Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

PHF

PWHLPA Expected To Hire Brian Burke

at CDT | by 7 Comments

After spending the last three seasons serving as the President of Hockey Operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Brian Burke will reportedly take his services outside the NHL for the first time since 1987. Breaking the news, Ian Kennedy of The Hockey News could not confirm if Burke would be the new President of the Player’s Union, but only that he would be taking a leadership role for the next several seasons.

This is another major step forward for professional women’s hockey in North America, continuing the momentum that started when the Premier Hockey Federation was purchased by the Mark Walter Group on June 30, 2023, creating a unified professional women’s hockey league that will start operations in January 2024. Kennedy theorizes that with Burke now at the helm of the PWHLPA, the league will grow faster than previously expected, and lead to more NHL involvement down the line.

Burke’s career history speaks for itself, serving in high-level roles with the NHL (1993-1999), Vancouver Canucks (1987-1992, 1999-2004), Anaheim Ducks (2005-2009, 2013), Toronto Maple Leafs (2009-2013), Calgary Flames (2013-2019), and finally the Penguins (2020-2023).

His longstanding time in the NHL has not been without controversy, especially during his time in Toronto and Pittsburgh, where media scrutiny of his direction of each team was a major reason for his ouster as a team executive on both occasions. Nevertheless, with a new era starting in professional women’s hockey in North America, Burke’s connection to the NHL and its teams, aided by his knowledge accrued over the past three decades, should help the sport grow significantly in the upcoming years.

Evening Notes: Olofsson, Senators, Andersen

at CDT | by 9 Comments

Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News wrote today that Buffalo Sabres forward Victor Olofsson, and his representatives expect him to be traded prior to the start of training camp in September. Olofsson has spent his entire five-year career with the Sabres where he has put up 167 points in 263 NHL games. This news isn’t all that surprising given that the soon to be 28-year-old is just a year away from being an unrestricted free agent and he was a healthy scratch for the Sabres down the stretch while they were battling for a playoff position.

The Swedish forward has been remarkably consistent in his career notching at least 20 goals in three of his last four seasons with the lockout shortened 2020-21 season being the one year he didn’t reach the mark. This past season Olofsson set a career high with 28 goals in 75 games to go along with 12 assists, but he has been made expendable by the emergence of several Sabres forward prospects and his pricey $4.75MM cap hit. Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has reportedly been very active on the trade market as he tries to get Buffalo back to the playoffs for the first time in 12 years.

In other evening notes:

  • The sale of the Ottawa Senators franchise may finally be entering its final days. This is according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia who has been tirelessly reporting on the process. It seems likely that the new owner will be either Michael Andlauer or Jeffrey and Michael Kimel of the Harlo Capital Group, however Los Angeles producer Neko Sparks remains in the mix but seems less likely to be the preferred bidder. League sources told Garrioch that they are confident there are no more major hurdles to clear leading them to believe they are on the verge of closing out the eight-month process. It’ll be interesting to see if the bid comes close to the $1B bid that was apparently posted by Steve Apostolopoulos, who has since left the bidding after he reportedly became frustrated with the process.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes tweeted today that defender Amalie Andersen has inked a one-year contract with the Buffalo Beauts and become the first Danish born player to sign in the Premier Hockey Federation. The 23-year-old is the younger sister of Hurricanes netminder Frederik Andersen and played four years at the University of Maine where she put up two goals and seven assists in 60 career games. The Beauts are one of the founding teams in the PHF having started with three other clubs back in 2015 while the league was named the National Women’s Hockey League.

Snapshots: Söderberg, Mock Draft, Stadium Series

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The most transformative offseason in PHF history continued this morning, with the Connecticut Whale making a big splash in the goalie market. Goalie Emma Söderberg, a finalist for the 2022-23 IIHF Female Player of the Year award, has signed a two-year contract with the team, per an announcement Tuesday.

The 25-year-old Swede was among NCAA leaders this past season, recording a .938 save percentage and 12 shutouts in 33 appearances with the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She also shined for Sweden at the Women’s World Championship, posting a .924 save percentage and a 2-3-0 record in five appearances. It’s a shrewd acquisition for Connecticut, which has finished in the league’s top three in the past three seasons. Söderberg’s services will help them remain in contention as they still seek to earn their first Isobel Cup.

