Boston Pride Win 2021 Isobel Cup
The Boston Pride of the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) have done it again. They have snagged their 2nd Isobel Cup Championship by defeating the Minnesota Whitecaps 4-3. This was the first-ever women’s professional hockey game to air on a major national cable network in the U.S. and it was nationally televised live on NBCSN.
“Our partnership with NBC Sports is monumental for the visibility of the NWHL,” NWHL commissioner Tyler Tumminia told NBC Sports. “Never before has women’s professional hockey had the opportunity to reach so many people on American television in the United States. As we have seen with the WNBA and NWSL this year, when women’s major league sports leagues are given a strong showcase, viewership is increased and countless new fans connect with the teams and players. NBC Sports provides the NWHL’s biggest games in our upcoming season in Lake Placid with best-in-class production and award-winning announcers. The NWHL will deliver intense, memorable hockey for the viewers on NBCSN as an Isobel Cup champion is crowned.”
And if that wasn’t enough, the on-air talent for the Isobel Cup playoffs, presented by Discover, featured an all-female broadcast team including Kate Scott calling play-by-play, AJ Mleczko as an analyst, and Caley Chelios as a rink-side reporter.
The game was thrilling and did not disappoint. The Whitecaps did not go down without a fight and pulled their goalie, Amanda Leveille, with a few minutes left in the 3rd period. They then scored with 19.4 seconds left in the 3rd period, thanks to forward Meaghan Pezon. However, it wasn’t enough to overtake the Pride.
This win makes the Pride the first two-time championship team in the NWHL, with their first Isobel Cup win coming in their inaugural 2015-2016 season. What was great to see was the support the other professional sports teams in Boston showed the Pride on their Championship win.
A hearty Congratulations to the Pride and a well fought game from the Whitecaps. Making history doesn’t always mean winning, sometimes it means being provided the platform to compete on a national stage.
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Alex holds a BBA in Marketing and a JD from Texas A&M University and Texas A&M University School of Law, respectively. She has been an in-house counsel for a famous sports family, a multinational company, various startups, and most recently, a professional sports team. She has also led marketing, public relations, sponsorship generation, negotiation of media deals, and negotiation of various contracts including employment contracts for professional athletes, NDAs, and sponsorship deals.
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About the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL)
Established in 2015, the NWHL was the first professional women’s hockey league in North America to pay its players. The mission of the league is to fuel the continued growth of the sport and brand of pro women’s hockey. The league is made up of the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, and the Toronto Six. Visit NWHL.zone and follow on Twitter and Facebook @NWHL and Instagram @NWHL.zone.
About the Isobel Cup
The Isobel Cup is the championship trophy of the National Women’s Hockey League. It takes its name from Lord Frederick Arthur Stanley’s daughter, Isobel, who shared his love of the game and is known to be one of the first female hockey players in Canada. Isobel, along with her brothers, encouraged her father to purchase a silver cup to award to the best amateur hockey team in Canada. The Stanley Cup, as it was later named, became the championship trophy of the National Hockey League.
The front of the Isobel Cup reads: "The Lady Isobel Gathorne-Hardy Cup 1875-1963. This Cup shall be awarded annually to the greatest professional women's hockey team in North America. All who pursue this Cup, pursue a dream; a dream born with Isobel, that shall never die. EST. 2016.”