Unbelievable: Due to a setback, the head coach of the Boston pwHL announced her departure from the team.
It’s almost time for the season preview as the first PWHL season approaches! In Boston, professional women’s hockey has a rich past. Three of the seven PHF Isobel Cup championships were won by the Boston Pride, and two of the nine CWHL seasons were won by the Boston Blades. Without further ado, let’s look at how PWHL Boston can build on the accomplishments of their predecessors this season.
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Players on the final roster and current staff members
Here is a look at PWHL Boston’s final roster first. Each player’s contract term and status as a free agent, draft pick, or camp invitee are listed on the list.
Moving forward The only player selected by Boston who did not report to training camp was Tatum Skaggs. PWHL Boston selected her 82nd overall, but she did not go to training camp. The 25-year-old participated in the PWHPA last season, starting 18 games and scoring six points. Her goals for the hockey team are unknown.
Three players from Boston’s training camp were also waived.
Following through on a shot during a Boston Pride game is McKenna Brand.
Following through on a shot during a Boston Pride game is McKenna Brand. Image Source: The Boston Pride Forward/Michelle Jay Boston waived McKenna Brand along with other players. The 27-year-old played for the Boston Pride of the PHF for the previous five seasons, scoring 87 points in 91 games. For the past three seasons, the two-time Isobel Cup winner has been the Pride’s alternate captain. Her goals for the hockey team are unknown.
Goaltender Lindsay Browning was also waived by Boston. The 24-year-old, who just finished an amazing college career at Cornell University, participated in a few games with the PWHPA last season. At Cornell, she set several records in terms of career goals against average (GAA) and save percentage (SV%). In her second season, she was a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award (2019–20). It is unknown whether Browning plans to play ice hockey for a living. Currently, she is an associate coach for the Holy Cross women’s team.
Not to mention, after Lauren MacInnis finished her college career at Northeastern University and played her first professional season abroad, Boston waived the defender. Despite his reputation as a stay-at-home defender, the 25-year-old managed to score eight points in 16 games played in three different professional leagues in Sweden and Austria last season. Her goals for the hockey team are unknown.
Best Strength
Goaltending General Manager Danielle Marmer developed Aerin Frankel and Emma Söderberg into what is arguably the best tandem in the league. Frankel is only 24 years old, and Söderberg is only 15 months older at 25. Both of them are young. Still, these two goalies rank among the best in the world already.
Frankel is an incredible player who started for Team USA recently and had a stellar collegiate career. She guided the United States to their first gold at the IIHF World Championship in four years earlier this year. She was also among the top goalies on the PWHPA’s Dream Gap Tour the previous year. If necessary, she can already steal games for Boston, and she seems to be getting better all the time.
Söderberg, meanwhile, recently completed a stellar collegiate career at UMD and has been the core of Team Sweden’s global success for the past few years. This year at the world championship, she was the primary reason Sweden drove Canada to the verge of elimination, appearing unbeatable until Sarah Nurse finally buried one in overtime. As a backup goalie, she is already a luxury, and her skills should only get better.
And lastly, Cami Kronish, their third goalie, is a formidable opponent. Her stellar 1.56 GAA and 0.932 SV% in her first season as the starter after several seasons as an incredibly dependable backup were a major factor in the University of Wisconsin’s victory last season.
All teams have excellent goalies, but Boston’s appears to be the strongest group. This season, they will carry them far.
