Friday night hockey headlines a four-game weekend with two home openers
The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) is back in action this weekend with four games in three days, beginning Friday night with the Minnesota Whitecaps home opener against the Boston Pride and continuing Saturday afternoon and Sunday when the Metropolitan Riveters welcome the Toronto Six to their new home.
The scheduled doubleheader between the Buffalo Beauts and host Connecticut Whale has been postponed due to inclement weather and travel conditions.
Here’s a closer look at what’s in store for puck drop.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2022
8:00 PM ET – Boston Pride (2-0-0) vs Minnesota Whitecaps (0-1-1)
(ESPN+, TSN.ca with Maura Sheridan and Erica Ayala)
Friday night hockey returns to the PHF and debuts in Richfield, MN with a renewed rivalry between Boston and Minnesota who were back-to-back Isobel Cup finalists in 2020 and 2021. The Pride have had a perfect start to the new campaign with consecutive shutout victories posted by Corinne Schroeder against Connecticut and Metropolitan during opening weekend action. Meanwhile the Whitecaps are in search of their first win and hope that home ice advantage can do the trick following a pair of 3-2 losses in Toronto. Newcomer Natalie Snodgrass led the way offensively with three points and was among nine players in Minnesota’s lineup who made their PHF debut. Last season the Whitecaps picked up three of their six victories in the first game of weekend doubleheaders at home, notably Nov. 20 against the Pride where Amanda Leveille turned aside all 43 shots faced in a 2-0 shutout. Boston stills holds a 4-2 edge all-time in Minnesota, including Nov. 21 of last season when Amanda Boulier scored the overtime winner in the 2-1 triumph. This season she’s back in Whitecaps threads and will face her former team that now features free agent acquisition Allie Thunstrom who makes her Minnesota homecoming as the franchise’s all-time leader in games played and goals from 2018-22.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2022
1:00 PM ET – Toronto Six (2-0-0) vs Metropolitan Riveters (0-1-0)
(ESPN+, TSN.ca with Maura Sheridan and Erica Ayala)
The Rink at American Dream opens its doors to the PHF for the first time in regular season competition as the Riveters host the Six on Saturday afternoon. Toronto earned a pair of 3-2 victories on opening weekend over Minnesota, including an overtime thriller where early season scoring leader Brittany Howard netted the winner. Metropolitan has just one game under their belt so far, a 2-0 loss to Boston where 17 players made their Riveters debut including 10 PHF newcomers. Despite the lack of offense, Rachel McQuigge was strong between-the-pipes with 45 saves in her first pro start. Toronto swept last season’s head-to-head, however three of the four games were decided by a single goal including 4-3 and 3-2 decisions Feb. 26-27 in New Jersey. Top performers from that weekend are back in action once again including Emma Woods and Taylor Woods who had three points each for T6, and Riveters captain Madison Packer who countered with three points of her own. Riveters forward Leah Marino will play her first game against her former team, recording four points in 20 games with Toronto as a rookie.
7:00 PM ET – Boston Pride vs Minnesota Whitecaps
(ESPN+, TSN.ca with Maura Sheridan and Erica Ayala)
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2022
12:00 PM ET – Toronto Six vs Metropolitan Riveters
(ESPN+, TSN.ca with David Gascon and Erica Ayala)
FRIDAY NIGHT HOCKEY
For the first time since 2017-18, PHF fans can truly scream ‘TGIF’ with regular season action being played on a Friday. This year’s record 84-game schedule not only represents a 24-game increase over the 60 played in 2021-22, but features nine Friday games on the calendar in addition to the league’s traditional family-friendly weekends. Those games include 40 played on Saturday with 19 of them in the afternoon, along with 35 games on Sunday afternoons.
NEW FACILITIES TO CALL HOME
This weekend’s home openers for the Whitecaps and Riveters will be extra special as both clubs officially drop the puck in new facilities. In July, the Whitecaps announced their relocation to Richfield Ice Arena as part of a lease agreement through 2038. Richfield is a suburb of Minneapolis, just minutes south of downtown. The arena offers bowl seating for 1,300 spectators, plus standing room for another 500. The Riveters announced their move to The Rink at American Dream in September as part of a three-year agreement. The world-class entertainment/retail center will enhance the experience for players, partners, and fans with tiered suites that can be fitted for as many as 2,000. Both facilities provide the teams with permanent lock room spaces.
Richfield Mayor Maria Regan Gonzalez will be the Whitecaps special guest on Friday night for pre-game ceremonies and puck-drop, and on Saturday the Riveters welcome Laura Kavanagh, the first female Commissioner of the New York Fire Department (FDNY).
MILESTONES IN THE MAKING
A pair of Boston Pride are on the verge of some half century milestones. Forward Allie Thunstrom is currently at 49 career goals scored, and head coach Paul Mara has 49 career wins behind the bench. Thunstrom scored 48 of her goals in 64 games as a member of the Whitecaps including a PHF single season record of 24 tallies in 24 games during the 2019-20 campaign. Only Pride captain Jillian Dempsey (57) and Riveters captain Madison Packer (54) have surpassed 50 tucks in PHF history. Mara is in his fifth season coaching the Pride and his 49 wins in 69 games is already a PHF record. Their success would add to an early season of monumental achievements, joining teammate Kaleigh Fratkin who became the first defender in PHF history to surpass 75 career points during opening weekend action.