Söderberg also represented Sweden at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

  • Two of the top public scouts around, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman, have released a second two-round mock ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft. While the first two selections are apparent, Wheeler has the Columbus Blue Jackets using their third overall pick on American center Will Smith, letting the consensus no. 1 European forward, Leo Carlsson, slip to the San Jose Sharks at fourth overall. The best overseas forward based on talent alone is Russian winger Matvei Michkov, but the geopolitical climate and his well-reported contract situation (he’s obligated to his Russian team through 2026) lower his draft position. Pronman has Michkov falling to the Washington Capitals at eighth overall.
  • Next season’s Stadium Series game could actually be two, says The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. Per his report, the 2024 edition will entail back-to-back days in February at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, first between the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers, followed by a New York Islanders vs. New York Rangers matchup. If confirmed, it will be the second outdoor appearance for the Devils and Islanders, the fifth for the Rangers, and the sixth for the Flyers.

Evening Notes: Huska, Senators, Seitz

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Darren Haynes of The Canadian Press tweeted today that he wonders if new Calgary Flames GM Craig Conroy might consider current assistant coach Ryan Huska for the role of their new head coach. Huska has been coaching since 2002-03 and has spent the past five years in Calgary as an assistant. The 47-year-old Huska has been a head coach in the WHL and the AHL and has coached several members of the Flames current squad.

The Cranbrook, British Columbia native had an interesting career as a player having won three Memorial Cups with the Kamloops Blazers dynasty in 1992, 1994, and 1995. He was drafted in the third round by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1993 and five years later dressed in the only NHL game he would ever play, taking eight shifts for 5:51 in total ice time. Should Huska be named the head coach in Calgary he would become the 22nd head coach in Flames franchise history.

In other evening notes:

  • Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia is reporting that there has been a lot of moving parts in the Neko Sparks bid for ownership of the Ottawa Senators. Garrioch speculates that the group could be facing an imminent deadline as they have recently brought in more investors and have apparently been pushing hard the past 48 hours to find more investors to get involved. The group has brought on Canadians Arlene Dickerson and Robert Herjavec who are both wealthy investors as well as television personalities on the hit Canadian television series Dragon’s Den.
  • The Hockey News is reporting that the PHF continues to attract talent to the league as they’ve announced new signings today. The Metropolitan Riveters made a big splash as they have brought in Yale alumnus Emma Seitz. The New York native is the back-to-back ECAC Defender of the Year and was an All-American. The 23-year-old defenseman also put up offense in her time at Yale, posting 11 goals and 11 assists in 30 games this past season. Over the course of four years in the NCAA, Seitz put up 86 career points in 127 career games.

PHF’s Boston Pride Sign Alina Müller

at CDT | by 1 Comment

1:05 pm: The Boston Pride have officially announced the signing, bringing Müller to the PHF.

12:09 pm: There have been rumblings of a major news drop in women’s hockey over the past few days, and it appears we have some clarity this morning. The Athletic’s Hailey Salvian confirmed reports that the PHF’s Boston Pride have signed Swiss forward Alina Müller, arguably the best European forward in the sport, to a one-year contract.

Müller’s career resume is impressive in its own right, but when you consider the 25-year-old hasn’t even made her North American professional debut yet, it becomes even more jaw-dropping. After recording 60 points and a staggering +45 rating in 38 points in her fifth and final season with Northeastern University this year, though, she’s ready to make her splash in North American pro hockey.

She’s already made three Olympic appearances, cracking Switzerland’s roster as a 16-year-old in 2014. With three points in six games, she provided a key depth role as Switzerland took home the bronze medal at that year’s tournament. The Swiss haven’t medalled at the Olympics since, but she’s recorded well over a point per game at both tournaments.

Müller was also named a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the top women’s collegiate player, in all of her five seasons at Northeastern. She wraps up her career there with 98 goals, 156 assists, and 254 points in 159 games, a 1.60 points-per-game pace.

