11 re-signings, four newcomers, and two free agents on the move
Add 17 more names to Premier Hockey Federation rosters for the 2023-24 season following another busy week of free agency. Between May 29 and June 4, contracts for four newcomers were announced including two collegiate rookies, two more players swapped teams, and 11 players officially re-signed with their 2022-23 clubs.
The Boston Pride signed defender Brooke Hobson from the SDHL and forward Caitrin Lonergan from Connecticut. The Buffalo Beauts made their first moves of the offseason by re-signing forward Emma Nuutinen, and by announcing new contracts for returnees Summer-Rae Dobson and Dominique Kremer entering the second season of their two-year deals. The Connecticut Whale signed defender Maude Poulin-Labelle from Northeastern University, and re-signed defender Tori Howran to a contract extension. The Metropolitan Riveters added a pair of Olympians in Czechia’s Kateřina Mrázová and Finland’s Susanna Tapani, and re-signed forward Hayley Lunny and goaltender Rachel McQuigge. The Montreal Force welcomed defender Emily Rickwood from the University of New Hampshire, and re-signed forwards Samantha Isbell, Kristina Shanahan, and Brooke Stacey. The Minnesota Whitecaps re-signed forward Liz Schepers, and the Toronto Six re-signed defender Saroya Tinker.
🚨SIGNING NEWS 🚨
Brooke is heading back to Boston! Following one season in the SDHL where she was a finalist for Defender of the Year, Northeastern alum Brooke Hobson has signed with the Pride.✍️: https://t.co/ZVVYb13IJa#PridePHFpic.twitter.com/Mul8lL1XCu
— Boston Pride (@TheBostonPride) May 31, 2023
Hobson is the most experienced of the three incoming defenders announced last week. The former Northeastern captain who has four Hockey East All-Star distinctions to her credit signed a one-year deal with the Pride. The 24-year-old from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan competed as a member of MoDo Hockey in 2022-23 where she picked up 27 points including 10 goals and 17 assists in 19 games. She also has international experience competing with Canada, earning a silver medal at the 2017 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.
“Brooke has been an elite defender at both the college and professional levels,” said Paul Mara, Pride Head Coach. “We know she will excel immediately on our team in all aspects of the game. She knows the city of Boston well, and we are excited to bring her skills and leadership back to Boston.”
Our defense just got even stronger. 🤩
Welcome to the Pod, Maude Poulin-Labelle!
📰 https://t.co/3LoFZypwjxpic.twitter.com/0HGqPMqpTe— Connecticut Whale (@CTWhaleHockey) May 31, 2023
Poulin-Labelle is another former Husky who will turn pro in the PHF this season, signing a one-year deal with the Whale valued at $69,000 which includes a signing bonus of $4,000. The 23-year-old from Sherbrooke, Quebec just wrapped up five NCAA seasons including a graduate year at Northeastern where she contributed 22 points and was a Hockey East Second-Team All-Star. She previously set records at the University of Vermont as the highest scoring defender in Catamounts history with 79 points in 113 career games.
“Maude is a highly-talented player with a bright future ahead of her in the PHF,” said Colton Orr, Whale Head Coach. “Her exceptional skating ability, strong defensive play, and offensive contributions make her a valuable asset to the Whale. We are excited to welcome her to the team and see her continue to develop and thrive at the professional level.”
New @LaForceMontreal signing Emily Rickwood sat down with @TheHockeyNews‘ @IanKennedyCK to chat about her signing, playing in Montreal, her NCAA career and more. Watch/listen to @emily_rickwood and meet another future face of the PHF https://t.co/XvT2EinxzM
— The Hockey News – Women’s (@TheHockeyNewsW) June 2, 2023
Rickwood joins the Force after five NCAA seasons as a member of the Wildcats where she set the UNH program record for all-time games played with 165. The 23-year-old from Brantford, Ontario is considered a reliable two-way defender with good hockey sense who can make plays with and without the puck. At the 2018 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, she won bronze competing with her new Montreal teammate Audrey-Anne Veillette.
“Emily Rickwood’s ceiling is high,” said Kevin Raphaël, Force President. “We watched her play and grow this season. It will be an adaptation for her turning pro, but we’re very happy to bring her in and start the work.”
