2015–16 NWHL season

The 2015–16 NWHL season is the first season of operation of the National Women's Hockey League. Four teams competed for the inaugural Isobel Cup: the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, New York Riveters, and Connecticut Whale.

2015–16 NWHL season
LeagueNational Women's Hockey League
SportIce hockey
DurationOctober 11, 2015 – February 28, 2016
Inaugural draft
Top draft pickAlexandra Carpenter
Picked byNew York Riveters
Regular season
Season championsBoston Pride
Season MVPBrianna Decker
Top scorerHilary Knight
Isobel Cup
ChampionsBoston Pride
  Runners-upBuffalo Beauts

League business
  • July 2015: The NWHL Foundation hosted a Canadian Training Camp Series in four different Canadian cities (Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Windsor).[1]
  • Late July 2015: A training camp for European players took place at Ristuccia Memorial Arena outside Boston on July 23, hosted by Boston Pride head coach Bobby Jay. Players from Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Germany and Japan attended.[2]

All-star game
Main article: 1st NWHL All-Star Game

The 1st NWHL All-Star Game was held January 24, 2016 at HarborCenter in Buffalo, the home of the Beauts.[3]

Regular season

Standings
Pos Team GP W L OTL W% GF GA GD Pts
1 y – Boston Pride 18 14 3 1 0.806 75 39 +36 29
2 Connecticut Whale 18 13 5 0 0.722 61 51 +10 26
3 Buffalo Beauts 18 5 9 4 0.389 56 66 −10 14
4 New York Riveters 18 4 12 2 0.278 40 76 −36 10
Source: NWHL
y – Clinched division

Playoffs
Semifinals Finals
      
1 Boston Pride 2
4 New York Riveters 0
1 Boston Pride 2
3 Buffalo Beauts 0
2 Connecticut Whale 1
3 Buffalo Beauts 2

Statistics

Scoring leaders
  • The following players led the league in regular season points at the conclusion of season.
Player Team GP G A Pts PIM
Hilary KnightBoston Pride171518338
Brianna DeckerBoston Pride1714152920
Kelli StackConnecticut Whale178142224
Kelly BabstockConnecticut Whale189132224
Kelley SteadmanBuffalo Beauts131372016

Milestones
MilestonePlayerTeamDate
First goalJessica KoizumiConnecticut WhaleOct 11, 2015
First Canadian to score a goalKelly BabstockConnecticut WhaleOct 11, 2015
First European to log an assistLyudmila BelyakovaNew York RivetersOct 11, 2015
First multi-goal gameHilary Knight (2 goals)Boston PrideOct 11, 2015
First multi-point gameKelli Stack (3 points)Connecticut WhaleOct 11, 2015
First multi-point game by a defensemanKacey Bellamy (2 points)Boston PrideOct 11, 2015
First goaltending winJaimie LeonoffConnecticut WhaleOct 11, 2015
First American-born goaltender to win a regular season gameBrittany OttBoston PrideOct 11, 2015
First African-American player to compete in the NWHLBlake BoldenBoston PrideOct 11, 2015
First hat trickBrianna DeckerBoston PrideOct 25, 2015
First international goaltender to win a regular season gameNana FujimotoNew York RivetersNov 15, 2015
First shootout goalKelly BabstockConnecticut WhaleNov 22, 2015
First European to score a goalYekaterina SmolentsevaConnecticut WhaleDec 13, 2015
First shutout gameBrittany OttBoston PrideDec 20, 2015

Awards and honors
  • Brianna Decker, Boston Pride, 2016 NWHL Most Valuable Player
  • Hilary Knight, Boston Pride, 2016 NWHL Scoring Champion
  • Denna Laing, Boston Pride, 2016 NWHL Perseverance Award
  • Denna Laing, Boston Pride, 2016 NWHL Foundation Award
  • Gigi Marvin, Boston Pride, 2016 NWHL Defensive Player of the Year Award
  • Brittany Ott, Boston Pride, 2016 NWHL Goaltender of the Year

Transactions

NWHL draft

The 2015 NWHL draft took place in Boston on June 22, 2015. The draft was not binding on the players, who did not enter their names and did not have to give their consent.[4] It was not clear that the players felt themselves bound by the decisions made in the draft.[5] However, during the season the NWHL was frequently active on social media about draft picks' success in the NCAA, and on April 1, 2016 the NWHL announced [6] that the draft would be enforced insofar as there would be salary cap penalties for teams that signed other teams' draftees.

