Penalty Box Post
Monday, Sept 28, 2020
GWH alumnae updates...
Schammel signs with PWHPA for 2020-2021 season
Following her decision in August to join the prep coaching ranks as the assistant coach of the Red Wing H.S. Wingers, Nicole Schammel has been named as the ninth Minnesota Women's Hockey alumna to sign with the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) for the 2020-2021 season, as posted on Twitter last Wednesday, September 23.
Schammel transitions into the PWHPA after playing last season as a member of the Minnesota Whitecaps in the NWHL, where she recorded 11 goals and 14 assists in 23 games (including the Isobel Cup playoffs). Schammel joins Megan Bozek, Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Amanda Kessel, Gigi Marvin, Kelly Pannek, Sarah Potomak, and Sydney Scobee as Gophers in the PWHPA for the upcoming year.
Woken heading to Germany for upcoming season
Catching up on some news from August, recent Gopher alumna Alex Woken became the third member of the 2019-2020 senior class to sign with a European team to start her professional career. Woken came to terms with Mad Dogs Mannheim in Germany, as announced by the team on Facebook on August 5.
Woken joins Patti Marshall (Brynas IF, Gavle, Sweden) and Katie Robinson (TPS, Turku, Finland) as Gophers headed across the Atlantic to continue playing following college.
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Olson named 2020 winner of Lester Patrick Trophy
Longtime Power Play Club member and women's hockey advocate Lynn Olson has been named "winner of the 2020 Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the United States," as announced by the National Hockey League this past Thursday, September 24.
Olson's involvement in women's ice hockey spans decades within Minnesota, across the U.S., and even in the international game as part of the group that lobbied the International Olympic Committee to add the sport to the Olympics. Olson was a member of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Women’s Task Force and Coach Selection Committee for establishing women's hockey as a varsity program for the Gophers.
As noted in the press release from the NHL, Olson will be honored along with the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Classes of 2020 and 2021 as part of the Hall's induction celebration in December 2021. Congratulations, Lynn!!
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IIHF announces cancellation of 2021 Women's Under-18 tournaments
Citing the recommendations of their COVID-19 Expert Group, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Council voted to cancel of all tiers of women's Under-18 tournaments for 2020-21 on Thursday, September 17. Lower division tournaments of the men's Under-20 category were also cancelled as part of that vote, but the top division men's U-20 tournament – the World Junior Championship – will still be played in a "bubble" format in Edmonton, Alberta, starting December 25, 2020. The U-18 Women's World Championship had been scheduled for January 5-12, 2021, in Linkoping & Mjolby, Sweden.
In addition to the cancellations, the IIHF Council determined that the Olympic Qualification tournaments will need to be rescheduled and are postponed until further notice.
As noted in the release from the Federation, the cancellations do not impact the men’s senior and women’s senior tournaments, including the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship. The 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey (Men’s) Under-18 World Championship and all other men’s U-18 tournaments are also unaffected.
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PPC Board of Directors meeting – October 14 at 7 p.m.
Here's a reminder that the Power Play Club Board of Directors will be meeting again on Wednesday evening, October 14, at 7 p.m. As with the previous meetings this off-season, the board will be meeting virtually on Zoom. All club members are welcomed to attend (2019-2020 membership applies).
The board is continuing its planning for the 2020-2021 season during this time of uncertainty. At minimum, a focus is set on expanded fundraising and financial support for the Gopher Women's Hockey program as the U. of M. Athletics Department contends with a severe budget crunch.
If you are interested in attending the meeting, please contact PPC president Bill Johnson at president@powerplayclub.org.
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Locker Sponsorship program open for 2020-2021 – We also provide another reminder that registration for the Power Play Club's Locker Sponsor membership level is open!! With a donation of $600 or more (per locker), the sponsor's name will be displayed on a nameplate attached to the respective player's locker. Following the season, members will also receive a photo of the team (sent electronically) and a link to the team's highlight video. (Please note that other benefits from past seasons may not be available this year; we thank you for your understanding and patience.)
Please contact Rennie McPherson at susanmcp@drsusanmcp.com if you are interested in registering as a Locker Sponsor or would like more information.
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Copyright © 2020 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.
Follow the Power Play Club online at www.powerplayclub.org, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PowerPlayClubMN, or on Twitter at twitter.com/powerplayclub.
Follow the Gopher women's hockey team and all Univ. of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics at www.gophersports.com. You can also find the Gopher women's hockey team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GopherWomensHockey and on Twitter at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.