Boston native, Caitrin Lonergan Signs One-Year Deal with the Pride:https://t.co/Ofk3pesKps
— The Ice Garden (@TheIceGarden) June 5, 2023
Lonergan is one of two free agents on the move next season, going from Connecticut back home to Boston. The 25-year-old from Roslindale, MA made her professional debut with the Whale after graduating from Clarkson University in 2022. Her distinguished NCAA career also included three seasons at Boston College and a combined 214 points in 154 career games with two nods as a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award. As a PHF rookie, she appeared in 23 games and scored 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points.
“As I was born and raised in Boston, it is an honor to play for my hometown,” said Lonergan. “The PHF is making a commitment to grow women’s professional hockey, and with players in the NCAA being given a chance to continue their careers, this is an unbelievable chance to grow the game for the future. Thank you to the Boston Pride for this opportunity, and I am so excited to get started and look forward to competing for the Isobel Cup.”
🚨 OFFICIAL 🏒💪
The Riveters have officially announced the signing of Olympic forwards Susanna Tapani and Kateřina Mrázová to the lineup for the 2023-24 @PHF season.Both players have signed with the club on one-year deals. Additional terms of both contracts will not be disclosed pic.twitter.com/jDEJQWkOnh— Metropolitan Riveters (@Riveters) June 2, 2023
Mrázová is another former member of the Whale who has found a new team in 2023-24. An All-Star captain with PHF Team World, the 30-year-old from Praha, Czechia had 17 points in 19 games played last season and recently captured a second straight bronze medal at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship. She joins the Riveters along with Tapani, another 2022 Olympian. The 30-year-old from Laitila, Finland last competed for the KRS Vanke Rays in 2021-22 and contributed 12 points in 12 regular season games, and 10 points in eight playoff contests during their championship campaign. She won her second career Olympic bronze in Beijing and has also collected five medals in the World Championship’s top division.
“Susanna will be a difference maker in the PHF,” said Hovi. “She is an experienced Finnish Olympian and one of the best forwards in the world. Suski is an offensive threat due to her ability to make plays and her speed makes her tough to handle on rushes. She will lead the team by example and her humble, calm presence will be an asset for us in the locker room. Kateřina is an experienced, versatile, two-way player. She is extremely good at supporting and moving the puck and has poise in scoring areas. Adding her compete and leadership into our lineup is remarkable.”
Liz Schepers made some waves in her rookie season and now she’s looking forward to bringing the Isobel Cup back to Minnesota after signing a new 2-year deal with the Caps. Watch her goal highlights from last season now 👇@LizSchepers | #RollCaps
📽️: https://t.co/xrRDUfgEQqpic.twitter.com/ysUmloSo5Z
— Minnesota Whitecaps (@WhitecapsHockey) May 30, 2023
Despite saying goodbye to two players, the Whale were able to retain and extend the services of Howran over the next two seasons. After agreeing to a two-year deal last offseason, the 24-year-old from Bancroft, Ontario negotiated new terms considering the league’s salary cap increase and will continue as a member of The Pod through the 2024-25 campaign. The seventh overall pick in the 2020 draft has become a staple on the team’s starting defensive pairing, skating in 47 regular season games, and tallying 18 career points. Schepers is the other two-year contract recently added to the mix in the PHF, with the Whitecaps locking up the 2022 NCAA National Champion following an impressive rookie season where the former Ohio State Buckeye produced 14 points in 22 games. Her two missed games occurred while debuting with the U.S. National Women’s Team in the Rivalry Series against Canada. The 24-year-old from Mound, MN will earn a base salary of $70,000 next season with potential performance bonuses of up to $34,000. In 2024-25, her base salary becomes $80,000, plus bonuses up to $40,500.
“Playing professional hockey is truly a dream come true, and it only feels right that I get to continue to do that with Minnesota,” Schepers said. “Growing up idolizing the Whitecaps, this is an opportunity I’ll never take for granted. I believe in the team and culture we are building in Minnesota. We have an environment that not only pushes me to develop as an individual, but that will continue to raise the bar for professional hockey.”
Nous sommes fier d’annoncer les retours de Samantha Isbell, Kristina Shanahan & Brooke Stacey pour la prochaine année.
