2018–19 NWHL season
The 2018–19 NWHL season is the fourth season of the National Women's Hockey League. All four teams from the previous three seasons returned: the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, and the Metropolitan Riveters while the Minnesota Whitecaps entered the league as an expansion team bringing the league to five teams. League news and notes This is the first full season of the Buffalo Beauts being owned and controlled by Pegula Sports and Entertainment, the owners of the Buffalo Sabres NHL team, instead of the league. The Beauts took part in a doubleheader event immediately before a Sabres game on December 29, 2018, at KeyBank Center. On May 15, 2018, the league announced its first expansion franchise; the Minnesota Whitecaps had been purchased by the league and had joined the NWHL for the 2018–19 season. The Whitecaps had played in the Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL) from 2004 to 2011 and then operated independently from any league after the WWHL ceased operations, including playing a few exhibition games against other NWHL teams during the inaugural 2015–16 season. On August 13, 2018, the Minnesota Wild revealed its partnership with the Whitecaps. As part of a cross-promotional marketing agreement, the Whitecaps' home opener on October 6 at the TRIA Rink, the Wild's practice facility, became part of a doubleheader to take place before the Wild's home opener at the Xcel Energy Center. August 21, 2018: The Whitecaps' new logo and colors of blue, while, silver and black were unveiled. September 29, 2018: The Champions Cup was played between the NWHL's 2018 Isobel Cup champion Metropolitan Riveters and the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) 2018 champion Luleå HF at Hobey Baker Memorial Rink in Princeton, New Jersey. Luleå defeated the Riveters 4–2. The game had been originally scheduled to take place at Norrbotten Arena in Sweden, but scheduling challenges forced a relocation. Luleå January 10, 2019: The Boston Pride and the NHL's Boston Bruins announced a partnership to further promote women's hockey in Massachusetts. The partnership makes the Pride the fourth NWHL to become officially associated with an NHL team. At the conclusion of the season, the league had set new attendance records with 16 sold out games, led by the Whitecaps selling out all ten home games including the playoffs. One league movement Starting in March 2018 and throughout the off-season, current and former players took to social media to promote the concept of one unified professional women's hockey league between the NWHL and the Canadian Women's Hockey League. Players utilized the hashtag #OneLeague to indicate their support. The push continued during the NWHL All-Star Game. Head coaching and front office personnel changes Head coaches All-Star Game The 2019 NWHL All-Star Game and its Weekend festivities took place on February 9–10, 2019, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The skills challenge took place on February 9 at the Ford Ice Center, the Nashville Predators' practice facility, in front of a sell-out crowd. Kendall Coyne Schofield of the Minnesota Whitecaps won the fastest skater,