The Wraparound: end of May

If you only read one thing...

I guess maybe I should change the name of this section during the off season because there’s rarely only one piece in here when I look back at two weeks.

Ice Diaries: Hayley Williams | Kontinental Hockey League (KHL)
If you think Instagram cannot change the course your life, then you clearly have not met Hayley Williams.

National Women’s Hockey League: the league of disappointed dreams
Little-known in Quebec, the National Women’s Hockey League prides itself on being the only professional circuit in North America to pay its players. However, the best Canadian and American hockey players flatly refuse to join its ranks, denouncing a dubious business model and poor working conditions. The Press is interested in this league, where dreams often turn into disappointments.
Translated from French, this is the second article to come out on the conditions of the NWHL. There is a second part to this article under the PWHPA section.

More than just a game: Women’s hockey and mental health | The Ice Garden
Three players open up about the importance of mental health in women’s hockey

NWHL

Country comes first for NWHL rookie Ashley Birdsall | The Hockey News
The versatile rookie loves hockey and would love to keep playing for years. But her commitment to the U.S. military will always be priority No. 1.

A hockey pioneer’s latest challenge: Launch an expansion team with sports halted | theScore.com

“She lives and breathes hockey;” Quinnipiac sends goalie Ives to pro ranks | Q30 Television
Video interview with new Whale goaltender Abbie Ives.

NWHL Riveters first round pick Saroya Tinker ready for pro hockey | The Ice Garden
The first round draft pick is keyed in for her first year of NWHL play.

Toronto NWHL officially announces its name | The Ice Garden
The newest team in the league has a name!

2020 NWHL Offseason News Story Stream | The Ice Garden
Keep up with all of the news before the NWHL drops the puck on season six.

2020–21 NWHL Signing Tracker | The Ice Garden
Keep track of who signs ahead of season six of the NWHL
We’ll keep including this every time so you can keep track of the signings, especially since our roster recaps run on opposite weeks from this, so those will always be a week behind.

PWHPA

Q&A with PWHPA’s Jayna Hefford | The Ice Garden
The organization is one year old today.

2020-21 PWHPA Tracker | The Ice Garden
Keep up as the PWHPA announces the players who will be joining the organization for their second season.

‘Great location’: Rebecca Johnston readies for PWHPA hub in Calgary | 660 NEWS
It’s been over a year since the Calgary Inferno captured the Clarkson Cup.

Venla’s Vibes: The Future of Sustainable Women’s Hockey | Game On Media

Steve Ewen: Sarah Potomak’s Olympic dream lives on, even as she transitions to coaching | National Post
Aldergrove’s Sarah Potomak, who was one of the last cuts before Pyeongchang 2018, will be an assistant coach with the TWU Spartans this coming season

Towards a “real” professional women’s hockey league in 2022?
Don’t hold your breath: the NHL will not be announcing that a women’s component will be added to its structure for next season. The Bettman circuit is, for the moment, busy saving its own ship from sinking, and the discussions of the last few months with the various bodies of female hockey have not yet borne fruit. (Translated from French)

NCAA

Senior Standouts from the Class of 2020 | The Ice Garden
Highlighting the achievements and contributions of 18 NCAA seniors

What If Amanda Kessel Stayed Retired? | BC Interruption
If only, if only...

A way-too-early look at possible scenarios for the 2020-21 NCAA women’s hockey season | At Even Strength
It’s been nearly three months since the COVID-19 pandemic brought a devastating ending to the 2019-20 NCAA women’s hockey season—and plenty of other winter and spring sports, too. We are well into the the offseason now, but still, much remains up in the air about how and if next season will actually be played.

SDHL

Here are all the winners from the SDHL Awards - Hockey Sweden
For the first time ever, the SDHL Awards have been launched. Here are all the winners of the evening when the women’s league’s top players were praised.

Where SDHL teams stand | Hockeysverige.se
Hockeysverige.se is now going through all the acquisitions and player losses for the next season in the ten SDHL teams.

After Season Ends Abruptly for PU Women’s Hockey, Senior Star Bullock Will Continue Career in Sweden | Town Topics
Carly Bullock and her teammates on the Princeton University women’s hockey team believed that they were national title contenders as the squad headed into mid-March.

Critical to the women’s crown - and also does not want to play in the national team | Hockey Sweden
“Jag känner mig inte jättesugen på att sitta i ett omklädningsrum där jag inte är så omtyckt”.

“Found back to motivation when Leksand heard of it” | HockeySverige
After barely playing at all in AIK last season, Amanda Johansson was down at the bottom. But when Leksand heard about it, the 18-year-old got back the motivation. Now she looks forward to the next season and is ready for revenge.

Misc.

Next World Championship Opportunity will Have to Wait for Savannah Harmon | USA Hockey
2020 was setting up to be a big year in a USA Hockey sweater for blueliner Savannah Harmon.

Breaking the ice: One game started it all for girls’ high school hockey | StarTribune.com
South St. Paul defeated Holy Angels 8-0, but the significance of that night in 1994 goes much deeper than the final score.

TSN Hockey’s All-Time Women’s Team Canada | TSN.ca
Defining players and defining moments define the TSN All-Time women’s Team Canada.

Women’s hockey stories Netflix should option | The Ice Garden
Five stories we think should become feature films.