The ECHL is once again teaming up with the PHF and PWHPA, as each league will have two players participating in the ECHL All-Star game in Norfolk, Virginia, on January 16th. “It is an honor to be welcoming back players from both the PHF and PWHPA to participate in the Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic for the third consecutive season,” said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin. “The FanFest and All-Star Classic are about bringing everyone together to showcase our game of hockey, and adding these players alongside our ECHL athletes will heighten the experience as we embark on Norfolk.” It will be a three-on-three round-robin format with six consecutive eight-minute clock games. The championship game will be a 10 minute running clock game.
Sydney Brodt from the Minnesota Whitecaps and Ann-Sophie Bettez from the Montreal Force will represent the PHF in Norfolk. Bettez, who is the captain of the Force, has played in eight games with the Force, putting up four goals and five assists for nine points, and Brodt has three goals and three assists in 10 games with the Whitecaps. This is another great way for the PHF to continue promoting its new franchise north of the border. “Ann-Sophie Bettez and Sydney Brodt are highly skilled athletes, tremendous leaders, and fitting representatives to showcase the new era of the Premier Hockey Federation at the 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic,” said PHF Commissioner Reagan Carey. “This event will be a special experience for the players and our league as we continue to grow the game and move professional women’s hockey forward. We are always appreciative of opportunities to collaborate in the spirit of bringing hockey’s best together, and look forward to joining the ECHL in Norfolk for this exciting event.”
On the PWHPA side, Emily Brown and Samantha Hogan will be the two representatives. Emily Brown and Sam Cogan both played for Team Sonnet during the latest Dream Gap Tour. “We’re excited to have PWHPA players take part in the ECHL All-Star Game for a third straight year,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHPA Operations Consultant. “This crossover provides our players with a fun opportunity to reach a new audience.”
This is great for all three leagues to try and continue to grow the game on the women’s side. It’s great to see that the ECHL continues to promote the women’s side for the third straight year and is another way to help bridge the gap between the PHF and PWHPA in attempts to create one big professional women’s league.