A draft lottery was held by NWHL commissioner Dani Rylan, with the New York Riveters earning the first pick overall.[7]

Notable first round picks included University of Minnesota forward Hannah Brandt by Connecticut, Northeastern University forward Kendall Coyne by Boston, and University of Wisconsin defenseman Courtney Burke by Buffalo.[8][9]

= Indicates player with a prior Olympic appearance
= Indicates player with prior IIHF experience without appearing in the Olympics
# Player Pos Nationality Team College/Junior/Club Team (League)
1 Alexandra Carpenter F New York Riveters Boston College (HEA)
2 Hannah Brandt F Connecticut Whale University of Minnesota (WCHA)
3 Kendall Coyne F Boston Pride Northeastern (HEA)
4 Courtney Burke D Buffalo Beauts University of Wisconsin (WCHA)
5 Haley Skarupa F New York Riveters Boston College (HEA)
6 Michelle Picard D Connecticut Whale Harvard University (ECAC)
7 Emerance Maschmeyer G Boston Pride Harvard University (ECAC)
8 Sarah Lefort F Buffalo Beauts Boston University (HEA)
9 Erin Ambrose D New York Riveters Clarkson University (ECAC)
10 Milica McMillen D Connecticut Whale University of Minnesota (WCHA)
11 Lexi Bender D Boston Pride Boston College (HEA)
12 Amanda Leveille G Buffalo Beauts University of Minnesota (WCHA)
13 Dana Trivigno F New York Riveters Boston College (HEA)
14 Maryanne Menefee F Connecticut Whale University of Minnesota (WCHA)
15 Miye D'Oench F Boston Pride Harvard University (ECAC)
16 Emily Janiga F Buffalo Beauts Mercyhurst College (CHA)
17 Kimberly Newell G New York Riveters Princeton University (ECAC)
18 Cassandra Poudrier D Connecticut Whale Cornell University (ECAC)
19 Shannon MacAulay F Boston Pride Clarkson University (ECAC)
20 Jenna Dingeldein F Buffalo Beauts Mercyhurst College (CHA)

