The past two weeks had a surprising amount of news, mostly out of the SDHL and the NCAA. The biggest ones – in my opinion – are the four Swedish NCAA players who either were forced to because of visa issues or opted to stay home and play in the SDHL instead of coming to their college team. The most interesting is Matilda af Bjur, who told Hockey Sverige LIU’s season won’t start until January. Two other LIU players are also opting to stay in Sweden which is not great for the team in their second season.
If you only read one a few things…
I guess maybe I should change the name of this section during the off season because there’s rarely only one piece in here when I look back at two weeks. The first two links are an initial report and a follow up, both interesting to read as a should-be incoming Princeton player decides to stay in Sweden due to the pandemic. We’ve also started our annual Top 25 Under 25 list which is linked here too! The top 10 will start next week so make sure you’re tuned in.
The talent for Brynäs – covid-19 stops the college plans
Covid-19 puts a stop to one of Sweden’s most promising hockey players, Josefin Bouvengs, moved to Princeton University.
“Set for an environmental change – wants to take the next step” | Hockey Sweden
Josefin Bouveng would have crossed the Atlantic for games in the NCAA. Instead, the Corona virus, Covid-19, forces her to stay in Sweden. Then she chooses Brynäs – and nobs Djurgården.
A season in Shenzhen and beyond | IIHF
Oral history of how Chinese club won 2020 Russian women’s title
2020 Top 25 Under 25 | The List
Welcome to the 2020 edition of the top 25 players under the age of 25 list!
SDHL
She will be the next college Swede to start in SDHL – Hockey Sweden
On Friday morning, Modo announced that Paula Bergström will start the season at the club.
The Swedish college star starts in SDHL – Hockey Sweden
Linköping gets home a familiar face. Matilda af Bjur, who was successful in college last season, will play for the LHC in the autumn.
The college forward returns to Sweden | Hockey Sverige
After a season at Long Island University, forward Alva Johnsson returns to SDHL.
Djurgården’s giant crusher in the Stockholm derby
Alice Östensson and her Djurgården were in a good mood when they started the 2020/21 season tonight with a Stockholm derby against AIK. Djurgården won 7-1 and Östensson scored three goals in the win.
The message: The 25-year-old is retiring | Hockey Sverige
After nine seasons at SDHL level, Malin Axelsson is now thanking herself.
Summer talk in SDHL: Sofia Engström, MODO | SDHL.se
Sommaren är här i avlånga landet Sverige och hockeysäsongen känns som vanligt den här tiden på året väldigt långt bort. För att råda bot på längtan efter att se spelarna åka in på isen tar vi nu spelarna till hörlurarna genom “Sommarprat i SDHL”. Näst på tur är Sofia Engström, MODO.
The coach extends with Brynäs: “Ready to take the next step”
Brynäs has built a team without having a head coach ready for the coming season. Now it is clear that last year’s head coach Henrik Glaas will continue on the coaching staff.
Here comes the next talent raised in the “hockey village”
An incomparable season ended with an SDHL debut for 16-year-old Ida Karlsson.
NCAA
WCHA women’s hockey league awaiting others’ decisions as it contemplates delayed start for 2020-21 season | madison.com
Commissioner Jennifer Flowers said Monday the league hasn’t officially abandoned the original schedule built around the Sept. 19 start allowed in NCAA rules. But she conceded teams also are eyeing the possibility they’ll have to push season openers back to January.
2020-21 NCAA season tracker | The Ice Garden
As news about the upcoming season comes in, track what each conference (or school) is doing here.
Written Senior Perspective- Kat Hughes, Women’s Ice Hockey | Harvard University
The 2020 Senior Perspectives is the 15th in a series of annual collections. Senior captains and representatives of teams at Harvard have been invited to contribute
Diane Dillon leaves legacy of passion, energy at Oswego State | nny360.com
OSWEGO — Diane Dillon approached the task of re-launching the Oswego State women’s ice hockey team as if she were starting a business but was often heard throughout her final
Crowell, Sandelin find new ways to showcase Bulldogs hockey programs to recruits during pandemic | Duluth News Tribune
Official on-campus visits were to begin Aug. 1, however, NCAA in-person recruiting ban remains in effect until Aug. 31. So the coaches are going virtual.
“Interesting Summer” for UMD’s Gabbie Hughes | Fox21Online
ZhHL
ZhHL adds team for 2020-21 season | The Ice Garden
The Russian Hockey League is back up to eight teams.
An American Hockey Player in St. Petersburg | PuckerUpSports
Almost three years after first stepping foot in Russia to begin her overseas career with SK Gorny of the Russian Women’s Hockey League, that’s something American forward Hayley Williams still regrets.
Kristi Shashkina leaves SKIF | SKIF
Biryusa started preparations for the new season | Women’s Hockey League
Biryusa has started preparations for the 2020/2021 season. We present to your attention a video about the first stage of the training process in Krasnoyarsk.
Agidel continues preparations for the season in Ufa | Women’s Hockey League
Having returned to Ufa from training camps at the Zvezdny sports complex, Agidel, after three days off, began the second part of pre-season training.
NWHL
Emptying the Notebook, the Lost Leveille and Selander Tapes | The Hockey Writers
Lots of chatter before and during the season that the “best players” weren’t playing in the NWHL anymore, but I defy you to find 2 better goaltenders in women’s hockey currently.
2020–21 NWHL Signing Tracker | The Ice Garden
Keep track of who signs ahead of season six of the NWHL
We’ll keep including this every time so you can keep track of the signings, especially since our roster recaps run on opposite weeks from this, so those will always be a week behind.
PWHPA
Audio: Niagara Sports Report – Jensen Murphy – PWHPA Goaltender
2020-21 PWHPA Tracker | The Ice Garden
Keep up as the PWHPA announces the players who will be joining the organization for their second season.
We’ll keep including this every time so you can keep track of the signings, especially since our roster recaps run on opposite weeks from this, so those will always be a week behind.
Misc.
More tools for the toolbox | Hockey Canada
Haley Irwin and Jocelyne Larocque took their coach education to the next level this summer, taking part in the Hockey Canada Skills Coach Seminar
Phoebe Staenz & Janna Haeg sign with Thurgau Indien Ladies | Swiss Hockey News
For Janna Haeg, it will be the first time, she will suit up for a team outside of the US.
No summer camps for various Swiss national teams | Swiss Hockey News
Helping out the home team | Hockey Canada
Ève Gascon is a champion in her community, even when there’s no hockey to be played.
The women’s crowns and the U-18 national team’s troops selected | SDHL.se
Ulf Lundberg, the national team captain for Damkronorna and also Anders Lundberg, the national team captain for the U18 national team, have taken out the troops that will gather for a camp in Skövde during the period 26–30 August 2020.
Do not blame the Damkronorna’s failure on foreign stars
It is very easy to blame Damkronorna’s underperformance on the large number of foreign players in SDHL. But Swedish players do not get bad from the clubs recruiting foreign players. The truth is rather that the clubs recruit foreign players because there are not enough Swedes who are good enough, writes Szymon Szemberg, CEO of the European Club Alliance, EHC in this guest column for hockeysverige.se.