Connecticut Whale tap Alexis Moed as general manager

The Connecticut Whale have named Alexis Moed their general manager for the 2021-22 NWHL season.

Moed, a former Boston College Eagle, most notably founded the New York Islanders Girls Elite Organization in 2016 and has been acting as its president since its inception. She replaces Amy Scheer, who departed the team this offseason for an executive position with the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun.

Laura Brennan will be joining Moed in the front office as assistant general manager, adding to her responsibilities with the team as an assistant coach. Brennan had been serving as interim and acting general manager in the early goings of the offseason.

Moed inherits a Whale team that has already taken significant steps to solidify its core for next season. With Brennan at the helm, the Pod have re-signed Abbie Ives, Alyssa Wohlfeiler, Hannah Beattie, and Emma Vlasic while adding defender Allie Munroe and SDHL standout Kennedy Marchment.

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With a new owner at the helm in Tobin Kelly, a new general manager in Alexis Moed and Laura Brennan locked in for another season, the final item on the checklist for the Whale is securing their head coach. Colton Orr is acknowledged as the current head coach in the Whale’s press release and has been quoted in player announcements, but there has been no indication of an official contract extension for 2021-22.

Moed and company have plenty more work to do in terms of roster construction. With Shannon Doyle retired, there’s a gaping hole on the blue line and an even emptier void at the captaincy. Connecticut fans also barely got a taste of Melissa Samoskevich in green-and-blue last season, as she suited up for the March Isobel Cup Playoff game but did not report to Lake Placid. Re-signing her for a full season would add a versatile weapon up front.

The Whale finished 2-2-0 last season in Lake Placid before COVID-19 ravaged their roster and ultimately upended the NWHL’s season. The March reboot was a forgettable one for Connecticut; COVID exposure prevented head coach Colton Orr from manning his usual post behind the bench and the Whale fell 7-0 to the Minnesota Whitecaps.