After the NWHL made news on Wednesday with a Toronto expansion team starting to bind, Hailey Salvian of The Athletic suggested that a league announcement could be revealed this week. This was told to The Athletic by a person with direct knowledge of the NWHL’s plans.
Last week, The Associated Press learnt that the league was working to add a sixth team while also noting that it would be managed by Miles Arnone and coach Margaret “Digit” Murphy.
With the league holding back on details to make their unveiling at the end of the month, Marisa Ingemi reported that at least three members of the PWHPA had been recruited successfully. Not only that, but she also suggested that a handful of others at the time were in contract talks.
With Hailey Salvian of The Athletic confirming that at least two members had joined the expansion team, she noted that both are non-national team members who are joining the league from the GTA chapter.
Fast forward to Wednesday evening, a matter of hours after headlines surfaced, The Puck Authority learnt that those being recruited in some shape or form had connections to Digit.
With Digit Murphy active, constructing a roster and recruiting more talent, assumptions can be made that the coach, at this time, has only reached out to GTA chapter players. However, as pieces continue to form, one source believes its more than just local players.
While fixated on that note and the PWHPA knowing two at this time, The Puck Authority learnt that the NWHL has been rather consistent, reaching out for a bit now. While not able to confirm the origins exactly of Murphy’s outreach, the source said that the NWHL has reached out to basically all 200 members.
The Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) was launched back in May of 2019 after 200 athletes came together as one, agreeing to sit out until their product was recognized. With visibility being the driver, these athletes spent the last six months embarking on the Dream Gap Tour, displaying their talents.
Majority of the PA’s players are currently members of the National Women’s Team’s for USA Hockey and Hockey Canada respectively. Founded to demand equal structure, the PWHPA has made it their mission to establish a league with a sustainable, long-term economic model. As such, it would meet the pro standards with a couple of examples being travel and infrastructure.
Fast forward to Tuesday morning with further details now hitting the surface, Salvian reported that the impending team has already signed five former members of the PA.
Perhaps this comes as no surprise to those that know what Digit Murphy is capable of as she previously spent 18 seasons in the NCAA as head coach of the Brown Bears. During her time in Rhode Island, Murphy made history with Brown University. She won 318 games, later booking an NCAA women’s ice hockey record.
Once those days came to an end, Murphy joined the CWHL, being named as GM and head coach of the Blades. She would hold that same post for three seasons before leaving the franchise to tackle a new challenge. In that, she found the Kunlun Red Star, the newest expansion team based out of China. She coached the club in Shenzhen for one season before heading Team China internationally as well.
As it is, in their movement for change, the PWHPA is constantly evolving, however, in addition to the novel coronavirus, players are leaving and resources limiting. As Marisa Ingemi reported, at the end of the NWHL season, at least three players had departed the PA.
Defensemen Lisa Chesson was one of them, re-signing with Buffalo for the upcoming season. While it’s unclear who else is walking, Jayna Hefford said on Monday evening she’s not concerned with the league’s plans to expand.
That of course due to visibility which many of the players have come to demand. Discussing what the women’s game needs and the fight for change that they continue embarking on, Hefford said to The Canadian Press, “We’ve been very clear about what we believe the next professional women’s league needs to look like. We don’t believe those things currently are offered in any women’s pro league.”
Despite the reality they face, Jordan Juron left for Boston in January. When speaking of the decision to leave, she said in a statement to Hailey Salvian, “I just want to play”, and she did just that in the Isobel Cup playoffs. As Hailey cited at the time, there, she joined Mallory Souliotis who left the PA to sign with Boston in June.
While discussing this idea in depth through the help they’ve received for the last six months, Jayna Hefford spoke of hockey from the business side, care for the players, daily needs and infrastructure. Adding to the “barnstorming” Dream Gap Tour, Hockey Canada assisted the players with ice to practice on, private trainers and necessities. Occasionally, team workouts were scheduled in an effort to help before the Women’s World Championship. Unfortunately, the last one was cancelled due to concern of the spreading coronavirus.
Addressing those pointers specifically, Hefford said of all the parts that go into it, “Ticketing, public relations and marketing, having access to daily ice time, full-time coaching staffs and medical staffs, strength and conditioning people and year-round medical and health insurance, a living wage, there’s all these elements we believe that if we don’t fight for them now . . . the time is now in our minds.”
While the PA believes in the product they’re building for a brighter tomorrow, the NWHL sent a letter out on Tuesday in an attempt to recruit players for the expansion team. Of course, that being the case as the league gets ready to fill arenas in Toronto.
In addition to that, the goal of the letter was to share collected data while also attempting to shed light on misconceptions. The letter, co-authored by Anya Packer, was forwarded to schools and many forthcoming athletes.