Free agency
Date Player Team
June 11, 2015Janine Weber[10]New York Riveters
June 23, 2015Amanda Pelkey[11]Boston Pride
June 25, 2015Shiann Darkangelo[12]Connecticut Whale
June 25, 2015Sam Faber[12]Connecticut Whale
June 25, 2015Chelsea Laden[12]Connecticut Whale
June 26, 2015Celeste Brown[13]New York Riveters
June 30, 2015Kiira Dosdall[14]New York Riveters
June 30, 2015Morgan Fritz-Ward[14]New York Riveters
July 1, 2015Kaleigh Fratkin[15]Connecticut Whale
July 1, 2015Brianne McLaughlin[16]Buffalo Beauts
July 2, 2015Blake Bolden[17]Boston Pride
July 2, 2015Jillian Dempsey[17]Boston Pride
July 2, 2015Alyssa Gagliardi[17]Boston Pride
July 6, 2015Emily Field[18]Boston Pride
July 6, 2015Jordan Smelker[18]Boston Pride
July 9, 2015Jessica Koizumi[19]Connecticut Whale
July 9, 2015Devon Skeats[20]Buffalo Beauts
July 9, 2015Danielle Ward[19]Connecticut Whale
July 9, 2015Erin Zach[20]Buffalo Beauts
July 10, 2015Beth Hanrahan[21]New York Riveters
July 10, 2015Brittany Ott[21]Boston Pride
July 13, 2015Lindsay Grigg[22]Buffalo Beauts
July 13, 2015Kelly McDonald[22]Buffalo Beauts
July 14, 2015Madison Packer[23]New York Riveters
July 17, 2015Micaela Long[24]Connecticut Whale
July 17, 2015Nicole Stock[24]Connecticut Whale
July 24, 2015Kelly Cooke[25]Boston Pride
July 24, 2015Marissa Gedman[25]Boston Pride
July 25, 2015Lyudmila Belyakova[26]New York Riveters
July 26, 2015Ashley Johnston[27]New York Riveters
July 26, 2015 Tara TomimotoConnecticut Whale
July 26, 2015 Jaimie Leonoff[28]Connecticut Whale
July 26, 2015Shenae Lundberg[27]New York Riveters
July 27, 2015Nana Fujimoto[29]New York Riveters
July 31, 2015Corinne Buie[30]Boston Pride
July 31, 2015Elena Orlando[30]New York Riveters
August 3, 2015Meghan Fardelmann[31]New York Riveters
August 3, 2015Lauren Slebodnick[31]Boston Pride
August 4, 2015Kelly Babstock[32]Connecticut Whale
August 6, 2015Hailey Browne[33]Buffalo Beauts
August 6, 2015Kimberly Sass[33]Buffalo Beauts
August 7, 2015Shelby Bram[34]Buffalo Beauts
August 7, 2015Tatiana Rafter[34]Buffalo Beauts
August 11, 2015Paige Harrington[35]Buffalo Beauts
August 11, 2015Rachel Llanes[35]Boston Pride
August 11, 2015Amanda Makela[36]Buffalo Beauts
August 11, 2015Jenny Scrivens[36]New York Riveters
August 11, 2015Hayley Williams[35]Buffalo Beauts
August 13, 2015Brittney Dougherty[37]Connecticut Whale
August 13, 2015Shannon Doyle[37]Connecticut Whale
August 15, 2015Gabie Figueroa[38]New York Riveters
August 15, 2015Kourtney Kunichika[38]Buffalo Beauts
August 15, 2015Yekaterina Smolentseva[39]Connecticut Whale
August 16, 2015Brooke Ammerman[40]New York Riveters
August 17, 2015Jessica Fickel[41]Buffalo Beauts
August 17, 2015Kelsie Fralick[41]Boston Pride
August 17, 2015Bray Ketchum[41]New York Riveters
August 18, 2015Erin Barley-Maloney[42]New York Riveters
August 18, 2015Molly Engstrom[43]Connecticut Whale
August 18, 2015Zoe Hickel[44]Boston Pride
August 18, 2015Hannah McGowan[42]Buffalo Beauts
September 22, 2015Kacey Bellamy[45]Boston Pride
September 23, 2015Brianna Decker[46]Boston Pride
September 23, 2015Gigi Marvin[47]Boston Pride
September 24, 2015Lindsay Berman[48]Connecticut Whale
September 24, 2015Jordan Brickner[48]Connecticut Whale
September 24, 2015Sydney Kidd[48]New York Riveters
September 24, 2015Emily Pfalzer[49]Buffalo Beauts
September 24, 2015Kelli Stack[50]Connecticut Whale
September 24, 2015Alyssa Wohlfeiler[48]Connecticut Whale
September 25, 2015Megan Bozek[51]Buffalo Beauts
September 25, 2015Meghan Duggan[52]Buffalo Beauts
September 25, 2015Hilary Knight[53]Boston Pride

