Photo Credit: NWHL
Not only is the 2016 NHL All-Star Game quickly arriving, but the NWHL’s first ever All-Star Weekend is also on its way. The game will take place at the end of this month and will be held in Buffalo. It will be a four-on-four format for two 20-minute periods.
The full roster, courtesy of the two All-Star team captains and a fan vote, have been revealed and feature a handful of talented skaters among the four teams of the NWHL. The two teams will be led by captains Buffalo Beauts defenseman Emily Pfalzer and Boston Pride forward Hilary Knight. Each captain chose their teammates for the All-Star weekend, but the fan vote gave fans the opportunity to vote two players onto each team.
The fan favorites voted onto the teams were New York Riveters’ forward Madison Packer and Buffalo Beaut’s forward Hayley Williams on Team Knight, and New York’s forward Morgan Fritz-Ward and Buffalo’s forward Devon Skeats on Team Pfalzer.
As for Team Knight, the women taking the ice are forwards Kelli Stack from the Connecticut Whale, Janine Weber from the Riveters, Jordan Smelker from the Boston Pride, Shelby Bram from the Beauts, Amanda Pelkey from the Pride, Madison Packer from the Riveters, and Hayley Williams from the Beauts, defensemen Kacery Bellamy from the Pride, Kaleigh Fratkin from the Whale, Alyssa Gagliardi from the Pride, and Jordan Brickner from the Whales; and goalies Jaimie Leonoff from the Whale and Brianne McLaughlin from the Beauts.
As for Team Pfalzer, the women taking the ice behind the defenseman on home ice is: forwards Brianna Decker from the Pride, Meghan Duggan from the Beauts, Shiann Darkangelo from the Whale, Kelley Steadman from the Beauts, Emily Field from the Pride, Zoe Hickel from the Pride, Morgan Fritz-Ward from the Riveters, and Devon Skeats from the Beauts; defensemen Gigi Marvin from the Pride, Megan Bozek from the Beauts, and Blake Bolden from the Pride; and goalies Nana Fujimoto from the Riveters and Brittany Ott from the Pride.
The NWHL’s first inaugural All-Star Weekend is quickly approaching, and the excitement surrounding it is quickly growing. The 2016 NWHL All-Star weekend will be held at Buffalo’s Harbor Center on Jan. 23 and 24.