When contacted for comment on the letter, league spokesman Chris Botta said, “The league’s investors and leaders wanted to address some myths, share data and provide transparency and truth while remaining respectful to everyone.”
With many unknown answers as to what the NWHL offers, one of the most asked questions must be that of player coverage and protection. Speaking to that end of the spectrum, the communication notes that the league “provides insurance to all players to cover any injuries playing in the league.”
With health being a top priority, the NWHL said in response to those concerns, “Our aim is to extend insurance coverage to include full health insurance for all players.”
They say this while maintaining the stance that the direction they’re following leaves the game in good stature. As the league cites to that regard, “It is the NWHL’s view that a women’s professional league should be built from the ground up to stand on its own.”
Back in 2018, the NWHL expanded to Minnesota, this allowing for the launch of the Whitecaps who now play home games at Tria Rink in St. Paul. Adding a fifth team to the mix was a big step forward for the league and Dani Rylan. Upon their official introduction, commissioner Rylan happily said of the addition, “Just having Minnesota in the NWHL expands our national footprint and grows our game in so many ways. This is a monumental step for the NWHL.”
Of course, this was only the start with the first phase complete and more expansions to come. Not only that, but the Whitecaps became the NWHL’s first team found outside of the northeast.
Once finalized, Minnesota recruited stars Kendall Coyne Schofield and defensemen Lee Stecklein. Both former NWHL’ers are currently members of the U.S. National Women’s Team. In addition to that, Kendall Coyne Schofield is a leading member of the PWHPA.
This was a matter of trying for the pro women’s hockey league based out of Brooklyn and now in the club’s second season, they take on the Pride in the Isobel Cup Final. This is with thanks to Allie Thunstrom, Amanda Boulier, Allie Morse and Amanda Leveille.
After a successful first placement, the league’s goals are similar when they look at Toronto. Phase two comes about at a time when the world is on pause due to COVID-19. It’s their first team on Canadian soil which also means changes to healthcare and resources.
As per Kristina Rutherford, the idea at this time last year was to bring their expansion to the GTA. Hailey Salvian confirmed this report while citing Montreal as a potential landing spot. While both were heavily considered, those plans fell through with nothing fluid in motion.
Fast forward again to Wednesday morning, the NWHL formally announced their newest team for the league’s sixth season. While the ownership group for the team is headed by Johanna Neilson Boynton, the league announced that Tyler Tumminia will be added to ownership as the new team’s chairman.
Tumminia joins coach Digit Murphy in assembling the roster that will debut in November. Speaking of which, due to coronavirus, the start date for the year was pushed back, however, as reported by Marisa Ingemi, that’s not the league’s only change that stands out. As a result, the schedule is minimized from 24 to 20 regular season games, however, despite that, they’re considering the idea of bringing back the three-game playoff series for the postseason. With that, there’s a very strong chance of all teams competing for the Isobel Cup.
As cited in the league’s news release, Ty Tumminia, in recent years, was named one of the Top 25 Female Executives by Bleacher Report. Additionally, for her work as a sports owner, she received the Game Changer award from Sports Business Journal. Tumminia, a female sports executive, joins the NWHL with an MLB scouting background.
Tumminia will be working with Murphy who was named team president on Wednesday morning. With that, she will oversee the hiring of a general manager and head coach for the franchise. Having spent the last few weeks recruiting GTA talent to construct the team’s roster, the league unveiled their first five players, all tied to the city through the CWHL.
As such, when the team hits the ice for their NWHL debut in just seven months time, they will be led by Shiann Darkangelo, Kristen Barbara, Elaine Chuli and Taylor Woods. Also joining Toronto’s expansion team from Burlington, On is defensemen Emma Greco. As per Eleni Demestihas of The Ice Garden, Shiann Darkangelo and Emma Greco are both previous members of the NWHL.
Demestihas also notes that while both played for the Connecticut Whale, Darkangelo also played for the Buffalo Beauts. Speaking of the club down the road, Eric Tiedemann says as per a source that Elaine Chuli was a fourth backstop for the Beauts this season. She filled that role while playing for the PWHPA in the GTA West chapter.
Starting with the Toronto-based backstop, Elaine Chuli played one season in Shenzhen while playing the next year with the Toronto Furies. A native of Waterford, Ontario, Chuli was ranked as the No. 1 goaltender at the University of Connecticut before joining the Vanke Rays. She played four NCAA seasons before taking her talents overseas to China.
Looking at the goalie’s accomplishments, Elaine Chuli represented Team Canada at the U-18 World Championships in 2012. Playing with some GTA teammates, Chuli-25-years-old, helped lead her country to a gold medal victory. Most recently, she played with Team Spooner taking on Team Daoust at the Secret Women’s Showcase.
