The Fearless, Frozen Females of Hockey

As professional women’s hockey experienced its first season since 2010-11 (dating back to the CWHL and the now-defunct WWHL) which saw two championships contested, the result was an exceptional number of historic firsts. Adding to the sense of history was the fact that there were many unique coincidences and connections, contributing to a new chapter of six degrees of separation in women’s hockey. The inaugural Isobel Cup was contested in Newark , New Jersey , home of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, and captured by the NWHL’s Boston Pride. With the win, Boston became the first women’s hockey city to capture women’s hockey titles in two separate leagues. The Blades captured the CWHL’s Clarkson Cup in 2013 and 2015, while the Pride became the NWHL’s first-ever champions. Although the Pride enjoyed the jubilation of being crowned as champions, it was an event noted by compassion as the squad dedicated their Cup victory to Denna Laing, who suffered a career-ending injury at the inau...

Having quickly established herself as one of the most talented Canadian-born players in the NWHL, donning the colors of the Buffalo Beauts, the opportunity to claim the gold medal at the 2016 Nations Cup has resulted in Shelby Bram gaining a unique place in hockey history. Competing with  Canada ’s national team Under-22/Development Team, Bram was one of the veteran leaders propelling the team to a gold medal triumph against  Finland . Of note, Bram made her first appearance with the Under-22/Development Team in 2012, earning a bronze medal at the Meco Cup. Having also played for Canada at the 2011 IIHF U18 Women's Worlds, Bram was part of a silver medal effort in the event. For Bram, gold at the 2016 edition of the Nations Cup represents sweet redemption.  Several 2015 NWHL Draft picks also played alongside Bram in the golden outcome. Shannon MacAulay, a fifth round pick of the Boston Pride was joined by current Clarkson Golden Knights teammate Erin Am...