2018 NWHL All Star Rosters Announced in Live Draft

The National Women’s Hockey League completed the rosters for the 2018 NWHL All Star Game in St. Paul, Minnesota with a live draft between the two captains, Buffalo Beauts goalie, Amanda Leveille and Boston Pride netminder, Brittany Ott on Monday night.

The draft was held on Twitter Live beginning at 8:30 PM with Leveille making the first selection in the draft. The two Isobel Cup Champion netminders were tasked with drafting their goalies in the first round before choosing five defenders followed by their seven forwards. They alternated turns in each round as they filled out their rosters.

Minnesota Ties to 2018 NWHL All Star Weekend

With the entire weekend being hosted by the National Hockey League’s, Minnesota Wild at their recently opened TRIA Rink in Downtown St. Paul, eleven of the players have connections to Minnesota.

Shattuck-Saint Mary, Minnesota Whitecaps, U of Minnesota & St. Cloud St Represented

Besides Leveille, who played collegiately at the University of Minnesota, Metropolitan Riveters goaltender, Katie Fitzgerald, who Leveille took with the first pick, played for St. Cloud State. Riveters stars, Rebecca Russo and Courtney Burke, Pride skaters, Alyssa Gagliardi and Lexi Bender, and Beauts defender, Jordyn Burns, all went to Faribault, Minnesota prep school, Shattuck-Saint Mary.

Connecticut Whale goaltender, Sydney Rossman and Beauts forward, Corinne Buie are both Minnesota natives. The two captains also drafted two Minnesota Whitecaps players, forwards Kate Schipper and Sadie Lundquist.

The Whitecaps are a professional women’s team which plays their home games within the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul. As part of their efforts to grow the game, the league invited two players from the Whitecaps to participate in the festivities.

Tricia Luoma & Winny Brown to Coach the Teams

The teams will be coached by a pair of Minnesota residents with ties to USA Hockey as well. Three-time US Olympian, Tricia Dunn-Luoma will work behind the bench of Team Ott while Team Leveille will be guided by Winny Brodt-Brown, the first ever winner of the Ms. Hockey Award for high school hockey in Minnesota.

Brown has been a member of the US National Team Program for over a decade. Luoma was part of the 1998 Olympic team that brought home the gold medal from Nagano, Japan.

NWHL & Minnesota Wild Partner to Host Event

The entire weekend, which will be held in partnership with the Wild will take place February 10 and 11 at the NHL team’s brand-new practice home, TRIA Rink. The 2018 NWHL Skills Competition will begin on Saturday, February 10 at 6:45 Central Time. The 2018 NWHL All Star Game will face off on Sunday, February 11 at 11:30 AM Central Time.

Tickets for both events are available at www.nwhl.zone/tickets. The league is offering fans the opportunity to purchase seats for the skills competition for 15 dollars each. Tickets for the All-Star Game will cost 25 dollars per seat. Fans can also purchase a package deal, which includes both events for 35 dollars.

As they do after every game during the season, there will be an autograph session with the players, for the fans following both events during the weekend.