Montreal and Minnesota captains to compete January 16 in Norfolk, Virginia, live on NHL Network
BOSTON, MA – (December 21, 2022) – The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) in partnership with the ECHL, have announced that Ann-Sophie Bettez of the Montreal Force and Sydney Brodt of the Minnesota Whitecaps will participate in the 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic on Monday, January 16 at Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. The game will air LIVE exclusively on NHL Network.
“Ann-Sophie Bettez and Sydney Brodt are highly skilled athletes, tremendous leaders, and fitting representatives to showcase the new era of the Premier Hockey Federation at the 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic,” said PHF Commissioner Reagan Carey. “This event will be a special experience for the players and our league, as we continue to grow the game and move professional women’s hockey forward. We are always appreciative of opportunities to collaborate in the spirit of bringing hockey’s best together, and look forward to joining the ECHL in Norfolk for this exciting event.”
The 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic will consist of a tournament featuring the ECHL All-Stars and the Norfolk Admirals, with an integrated skills competition with points counting towards each team’s score. Bettez and Brodt will represent the PHF in the All-Star festivities, along with Emily Brown and Sam Cogan from the PWHPA. A player from each organization will participate on each of the teams for the All-Star Classic. This marks the second consecutive All-Star event that PHF and PWHPA members will participate. Four players from the PWHPA also participated in the 2020 event in Wichita.
“It is an honor to be welcoming back players from both the PHF and PWHPA to participate in the Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic for the third consecutive Season,” said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin. “The FanFest and All-Star Classic are about bringing everyone together to showcase our game of hockey, and adding these players alongside our ECHL athletes will heighten the experience as we embark on Norfolk.”
Bettez is in her first season with expansion Montreal, serving as the Force’s captain. During her career at McGill University, she captured three Canadian University National Championships while being named to the All-Canadian First Team in 2008-09 and 2011-12, the All-Canadian Second Team in 2007-08 and 2009-10, and was named U SPORTS Player of the Year in 2012. Bettez also has international experience, skating with Team Canada at the World Championship in 2019. The native of Sept-Îles, Quebec scored the very first goal in Force history, and has nine points in her first eight games.
“It’s a great honor to be able to represent the Montreal Force and the PHF during ECHL All-Star weekend,” said Bettez. “This will be my first time participating in such an event, and I’m very much looking forward to it.”
Brodt, who is the Whitecaps’ captain, is also in her first PHF season with the team after capturing league Most Valuable Player honors last season with the Linkoping Hockey Club in the Swedish Women’s Hockey League (SDHL). The North Oaks, Minnesota native was a three-time team captain at the University of Minnesota-Duluth from 2016-20. Internationally, Brodt won gold with the U.S. National Women’s Team at the 2019 World Championship. So far this season she’s recorded six points in nine games heading into the holiday break.
“I’m super excited to be representing the PHF and the Whitecaps at the ECHL All-Star Classic,” said Brodt. “It’s a super unique opportunity and I’m honored to compete in the event. It’s great to see the ECHL wants to showcase women’s hockey players and support our league, so I want to thank them for inviting us.”
At the 2022 event, the PHF’s Jillian Dempsey suited up for the host Jacksonville Icemen opposite Allie Thunstrom who scored a goal for the ECHL All-Stars in a 14-7 victory. Both Thunstrom and Dempsey competed in the Fastest Skater event recording times of 13.75 seconds and 14.74 seconds, respectively. The winning time was 13.01 seconds.
Tickets for the 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Sentara Healthcare and Optima Health are now available. CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets today! For more information on the 2023 ECHL All-Star Classic, visit. ECHL.com/allstar.
About the ECHL
Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 26 teams in 19 states and two Canadian provinces for its 32nd season in 2019-20. There have been 730 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including three who have made their NHL debut in the 2022-23 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 28 of the 32 NHL teams in 2022-23, marking the 26th consecutive season that the league has affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com as well as on Twitter and Facebook.
About the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF)
The PHF is the home of professional women’s hockey in North America. Established in 2015 as the National Women’s Hockey League, the NWHL rebranded to become the PHF in 2021 and provide opportunities for elite athletes to earn a living playing the game they love while fueling the continued growth of the sport. The league is made up of the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, Montreal Force, and the Toronto Six who all compete annually for the Isobel Cup. As part of a two-year agreement with ESPN, live coverage of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 PHF seasons is available exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States, and provides international rights for games which includes TSN in Canada. For more information visit premierhockeyfederation.com.
