The ice at Terry Conners Rink was renovated in 2016. (Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media)

The Connecticut Whale will be moving from Northford, Connecticut back to Stamford for their third season in the National Women’s Hockey League. 

After playing the inaugural season at Chelsea Piers in Stamford, the Whale moved to the Northford Ice Pavilion for the 2016-2017 NWHL season. This fall when they begin season three, they will take the ice at Terry Connors Ice Rink in Cove Island Park.

Terry Connors Ice Rink is owned and operated by the City of Stamford, and opened in 1973. Stamford Youth Hockey, the Skating Club of Southern Connecticut, as well as the Stamford, Westhill and Trinity High School teams and many other programs throughout the area. The rink will be able to hold 2,000 fans at Whale home games.

NWHL Commissioner, Dani Rylan said, “As our league continues to evolve, we are constantly evaluating what is best for our fans, players and league’s visibility. The move to Stamford is unquestionably the right one for the Whale.”

Newly named head coach, Ryan Equale added, “Having grown up in nearby Wilton, and having worked in Stamford, I believe Terry Conners is the perfect rink for the Connecticut Whale. It is in an ideal location, and has easy access off the highway, ample parking and excellent facilities. I am excited to have the Whale in Stamford with its wonderful people and great restaurants and shopping. With so many passionate hockey fans in the community, I am confident that we will be able to build a strong following.” 

Whale defender and Director of the NWHL Players’ Association, Anya Battaglino said, “On behalf of my teammates, we are extremely excited to move back to our inaugural season home in Stamford. It was great to spend last season in Northford because we were able to connect with the fans in central Connecticut, and we really enjoyed working with the terrific staff at Northford Ice Pavilion. We thank the venue and the fans for everything they did for us. Now we can’t wait to hit the ground running at Terry Connors. It is going to be a very successful season three for the Whale and the NWHL in Connecticut.”   

The 2017-2018 NWHL will begin in the Fall. The Whale’s schedule and ticketing information for their home slate at their new home, will be released shortly.

All four of the league’s teams will play the full slate of their home games, with a few neutral site matchups to showcase the game in other markets. One of the neutral site games will be scheduled for the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, the practice facility of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Whale, New York Riveters and Boston Pride will also face off in two games each against the Russian National Team in the NWHL/Team Russia Summit Series.