Trades
January 27, 2016 (2016-01-27)[54] To \New York Riveters

Chelsea Laden

 To Connecticut Whale

Shenae Lundberg

References
  1. "NWHL Foundation To Host Canadian Training Camp Series | NWHL". Archived from the original on 2015-06-18. Retrieved 2015-06-17.
  2. "NWHL Announces International Team Camp | NWHL". Archived from the original on 2015-06-16. Retrieved 2015-06-17.
  3. "Buffalo lands all-star weekend". www.bizjournals.com. 2015. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  4. "Where Minnesota's Best Women Play After College - Articles - Articles - Articles - Wild Xtra". Archived from the original on 2016-11-04. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  5. "r/hockey - Comment by u/BazoozooTV on "AMA Alex Carpenter: The Women's Hockey Life"". reddit.
  6. "NWHL RFA Period and Draft Tax Complicates Offseason - TSS". Archived from the original on 2016-11-04. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  7. "Order Of Selection Announced For First Annual NWHL Entry Draft | NWHL". Archived from the original on 2017-08-02. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  8. "Five WCHA Players Selected During Inaugural NWHL Draft" (PDF). Western Collegiate Hockey Association. June 20, 2015. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  9. "Two former college hockey stars bypassed the NWHL to play for free". ESPN. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  10. "NWHL Announces Historic First Player Signing". NWHL. June 11, 2015. Archived from the original on June 21, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  11. "Amanda Pelkey Becomes First Player To Sign With Boston Pride". NWHL. June 23, 2015.
  12. "Whale Signs Darkangelo, Faber, & Laden". NWHL. June 25, 2015.
  13. "Former RIT Captain Brown Inks Deal With Riveters". NWHL. June 26, 2015.
  14. "New York Riveters Sign Dosdall and Fritz-Ward". NWHL. June 30, 2015.
  15. "Whale Signs Fratkin, First Canadian in the NWHL". NWHL. July 1, 2015.
  16. "Two-Time Olympic Silver Medalist McLaughlin Signs with Buffalo". NWHL. July 1, 2015.
  17. "Bolden, Gagliardi, and Dempsey Join Boston Pride". NWHL. July 2, 2015.
  18. "Former Collegiate Captains Field and Smelker Sign With Boston Pride". NWHL. July 6, 2015.
  19. "Whale Add Koizumi And Ward Ahead Of Inaugural Season". NWHL. July 9, 2015.
  20. "Skeats and Zach Sign After Toronto Free Agent Camp". NWHL. July 9, 2015.
  21. "Ott and Hanrahan Sign With Boston, New York". NWHL. July 10, 2015.
  22. "Grigg and McDonald, Beauts First Blue Liners". NWHL. July 13, 2015.
  23. "Riveters Add Power Forward with Packer". NWHL. July 14, 2015.
  24. "NCAA Veterans Stock and Long Sign with Connecticut". NWHL. July 17, 2015.
  25. "Pride Adds Ivy League Duo at Beantown Classic". NWHL. July 24, 2015.
  26. "Belyakova Signs With Riveters at International Camp". NWHL. July 25, 2015.
  27. "New York Adds Johnston, Lundberg from Union". NWHL. July 26, 2015.
  28. "Yale Alumnae Tomimoto and Leonoff Join Whale". NWHL. July 26, 2015.
  29. "Goaltender Fujimoto Joins Riveters After International Camp". NWHL. July 27, 2015.
  30. "Buie to Boston, Orlando to New York". NWHL. July 31, 2015.
  31. "Pride, Riveters Sign Slebodnick, Fardelmann". NWHL. August 3, 2015.
  32. "Prolific Forward Babstock Signs With Connecticut". NWHL. August 4, 2015.
  33. "Browne and Sass Head to Buffalo". NWHL. August 6, 2015.
  34. "Buffalo Adds Canadians Bram and Rafter". NWHL. August 7, 2015. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  35. "Llanes, Williams, and Harrington Sign NWHL Contracts". NWHL. August 11, 2015. Archived from the original on February 20, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  36. "Makela, Scrivens Sign with Buffalo, New York". NWHL. August 11, 2015.
  37. "Doyle and Dougherty Sign With Connecticut". NWHL. August 13, 2015.
  38. "Figueroa and Kunichika Join NWHL Teams". NWHL. August 15, 2015.
  39. "Legendary Olympian Smolentseva Joins the Whale". NWHL. August 15, 2015.
  40. "New York Signs Wisconsin Stand-Out Ammerman". NWHL. August 16, 2015.
  41. "Ketchum, Fickel, and Fralick Join NWHL Teams". NWHL. August 17, 2015.
  42. "Barley-Maloney, McGowan Agree to Play in NWHL". NWHL. August 18, 2015.
  43. "Two-Time Olympian Engstrom Agrees to Play in Connecticut". NWHL. August 18, 2015. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  44. "Zoe Hickel Agrees to Play for Boston". NWHL. August 18, 2015.
  45. "Olympian Bellamy Signs with Pride". NWHL. September 22, 2015.
  46. "US Olympian Decker Joins the Pride". NWHL. September 23, 2015.
  47. "Marvin Brings Versatility to Pride". NWHL. September 23, 2015.
  48. "Berman, Brickner, Kidd, Wohlfeiler Join NWHL". NWHL. September 24, 2015.
  49. "Boston College Standout Pfalzer Joins Buffalo". NWHL. September 24, 2015.
  50. "Team USA's Stack Heads to Connecticut". NWHL. September 24, 2015.
  51. "Olympic Silver Medalist Bozek Joins Beauts". NWHL. September 25, 2015.
  52. "Team USA Captain Duggan Joins Buffalo". NWHL. September 25, 2015.
  53. "Hilary Knight Signs with the Boston Pride". NWHL. September 25, 2015.
  54. "NWHL Announces First League Trade". NWHL. January 27, 2016. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
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