There is no replacing a player like Shannon Turner, but that didn’t stop the Connecticut Whale from making a big splash in free agency to do just that.
On April 20, the Whale signed veteran left-handed defender Kacey Bellamy out of retirement to a one-year, $120,000 contract. Bellamy represents much of what the Whale lost with Turner’s retirement – and more. She exudes leadership and has a wealth of experience, including three Clarkson Cups, an Isobel Cup, nine Worlds medals, and three Olympic medals. That’s a lot of winning being brought into the locker room of a team that is looking to go from Cup contender to Cup champion.
The big question facing the Whale is what role Bellamy will fill for the 2023-24 season and if there will be enough cap space to improve the depth of the blue line. We are still learning a lot about aging curves [1][2][3] in women’s hockey, but it is safe to say that Bellamy, who just turned 36, is no longer in her prime. However, that does not mean she cannot contribute as a top-pairing defender. Bellamy is not far removed from being one of the top players in her position in the world, and with the right deployment and d-partner she could immediately establish herself as elite once again.
The @BuffaloBeauts best chance in the 2nd was stopped by Kacey Bellamy (@kbells22) pic.twitter.com/xu2egovLyV
— NWHL Gifs (@nwhlgifs) October 8, 2016
Bellamy isn’t making 8% of Connecticut’s salary cap to play on the bottom pair. It’s all but guaranteed that she’ll play north of 20 minutes a night and be on the first penalty kill and power play units. And that is what her game is all about as a premier two-way defender – doing a little bit of everything at a high level.
In 30 games with the Boston Pride (2015-16, 2016-17) Bellamy scored 5 goals and picked up 18 assists. Of those 23 points, 8 were primary points recorded at even strength. Bellamy’s last pro season was played in 2018-19 with the Calgary Inferno. That year, she picked up 21 points in 27 games as Calgary’s highest-scoring defender. She finished her CWHL career averaging 0.58 Pts/GP.
Clearly, there’s ample evidence that Bellamy can contribute offensively. Given her projected role and the ice time that comes with it, it would be surprising if Bellamy wasn’t one of Connecticut’s highest-scoring defenders. As Whale fans know, scoring is something that the blue line hasn’t done enough of in the last two seasons. The Whale’s top-scoring blue liner last season was Allie Munroe, who had 16 points in 24 games. Emma Keenan, who was second on the blue line with 9 points, has been linked to the Montréal Force in free agency.
Although they are both left-handed defenders, there is a lot to like about a top pairing of Bellamy and Munroe. There’s also plenty to like about a second pairing anchored by Tori Howran – finding her the right partner, one with offensive upside, will be key for the Whale. Bellamy has the ability to disrupt entries, win battles in the defensive zone, and use her skill to move the puck up the ice. She can also be trusted to hold the line when she reads Munroe joining the rush in transition. On paper, it sounds fantastic. It could be the best defensive pair Connecticut has ever had.
Although she’s commanding a significant percentage of the cap, Bellamy’s contract shouldn’t be a major obstacle to the Whale having a deeper blue line in 2023-24 than we saw in 2022-23. Both Munroe and Howran are expected to remain in the picture after signing two-year deals last season, which means this blue line is halfway finished. What the Whale need now is to find young defenders with upside who can skate and move the puck. Chances are, there is a long list of potential rookie pros who would love to take their game to the next level by learning from the likes of Bellamy, Munroe, and Howran.
The Whale added a champion with the Bellamy signing. They added prestige, confidence, and all the other intangibles that are so important in the postseason. Connecticut paid a hefty price, but they found someone who could fill the leadership void left by Turner’s departure and someone who could change the identity of the blue line. If this is the first stride towards the Isobel Cup that has eluded them since 2015, Bellamy will have been worth every penny.