She joins a Pride team hungry to rebound after losing in the PHF’s semifinal round last season. The Pride captured back-to-back championships in 2021 and 2022, making it three total championships for the team since the league’s inception. They’ll be a much different-looking squad next season, though, especially without the services of Rookie of the Year netminder Corinne Schroeder, who posted a 19-1-0 record and a .955 save percentage in 22 games. She’s rumored to have signed a contract in free agency with the second-year Montreal Force.

PHF To Increase Salary Cap

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Premier Hockey Federation has once again announced a major increase to its salary cap, raising the per-team ceiling to $1.5MM for 2023-24. That is twice as much as it was this season, and an incredibly large increase since 2021, when it was just $150K per team.

Reagan Carey, PHF commissioner, released a statement:

This historic salary cap increase reflects the strength of our league and developing business model, and supports an enhanced player experience that over the last year has introduced full healthcare benefits, facility upgrades, league expansion, and a record 84-game schedule.

We know how dedicated and selfless these players are to building more opportunities for women in sport, and the PHF is committed to prioritizing our support of these talented and skilled players on and off the ice. Players, alumni, staff, coaches, volunteers, partners, ownership, and our passionate fans have all been working towards ensuring full-time professional hockey is a career path for women.

The PHF is currently the only professional women’s hockey league in North America, though many of the best players are still touring with the PWHPA, which puts on showcase events across the continent.

The Boston Pride currently lead the way with a 7-1 record, while Brittany Howard is running away with the scoring race. The Toronto Six forward (and former PWHPA member) has 11 goals in eight games, five more than her closest competitor.

Snapshots: Senators RFAs, PHF, Robidas

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Ottawa Senators still have two relatively significant names left to sign this offseason in defenseman Erik Brannstrom and Alex Formenton. In an interview today on TSN 1200, as relayed by Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, Senators GM Pierre Dorion says that he’s “still talking” to Brannstrom and Formenton’s agents and that he expects both to be signed before training camp begins next month.

Getting both Brannstrom and Formenton under contract soon would be ideal, as teams typically don’t want outstanding contract negotiations to cast a shadow over their preparations for an upcoming season. Brannstrom, 22, is coming off of a disappointing season where, despite solid opportunities, he failed to make the major impact he was projected to make as a 2017 first-round pick. Formenton, 22, broke into the NHL last season and scored 18 goals and 32 points. The speedy Formenton is likely to get a larger deal than Brannstrom based on his production alone, but both are likely to receive entry-level deals as the Senators look to enter their first truly competitive phase since making a run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2017.

Now, for some other notes from around the hockey world:

  • The PHF has had a pretty significant offseason, inking a two-year broadcasting extension with ESPN and announcing the addition of an expansion franchise in the Montreal market. Now, the league looks set to announce another big move. Per Hailey Salvian of The Athletic, the PHF will add legendary American forward Brianna Decker to the league’s front office in a part-time advisory role. The PHF has been battling to establish itself as the home of the world’s best women’s hockey players, and since the formation of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association has seen some of its top talent depart the league. Adding Decker, albeit not as a player, could go a long way in helping the PHF continue to grow their league and mend their relationship with the PWHPA.
  • Carolina Hurricanes prospect Justin Robidas, the son of former NHLer Stephane Robidas, will reportedly be traded when the QMJHL’s mid-season trade window opens, from his current QMJHL club, the Val-d’Or Foreurs to the Quebec Ramparts, according to Le Soleil de Quebec’s Mikael Lalancette. Robidas, a 2021 fifth-round pick and a player who is among the better prospects in the Hurricanes’ system will join a Quebec side that won 51 games last season but was unable to take home a championship.

Snapshots: Brewer, Salary Cap, PHF

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After promoting Sergei Brylin to an assistant role at the NHL level, the New Jersey Devils hired Andrew Brewer as an assistant coach for the AHL’s Utica Comets, per a team release. Brewer has spent the past eight seasons in an NHL video coaching role, and now the 36-year-old will get a crack at some more responsibility in the AHL.

Brewer most recently served as the video coach for the Florida Panthers for the past two seasons. Prior to that, he served in the same role for the Detroit Red Wings in the 2014-15 season and for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2015 through 2020. He’s also gained experience as the video coach for Team Canada at various international tournaments. Brewer will join Ryan Parent (assistant coach) and Brian Eklund (goaltending coach) behind Utica head coach Kevin Dineen.

