #103 – 7/2/23 – The Pipeline Weekly Review

Posted on July 3, 2023 by Grant Kimball Leave a comment

ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) – All Posts From The Past Week… Never Miss A Post!

The Women’s College Hockey Pipeline…

Stay informed. Get educated. Become ‘HOCKEY-WISE’!

Your leading online resource for NCAA Women’s College Hockey

Latest From… The Women’s College Hockey Podcast – Episode #3B…

Episode #3A Part I – Is Now LIVE|The Recap

The Pipeline Weekly Review

Miss a post from The Pipeline this week?

Get caught up with what’s going on in the world of women’s college hockey with The Pipeline Weekly Review every Sunday.

I’ll recap my posts from the past week so you never have to miss out. Just click any of the links below and stay informed.

Monday – Post #100 – Buckle Up

June 15 and Camp / Showcase Season Collide

Recent Coaching Moves
D-I Recruiting Rules To Know
USA 16/17 Camp Underway

Wednesday – Post #101 – What Coaches Look For

With The Summer Comes Important Evaluation

The Answer Is… It Depends
Learn What Coaches Look For In Goalies, Defenders, and Forwards

Friday – Post #102 – Friday’s Sifters

Little lobs of news and info from around the world of Women’s College Hockey & Beyond

Coaching News
Changes To The NLI + Transfer Window Timeframe
NCAA Guide For Prospective Student-Athletes Available

Until Next Time Everyone… Be Well and take Care,

-Streams for games in the ECAC can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in the WCHA can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in Hockey East this year can be found HERE. Hockey East once again is streaming all game live and for FREE.

-Streams for CHA games with the exception of Penn St. can be found HERE. Paid subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams for NEWHA games can be found at each teams’ website. Subscriptions may be necessary to watch games.

NCAA Coaching Changes… Keep up with all the coaching changes across D-I and D-III HERE.

Recruiting Events/League Online Directory… Find all the recruiting events on WCH.org right HERE. Want to add your event? Click HERE to fill out our WCH.org event form.

Post #100 – 6/26/23 – Buckle Up

Posted on June 26, 2023 by Grant Kimball Leave a comment

June 15th and Camp / Showcase Season Collide

The Women’s College Hockey Pipeline…

Stay informed. Get educated. Become ‘HOCKEY-WISE’!

Your leading online resource for NCAA Women’s College Hockey

Latest From… The Women’s College Hockey Podcast – Episode #3B…

Episode #3A Part I – Is Now LIVE|The Recap

More Coaching Moves, D-I Recruiting Rules To Know, and USA 16/17 Camp Underway

Greetings from Oxford, OH where I am taking in a few days of recruiting at the USA 16/17 National Player Development Camp.

It was a little tricky getting to here due to a cancelled flight out of Toronto, but – I finally made it.

It’s been a busy time for coaches, myself included, now that June 15 has passed and the Summer camp / showcase season is in full swing. Last week’s Friday Sifter post and Sunday’s weekly recap got bumped so I could watch a little (actually it was a lot of) hockey last week.

So if you missed Monday or Wednesday’s post – they are below.

Monday June 19 – Being Proactive

Wednesday June 21 – Tier I Girls Conversation Coming

With camps, tournaments, and showcases dotting the calendar about every week, there are some important D-I recruiting rules that players, parents, and club / high school coaches should be familiar with. I’ll get to those along with some coaching moves in D-I and D-III as well as some notes from Oxford below.

Let’s get to it.

Recent Coaching Moves

Minnesota is looking to fill its ‘First’ and ‘Second’ Assistant Coach positions.

The University of Maine is searching for an assistant as Gen Richardson is no longer listed as an assistant coach.

Princeton is hiring for a Director of Women’s Hockey Operations / Dir. of video.

Robert Morris University has hired former Lindenwood Assistant Jordan Lipson.

While nothing has been confirmed officially, Merrimack may have an Assistant Coaching announcement to make soon for one of its positions

Augsburg College of the MIAC is searching for a Graduate Assistant Coach.

It appears there is a change in leadership at King’s College as Jordan Ott is no longer list as a member of the Athletic Department coaching staff.

Aurora University has announced the hiring of Sanya Sandahl, goaltending coach of the US U-18 team for 2024, as part of the AU coaching staff for 2023-2024.

D-I Recruiting Rules To Know

With June 15 behind us and the summer camp / showcase season here, there are some important recruiting rules players and parents should be aware of.

Face-to-Face contact with D-I Coaches

Players entering grade 9 & 10 this coming fall may not have Face-to-Face contact prior to June 15 of the grade 11 year. However, players who attend camps / clinics / showcase events where D-I coaches are employed as staff members, may have normalized conversations with D-I Coaches for the duration of the event. No recruiting conversations may take place however.

Players entering grade 11 as well as family members may not have Face-to-Face contact On or Off-Campus with D-I Coaches until August 1st. Again, players who attend camps / clinics / showcase events prior to Aug. 1 where D-I coaches are employed as staff members, may have normalized conversations with D-I Coaches for the duration of the event.

Players entering grade 12 this fall and their family members may have face-to-face contact on or off the institutions campus at any time.

Face-to-Face contact that consists of more than just a ‘greeting’ is allowed on no more than 3 occasions per year.

D-III Coaches may have Face-to-Face contact with recruits and family members after the player completes their grade 10 year.

USA 16/17 Camp Underway

Camp opened Saturday and the first full day’s schedule of practices and games began Sunday.

The Goggin Ice Center is flat out gorgeous. What a facility. It occurred to me – the ice sheet is an NHL regulation sized 200 x 85 sheet. St. Cloud, where previous USA Hockey Camps were held, was not – it was an olympic sheet. Personally, I think the game is better on an NHL sheet. Just my opinion though.

Here is a breakdown of attendees by USA Hockey district. Minnesota leads the way with 32. Mid-Am has the fewest with 6.

All games are being streamed live via USAhockeytv.com with a paid subscription.

2023-USA-16-17-Camp-Dristict-Breakdown-Alpha-Sheet1 Download

Until Next Time Everyone… Be Well and take Care,

-Streams for games in the ECAC can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in the WCHA can be found HERE. Subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams in Hockey East this year can be found HERE. Hockey East once again is streaming all game live and for FREE.

-Streams for CHA games with the exception of Penn St. can be found HERE. Paid subscriptions will be necessary to watch games.

-Streams for NEWHA games can be found at each teams’ website. Subscriptions may be necessary to watch games.

NCAA Coaching Changes… Keep up with all the coaching changes across D-I and D-III HERE.

Recruiting Events/League Online Directory… Find all the recruiting events on WCH.org right HERE. Want to add your event? Click HERE to fill out our WCH.org event form.

USA Hockey News

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