2015–16 Connecticut Whale (NWHL) season

The 2015–16 Connecticut Whale season was the first in franchise history and the Premier Hockey Federation's inaugural season.

Offseason On July 1, the Whale signed former BU Terriers blueliner and 2015 Clarkson Cup champion Kaleigh Fratkin to a contract, making her the first Canadian to sign an NWHL contract.

Regular season

Standings

Game log

|- style="background:#cfc;" | 1 || October 11 || New York Riveters || 4–1 || || Leonoff || Chelsea Piers CT || 1–0–0 || 2 || |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2 || October 18 || @ Buffalo Beauts || 5–2 || || Laden || HarborCenter || 2–0–0 || 4 || |- style="background:#cfc;" | 3 || October 25 || @ New York Riveters || 3–1 || || Stock || Aviator Sports and Events Center || 3–0–0 || 6 || |- style="background:#cfc;" | 4 || November 15 || @ Buffalo Beauts || 3–2 || || Leonoff || HarborCenter || 4–0–0 || 8 || |- style="background:#cfc;" | 5 || November 22 || @ Buffalo Beauts || 7–6 || SO || Stock || HarborCenter || 5–0–0 || 10 || |- style="background:#cfc;" | 6 || November 29 || @ Boston Pride || 4–3 || || Leonoff || Bright Hockey Center || 6–0–0 || 12 || |- style="background:#cfc;" | 7 || December 6 || Buffalo Beauts || 3–2 || SO || Leonoff || Chelsea Piers CT || 7–0–0 || 14 || |- style="background:#cfc;" | 8 || December 13 || @ New York Riveters || 4–3 || SO || Leonoff || Aviator Sports and Events Center || 8–0–0 || 16 || |- style="background:#fcc;" | 9 || December 27 || Boston Pride || 1–2 || || Stock || Chelsea Piers CT || 8–1–0 || 16 || |- style="background:#cfc;" | 10 || January 3 || @ New York Riveters || 6–1 || || Stock || Aviator Sports and Events Center || 9–1–0 || 18 || |- style="background:#cfc;" | 11 || January 9 || New York Riveters || 4–3 || || Leonoff || Ingalls Rink || 10–1–0 || 20 || |- style="background:#cfc;" | 12 || January 10 || Buffalo Beauts || 5–3 || || Stock || Chelsea Piers CT || 11–1–0 || 22 || |- style="background:#fcc;" | 13 || January 17 || @ Boston Pride || 1–4 || || Leonoff || Bright Hockey Center || 11–2–0 || 22 || |- style="background:#fcc;" | 14 || January 31 || Boston Pride || 2–5 || || Leonoff || Chelsea Piers CT || 11–3–0 || 22 || |- style="background:#cfc;" | 15 || February 7 || Buffalo Beauts || 3–2 || OT || Lundberg || Chelsea Piers CT || 12–3–0 || 24 || |- style="background:#fcc;" | 16 || February 14 || @ Boston Pride || 2–4 || || Stock || Bright Hockey Center || 12–4–0 || 24 || |- style="background:#fcc;" | 17 || February 21 || Boston Pride || 3–5 || || Leonoff || Chelsea Piers CT || 12–5–0 || 24 || |- style="background:#cfc;" | 18 || February 28 || New York Riveters || 4–2 || || Lundberg || Chelsea Piers CT || 13–5–0 || 26 ||

Playoffs

Game log

|- style="background:#cfc;" | 1 || March 4 || Buffalo Beauts || 3–0 || || || Chelsea Piers CT || 1–0 || (No gamesheet available) |- style="background:#fcc;" | 2 || March 5 || Buffalo Beauts || 1–4 || || || Chelsea Piers CT || 1–1 || (No gamesheet available) |- style="background:#fcc;" | 3 || March 6 || Buffalo Beauts || 3–4 || || Stock || Chelsea Piers CT || 1–2 ||

Statistics Final

Skaters

Regular season Player 17 8 14 22 24 18 9 13 22 24 18 5 12 17 40 13 10 3 13 0 18 0 12 12 2 18 5 5 10 24 17 3 7 10 27 14 3 5 8 2 18 3 4 7 20 15 2 5 7 8 13 3 3 6 14 17 1 4 5 14 12 3 2 5 2 15 3 2 5 21 18 2 3 5 12 4 0 1 1 0 13 1 0 1 6 8 0 0 0 6 1 0 0 0 0

Playoffs Player 3 4 0 4 2 3 0 2 2 2 3 2 0 2 2 3 0 2 2 2 3 1 1 2 2 3 0 2 2 0 3 0 1 1 4 3 0 1 1 0 3 0 1 1 2 3 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 6 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0

Goaltenders Regular season Player 10 567:15 7 3 0 28 2.96 438 0.936 0 0 6 343:07 4 2 0 15 2.62 211 0.923 0 0 ‡ 1 60:00 1 0 0 2 2.00 32 0.938 0 0 † 2 122:08 1 0 0 0 1.97500.920 0 0 Playoffs Player 2 118:56 1 1 0 3 1.51 57 0.947 1 0 1 60:00 0 1 0 4 4.00 28 0.846 0 0 †Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Whale. Stats reflect time with the Whale only. ‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Whale only.

Roster Updated February 20, 2016

Awards and honors NWHL Player of the Week Kelli Stack – October 11, 2015 Shiann Darkangelo – December 15, 2015 Danielle Ward - January 10, 2016 Molly Engstrom - February 7, 2016 Shenae Lundberg - February 28, 2016

NWHL 1st All-Star Game selection Jordan Brickner (Team Knight) Shiann Darkangelo (Team Pfalzer) Kaleigh Fratkin (Team Knight) Jaimie Leonoff (Team Knight) Kelli Stack (Team Knight)

Transactions

Trades

To New York Riveters

Chelsea Laden To Connecticut Whale

Shenae Lundberg

Signings

Player Date Contract terms Shiann Darkangelo June 25, 2015 $17,000 Sam Faber June 25, 2015 $13,500 Chelsea Laden June 25, 2015 $14,000 Kaleigh Fratkin July 1, 2015 $20,000 Jessica Koizumi July 9, 2015 $20,500 Danielle Ward July 9, 2015 $10,000 Micaela Long July 17, 2015 $10,000 Nicole Stock July 17, 2015 $10,000 Jaimie Leonoff July 26, 2015 $10,000 Kelly Babstock August 4, 2015 $18,000 Brittney Dougherty August 13, 2015 $10,000 Shannon Doyle August 13, 2015 $15,000 Yekaterina Smolentseva August 15, 2015 $22,000 Molly Engstrom August 18, 2015 $12,000 Lindsay Berman September 24, 2015 $15,000 Jordan Brickner September 24, 2015 $10,000 Alyssa Wohlfeiler September 24, 2015 $10,000 Kelli Stack September 24, 2015 $25,000

Other

Name Date Details Harry Rosenholtz December 24, 2015 Resigned as General Manager George Speirs December 24, 2015 Named as interim General Manager Jake Mastel January 29, 2016 Resigned as Head Coach Heather Linstad January 29, 2016 Named as Head Coach Lisa Giovanelli January 29, 2016 Named as Assistant Coach

Draft

The following were the Whale's selections in the 2015 NWHL Draft on June 20, 2015. Round # Player Pos Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League) 1 2 Hannah Brandt F University of Minnesota (WCHA) 2 6 Michelle Picard D Harvard University (ECAC) 3 10 Milica McMillen D University of Minnesota (WCHA) 4 14 Maryanne Menefee F University of Minnesota (WCHA) 5 18 Cassandra Poudrier D Cornell University (ECAC)

References

Games