Joining her from the Toronto Furies is American left-winger Shiann Darkangelo. Darkangelo, on two separate occasions, has taken the ice for the National Women’s Team, winning a gold in 2016 when the Women’s World Championship was hosted in Kamloops. Not only that, but she also appeared in the 4 Nations Cup representing Team USA.
Hailing from Royal Oaks, Michigan, Darkangelo played in the NWHL where she split two seasons between Connecticut and Buffalo. During her time in the league, the forward had a rather strong following before she departed for the Kunlun Red Star. Looking at the winger’s accomplishments, Shiann Darkangelo won gold with the National Team at the 2011 U-18 World Championships. Prior to playing pro hockey, Darkangelo, 26, played at Syracuse while also spending two seasons with Quinnipiac.
A teammate from the Quinnipiac Bobcats, Emma Greco joins the Waterford goalie and Shiann Darkangelo in the NWHL. Greco, a native of Burlington, played with both recruits on the Toronto Furies. A true defensemen, the 25-year-old can be drawn in during all situations. She is naturally a stay-at-home type, can be relied on and is overly capable.
Once her days at college concluded, Greco joined the NWHL, playing one season with the Connecticut Whale. Like Darkangelo, Greco played at Quinnipiac where she spent four seasons with the Bobcats in Hamden. After her term with the Whale, Greco went home, signing on with the Furies.
Also from GTA West is Canadian forward Taylor Woods. Woods is a former member of the Markham Thunder of the CWHL. She joined the league in 2016 after spending four seasons with the CornellU Big Red. In the last of her four years at college, Woods was given the honour of serving the team as an alternate captain. She did so in her senior year where she closed out her tenure often looked at as memorable.
Once she made the leap to pro, Woods joined the Thunder in Brampton where she became a regular in the team’s starting formation. Playing under head coach Jim Jackson, the forward helped her team to the Clarkson Cup championship in 2019. Not only that, but the Morden native represented for Team Canada, securing a gold medal at the U-18 World Championships. The 25-year-old won her first gold back in 2012 when it was hosted in Czechia. Amongst Woods’ biggest assets are versatility which she’ll bring next season.
Last, but not least, Canadian defensemen Kristen Barbara. Barbara, 27-years-old is originally a native of Mount hope, Ontario who joined the Thunder back in 2016 after spending five seasons with the YorkU Lions. After making the jump from U Sports, the right-handed shooter joined the team in Brampton for just one season before they transferred to Markham.
Once the team found their new home, Barbara was used as an extra and played alongside Woods at the Thornhill Community Centre. Like Woods, who comes from Manitoba, Barbara helped the relocated team to the Clarkson Cup championship in 2019. All in all, Barbara, 27, spanned two full seasons in the CWHL.
Speaking of the work that’s been done, team president Digit Murphy said of those who were added, “We welcome Kristen, Elaine, Shiann, Emma and Taylor – five talented and highly driven players who will help our team contend for the Isobel Cup while advancing women’s professional hockey in the inclusive and incredible city of Toronto. I’m very proud that these five outstanding leaders, who all are connected to the Toronto community, have joined our roster.”
Once the league announced their expansion plans, commissioner Rylan said on Wednesday morning, “Launching our first team in Canada is a pivotal and proud moment for the NWHL. Everyone in the Toronto hockey community can be sure that this first-class team of professionals will make bold strides for the women’s game.”
The message was fairly similar when she took to Twitter just a short time after. “Words can’t express how proud I am of this pivotal moment for the NWHL,” she said. “Everyone in the Toronto hockey community can be sure that this first-class team of professionals will make bold strides for the women’s game. Let’s go @TorontoNWHL!!”
Murphy joined the Toronto expansion, helping make history while building a roster. With the team primarily run by women, Murphy joins the NWHL while bringing a handful of insight and knowledge. Outside of her role as a coach, Digit is an entrepreneur as well as an advocate for women’s pro sports. As mentioned by the league, Murphy’s work largely consists of providing female leaders to the corporate workforce.
When speaking of what she has done and what’s still to do in preparation for November, she said on Wednesday, “We have plenty of work ahead. Our team in Toronto is led by women, and we are providing opportunities and jobs in the GTA for hockey players, coaches, and staff. This team will proudly represent Toronto and compete for the NWHL championship, and will also be dedicated to empowering younger female athletes through community engagement and education. We welcome everyone who wants to be part of a challenging and rewarding venture.”
Speaking of the journey they’re embarking on, the press release cites that the name, venue and staffing will all be announced in the weeks and months ahead. Of course, with Dani Rylan’s consent, these decisions will be made collaboratively by Digit Murphy, Ty Tumminia and Johanna Boynton.
After seeing what they have done with the early success of the Minnesota Whitecaps, Boynton said the league’s mission in Toronto, “We aspire to build a perennial Isobel Cup contender for Toronto. This will be an organization with strong fan, community and corporate support, outstanding coaching, training, and player development, and a club dedicated to promoting hockey as a game for everyone. Although this pandemic is challenging everyone in profound ways today, and we are very mindful of that, our outlook for women’s sports remains positive. We are launching this team now because we believe in the future.”