REPRESENTING THE STATE OF HOCKEY
Every season the Whitecaps roster is loaded with local talent, and the 2022-23 edition is no exception. Two thirds of the team is comprised of players from across the state of Minnesota including six players who will play their first ever home games this weekend. Making their special debuts before friends and family is captain Sydney Brodt (North Oaks), Anna Klein (Edina), Brooke Madsen (Eagan), Sidney Morin (Minnetonka), Liz Schepers (Mound), and Natalie Snodgrass (Eagan).
FINNISH RIVETERS SALUTE SALLINEN
On Monday, Riikka Sallinen became the first European woman to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Among her achievements was representing her native Finland in eight IIHF Women’s World Championships where she won six bronze medals and one silver, and four Olympic Winter Games appearances, collecting two bronze medals. She is the highest-scoring European-born player in the history of both the World Championships and the Olympics, despite missing two Olympics and 11 World Championships due to her early retirement and injury. Her recognition is particularly special for the four Finnish members of the Riveters. Goaltender Eveliina Mäkinen, defenders Anna Kilponen and Minttu Tuominen, and head coach Venla Hovi all played with Sallinen at various points of their careers including all together at the 2014 Olympics.
TINKER LAUNCHES BLACK GIRL HOCKEY CLUB CANADA
The Toronto Six weren’t in action but Saroya Tinker still spent last Saturday at the rink. The defender and two-time Foundation Award recipient is the Executive Director of Black Girl Hockey Club Canada, which officially launched Nov. 12. The debut event, in partnership with Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, included a free skate at Scotiabank Pond in Downsview Park. BGHC is launching in Canada to inspire and sustain a passion for the game of hockey within the Black community. BGHC will work to prevent exclusion in hockey based on race, gender, sexuality, or ability in the face of institutional racism, financial gatekeeping, and program access.
BACK FROM INTERNATIONAL BREAK
A total of nine PHF players were enlisted as part of national team programs during the IIHF International Break and competed while the league’s regular season was on pause. Four of those players are back in action this weekend including Pride defender Aneta Tejralová, Whitecaps forward Denisa Křížová, Six forward Tereza Vanišová, and defender Dominika Lásková. They joined Whale forward Kateřina Mrázová with Czechia for the Euro Hockey Tour where they defeated Sweden 3-0, Switzerland 3-2, and lost to Finland 3-1. Vanišová led the way with two goals.
The Canada-United States Rivalry Series continues Sunday in Seattle where Pride newcomers Loren Gabel and Élizabeth Giguère are representing Canada’s National Women’s Team and both contributed an assist in Tuesday’s opener. They’re playing opposite Pride teammate Becca Gilmore on Team USA who has been on the winning side of both games thus far including a 4-3 shootout triumph followed by a 2-1 victory on Thursday.
PRIDE SIGN FAMILIAR PTO’S
With three players still away for the Rivalry Series, the Pride have signed a trio of familiar faces to PTO agreements for this weekend’s games in Minnesota. Defender Taylor Turnquist and forward Lexie Laing both competed with the Whitecaps during the 2021-22 campaign, and were members of Boston’s 2021 Isobel Cup championship unit. As they’re back in action with and against former teammates, forward Taylor Accursi also enters the fold. The former Beauts co-captain spent the past five seasons in Buffalo where she became the franchise scoring leader with 53 points in 66 games.
CREASE CUTS
Of the four teams competing this weekend, so far just four goaltenders have seen action in the crease. None have been better than Corinne Schroeder who has been perfect for the Pride with back-to-back shutouts and 63 total saves. She’s likely to face Amanda Leveille who started both opening weekend games for the Whitecaps where she stopped 56 pucks for a goals-against-average of 3.01 and save percentage of .903. If called upon, it would be season debuts for Lovisa Selander and Jenna Brenneman who have 31 and seven games of career experience respectively for Boston and Minnesota. Toronto also gave both of their first starts to reigning Goaltender of the Year Elaine Chuli who made 50 saves in her two wins for a GAA of 1.99 and SV% of .926. Rachel McQuigge got the first call for the Riveters and went 45/47 for a 2.03 GAA and .957 SV% in defeat. Should Carly Jackson take the ice for T6 it would be her 25th career game and first with the new team, while Eveliina Mäkinen would be making her PHF debut for the Riveters.
STATS SNAPSHOT
Toronto’s Brittany Howard enters the weekend as the league’s leading scorer with three goals and four points. Seven players have three points including Boston’s Loren Gabel and Élizabeth Giguère, Minnesota’s Natalie Snodgrass, and T6 captain Shiann Darkangelo. Howard and Gabel both led opening week with 11 shots on goal, followed by 10 from Giguère, nine from Six forward Leah Lum, eight from Pride forward Allie Thunstrom, seven from Darkangelo along with Jillian Dempsey and Kali Flanagan among players in action this weekend. Snodgrass and Sidney Morin lead Minnesota with six each, while Sarah Bujold fired six on net for the Riveters. Toronto’s Breanne Wilson-Bennett is the team’s best on faceoffs with a .607 winning percentage, with other team leaders including Boston’s Taylor Wenczkowski (.560), Minnesota’s Ashleigh Brykaliuk (.526), and Metropolitan’s Kendall Cornine (.500) based on her 12 attempts.
Fans in the United States can enjoy live PHF action all season long exclusively on ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). In Canada, live coverage of the PHF is available to TSN subscribers through the network’s five television feeds as well as live streaming via TSN.ca and the TSN app. PHF games that are part of the ESPN International distribution network may be available in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa via ESPN Player, in Latin America via Star+, the Caribbean through ESPN Player via the ESPN App, and Oceania through Watch ESPN via the ESPN App. All Montreal Force games are available in French exclusively on TVA Sports.