Nous souhaitons aussi la bienvenue à la joueuse de défense Emily Rickwood. Elle se joint à l’équipe pour la prochaine année. pic.twitter.com/zJEoI6OZAL
— La Force de Montréal (@LaForceMontreal) May 30, 2023
Seven of the week’s re-signings were one-year deals including the Beauts inking Nuutinen, a two-time Olympian with Finland, following her PHF debut season. The 26-year-old winger recorded 10 points in 24 games and was a PHF Team World All-Star. For the Riveters, Lunny went from PTO agreement to a full contract player in 2022-23, potting three assists in eight games. The 23-year-old from Bedford, NY is a graduate of Providence College and spent time with the PWHPA before joining the PHF. McQuigge also played eight games in her rookie season for the Rivs, posting a 4-4-0 record with a goals-against-average of 3.39 and save percentage of .888 with limited time due to injury. The 24-year-old from Bowmanville, Ontario spent four seasons at Princeton University before turning pro. In Montreal, the 25-year-old Isbell finished fourth in team scoring with 12 points in 22 games. The Thunder Bay, Ontario native will earn $75,000 this coming season. Shanahan finished her first PHF season with six points in 24 games after graduating from Vermont where she captained the Catamounts. The 24-year-old’s contract with her hometown team is valued at $40,000. Stacey wrapped up her third PHF season with nine points in 24 games. The 26-year-old from Kahnawake, Quebec previously played two seasons with the Beauts from 2019-21. Tinker will play her third career season with her hometown T6. The 25-year-old from Oshawa, Ontario was a PHF All-Star, contributing three points and countless shot blocks with a steady presence and vocal leadership on the back end for the Isobel Cup champions.
“We’re a championship team. I believe we’re a strong organization and a leader in the Premier Hockey Federation,” Tinker said. “I love my teammates and I love the team atmosphere we have. Playing under a captain like Shiann [Darkangelo] is amazing, and being a defender with a goalie like [Elaine] Chuli behind me, I think we have all the pieces to win another championship and keep the cup in Canada. That’s what we hope to do, but at the same time, I think that we have a really great opportunity and a great team to succeed with. That’s why I’m back.”
🚨 SAROYA STAYS🚨
We’re proud to announce we’ve re-signed 2023 PHF Team Canada All-Star @saroyatinker71 to a one-year contract!
📰:https://t.co/byGUh43KVV#GotYourSix | @PHFpic.twitter.com/py5njTXyjB
— Toronto Six 🏆 (@TheTorontoSix) May 30, 2023
Dobson and Kremer both signed two-year contracts in Buffalo last offseason and have officially come to terms on new deals for the 2023-24 campaign. Dobson made a splash as a rookie transitioning from a five-year collegiate career between Mercyhurst and the University of Connecticut. The 23-year-old from Huntsville, Ontario tied for third on the team in scoring with 11 points in 24 games. Kremer will suit up for her fourth season with the Beauts and second as captain. In 49 career PHF games, she’s produced 21 points and earned Defender of the Year honors in 2021-22 and has been selected a PHF All-Star the last two years. Most recently, the 25-year-old from Napoleonville, LA was named the First Star for the league’s annual Fans’ Three Stars of the Season award.
“I am super pumped to get back to the grind in Buffalo,” said Kremer. “It’s really time to turn things around for the Beauts, and I’m excited to be a part of that. I can’t wait to prove all of the naysayers wrong this year. While the Beauts have struggled over the past couple of years, a solid foundation has been laid. I believe that this foundation will help lead this team to success. Every woman that signs on to be part of this organization understands that it will be an uphill battle, and I don’t think that level of commitment and determination will be matched by any of our opponents.”
SIGNING NEWS 📣
The #Beauts renegotiated the second years of Dominique Kremer’s and Summer-Rae Dobson’s 2-year contracts, ensuring that both players are back with the team for the 2023-24 @PHF season
📝: https://t.co/GSdjBrfO5O
📸: @mikehetzelphoto
🖼: @jsantalucia96pic.twitter.com/6yx0qBuaBA— Buffalo Beauts (@BuffaloBeauts) May 31, 2023