  • Speaking today during his media tour in Europe, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said he believed the NHL salary cap could rise significantly after the 2023-24 season. That marks a change in course from previous league forecasts post-pandemic, which pegged a significant cap jump after the 2024-25 season. The cap will likely raise another $1MM after this year to $83.5MM for 2023-24, but could now increase by much more than that for 2024-25. Some big names, including Auston Matthews and William Nylander, Steven Stamkos, Jake Guentzel, and Sebastian Aho are slated to hit the free agent market then, potentially making it easier for their current teams to re-sign them.
  • The PHF will continue to stay more accessible to American fans. ESPN announced today that they’ve reached a two-year extension on their broadcast agreement, keeping the PHF on ESPN platforms through 2024. The league’s championship game, the Isobel Cup final, aired on ESPN2 last season, which was ESPN’s first cable broadcast of professional women’s hockey. PHF regular-season games will continue to air on the ESPN+ subscription service.

USA Hockey Announces 2022 Women’s World Championship Roster

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Right now, the 2022 Men’s World Junior Championships is sitting centerstage when it comes to international hockey, however soon after the tournament ends, that attention will turn to the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championships, which are set to run from August 25th through September 4th. Hosting the tournament will be the cities of Herning and Frederikshavn, Denmark.

In advance of the tournament, USA Hockey announced its 23 woman roster earlier today, which includes a large contingent of familiar faces and several exciting stars, including 18 members of the 2022 USA Olympic team which took home Silver. Talking about his team, head coach John Wroblewski said in a release:

“I am excited to officially have our team as we continue to prepare for women’s worlds. As a staff, we are confident in the skill and grit of this team and are excited to begin our journey to achieve our goals in Denmark.”

Below is the full United States roster:

Goalie:

Aerin Frankel

Maddie Rooney

Nicole Hensley

 

Defense:

Caroline Harvey

Cayla Barnes

Jincy Dunne

Lee Stecklein

Megan Keller

Rory Guilday

Savannah Harmon

 

Forward:

Abby Roque

Alex Carpenter

Amanda Kessel

Grace Zumwinkle

Hannah Bilka

Hannah Brandt

Hayley Scamurra

Hilary Knight

Jesse Compher

Kelly Pannek

Kendall Coyne Schofield

Lacey Eden

Taylor Heise

Bilka, Guilday, and Heise will also participate on the United States Women’s National Team for the first time in their careers. On the other hand, this will be Coyne Schofield’s ninth appearance at the world championships and Knight’s twelfth – a USA Hockey record.

Snapshots: PHF, McLeod, Nesterov

at CDT | by 10 Comments

This morning, the PHF officially announced they are expanding into Montreal for the 2022-23 season, adding a seventh franchise to the women’s league. The new team will be led by Kevin Raphael and Emmanual Anderson. Through a partnership with Center 21.02–a sports complex in Verdun, a Montreal borough–will be the training home for the new club, games for the upcoming season will be played in communities across Quebec in an attempt to showcase women’s hockey to greater audiences.

The schedule for the upcoming season has yet to be announced, while the official team name and logo are expected within the next few weeks. The new Montreal club joins the Buffalo Beauts, Boston Pride, Metropolitan Riveters, Toronto Six, Connecticut Whale, and Minnesota Whitecaps in the growing league.

  • The Minnesota Wild have hired Cody McLeod as a player development coach, effectively announcing his retirement as a player. The 38-year-old tough guy played in 59 games for the Iowa Wild last season and will now make the transition to coaching, along with Matt Harder, who was hired as strength and conditioning coach, and David MacLean, who was named a pro scout. In 776 NHL games, McLeod racked up 72 goals, 127 points, and 1,630 penalty minutes.
  • You won’t be seeing Nikita Nesterov in the NHL anytime soon. The veteran defenseman has signed a new four-year deal with CSKA Moscow of the KHL, keeping him at home in Russia instead of attempting any kind of return to North America. The 29-year-old defenseman played in 38 games for the Calgary Flames during the 2020-21 season but never did find much success on this side of the pond. In the KHL, he was one of the most dynamic players in the league this season, logging more than 25 minutes a night and scoring 33 points in 41 regular season games, good enough for third on the entire CSKA roster.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top