Speaking of the game’s ahead, it’s understood that Toronto’s players will join the pool of NWHL players receiving 50 percent of revenue from all league-level, Canadian and U.S. national sponsorship and media deals. This of course being the athletes who have signed with the team for the upcoming season.
During the season now past, the NWHL was streaming all games on Twitch while making them available in the U.S. and Canada. Not only that, but they were free of charge with crews set in Boston, New Jersey and Minnesota. With the Toronto news now official, the league expects to broaden their horizons with more national and regional broadcast deals across the boarder. Like any long-term projects, it will be looked at over seasons to come.
With pro women’s hockey amongst the concerns for a happier future, making it visible is not only key, but the only answer as they strive for equality. In adding a sixth team to the fold, this will be the next thing for the league to take note of.
Speaking to greater depths of how they plan to grow the sport in Toronto, Boynton concluded her statement in saying, “The advancement of a professional women’s hockey league for Canada and the U.S., one that will stand and flourish on its own, is a passion for me and everyone associated with the NWHL. We are driven every day to increase the opportunities available to women’s hockey players of all ages, and that’s what this expansion is all about. There is so much potential, and Toronto is the logical next step. I look forward to working closely with players, staff, sponsors, and fans to give Toronto the team the community deserves.”
Before a new team starts playing, there is still one thing the league has to do and that is anointing the Isobel Cup winners once it is safe for pro sports to resume. The championship game was postponed after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. The Whitecaps were to take on the Pride in the winner takes all back on March 13th.
Given the concerns on a global scale, Rylan is monitoring the situation actively. Even once it’s seen as safe, it won’t be played until the league has convened with a panel of experts in the fans best interest. Once they are given the go-ahead, a date will be booked and this year’s champions named.
Taking a quick peek at league highlights, the NWHL and NWHLPA came to terms on a 50-50 revenue split agreement. This would benefit the players, making added profit on sponsorship and media deals. League-wide sponsors include, but are not limited to a handful of partners. These include Dunkin’ Donuts, American Giant, Rocket Sport and Chipwich. With the support they garnered, the NWHL had, as cited, its best year of partnership marketing in its history.
With pro women’s hockey returning, the same will be said for the team in Toronto. It will not only attract handfuls of fans, but could bring on new sponsors to support the new franchise.
Adding on Twitch in September, the league took a shot at doing something unique and having just finished the season, the data that showed simply couldn’t be better. Finishing the first of three seasons that the league has signed on for with the online streaming service, they not only carried 24 games, but they hosted a talk show called NWHL Open Ice. The show, hosted by GamerDoc, was created to engage the staff and players with the fans. As such, with the weekend streams carried, they managed to generate 8 million views – a 93 percent increase from what they garnered the year prior. With the initial goal of creating a platform for women’s pro ice hockey, these surely played a big part, helping keep the game relevant and fans entertained.
In a statement from Mayor John Tory, he said with pride on Wednesday morning, “Toronto is without question the sports capital of Canada. The addition of a Toronto team for the National Women’s Hockey League is most welcome by our city and one that I know many Torontonians will embrace as they have with all of our other sports teams. Our city has a rich history with professional women’s hockey and we are excited to begin this next chapter with the NWHL. I hope that this team achieves success and longevity in our city and that this team will serve as an inspiration for young girls to pursue careers in professional sports.”
With the expansion team in place after seeing five players come together with Murphy, The Puck Authority reached out for comment to defensemen Michelle Saunders on Wednesday morning. As a player involved with the PA, yet a women’s hockey player not with the national team, Saunders responded saying later on Wednesday, “I can say that my opinion/stance hasn’t changed since the announcement and although I would love to have a league to play in right now, I don’t think the expansion is the right thing for women’s hockey in the long term. I have nothing against the NWHL, I just want to be able to have an option for women who want to play in a sustainable and profitable league and I don’t believe the NWHL can provide that.”
With only five players walking, this is the view most of them share as the holdout continues for a sustainable future. With this in the back of their minds, the Toronto executives are pushing for change and while these placements are only step one, the reality is it’s gonna take much more. With that being considered, Johanna Neilson Boynton said on Wednesday morning, “The way to continue my commitment to growing women’s hockey and providing the opportunity to play in a pro league that was financially sustainable was to INVEST – not just $ but also time and energy.”
Concluding with similar thoughts, Digit Murphy said with confidence on Wednesday morning, “The three pillars of Toronto NWHL are inclusion, empowerment, and education. We want to build people up. We want to grow and lead and not disempower people. It’s about working together and rowing the boat in the same direction.”