Women’s Hockey – CanucksBanter

by Paul Krotz

11-time IIHF U18, Women’s World Championshionship and Olympic Gold Medalist
with USA Hockey brings leadership and winning attitude to PHF

BOSTON, MA (April 26, 2022) – The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) today announced that Reagan Carey has been appointed the league’s next commissioner, bringing over twenty years of leadership in the sports industry to the role including unparalleled experience in women’s hockey. Carey previously served as USA Hockey’s Director of Women’s Ice Hockey and General Manager of the U.S. National Women’s Team, highlighted by a gold medal victory at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Beginning full time on May 10, she will help deliver the PHF’s vision to provide leading opportunities in professional women’s hockey and growing the sport for its athletes, partners, and fans.

“Throughout my career, I have been fortunate and honored to have played a part in growing and improving the landscape of women’s hockey at all levels,” said Carey. “I continue to be energized and committed to moving the needle in the right direction and will be dedicated to the work required to build trust and elevate the PHF into a beacon for professional women’s hockey. I’m excited for the opportunity to continue making history with a relentless pursuit of success on all fronts. Through our work we will aim to honor past pioneers of our sport, and inspire young girls to see a vibrant future in the game by ensuring that athletes who want to train and compete at the highest professional levels will always have a home at the PHF.”

A search committee chaired by Tobin Kelly of the PHF Board of Governors was formed to identify and evaluate candidates for the role. Board members Johanna Boynton and Andy Scurto were part of the committee that also included Lisa Haley (Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations, PHF), Digit Murphy (President, Metropolitan Riveters), and Susie Piotrkowski (Head of Women’s Team Sports, Octagon).

“The search committee had the opportunity to speak with many exceptional candidates who were considered for the role of PHF Commissioner over the course of this process,” said Kelly. “What stands out about Reagan Carey is not only her incredible depth of experience in the world of women’s hockey but the collaborative approach she brings to the position. In all of our many conversations, Reagan’s commitment to communication and her values that advocate for what is right and put players first, make her the perfect leader for the next phase of growth in the PHF. We are all excited about welcoming Reagan as she takes the lead in moving the PHF forward.”

Carey’s career reflects a common thread of leading teams to new heights by creating meaningful cultures and crafting a clear vision for winning. A decade of work with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers with a focus on sports development, performance, and marketing led to her opportunity with USA Hockey where she served from 2010-18. Her leadership helped produce a record number of World Championship victories for the women’s program and achieved an unprecedented stretch of four straight undefeated seasons in IIHF competition across the U18 Women’s National Team and U.S. Women’s National Team. Her gold medal resume includes U18 titles in 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, World Championship wins in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, and the 2018 Winter Olympics.

“When aligning with the PHF, hiring the right fit for the long-term growth of the league was imperative,” said Piotrkowski. “Having met with several incredible candidates alongside the search committee, Reagan Carey differentiated herself not only as a result of her hockey experience but through her deep understanding of the women’s sports landscape. Her approach to relationship building, attention to detail and human first leadership will ensure the best interest of the women in this league today and moving forward.”

Most recently Carey has been applying her skills and experience to various consulting roles and speaking events in both the sport and corporate world with a focus on leadership, performance, alignment and culture. Additionally, she has been a member of the Maine Girls & Women in Sports Committee helping generate content, programming, and opportunities for girls and women in sport. Carey was a two-sport athlete, captaining both the ice hockey and volleyball teams during her time at Colby College where she graduated with a sociology degree in 2001. She is a proud 2010 recipient of the school’s Carl Nelson Sports Achievement Award, and in 2018 was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame.

“Having been a part of both the U18 program and U.S. Women’s National Team during Reagan’s tenure with USA Hockey, I’ve seen her passion and dedication in action and always appreciated how much she cared about the athletes,” said Shiann Darkangelo, captain of the Toronto Six. “I am very excited for the knowledge and expertise she will bring to the PHF in this important leadership role to help continue the growth of our game.”

Carey becomes the third commissioner in PHF history, succeeding Tyler Tumminia who served in the role on an interim basis during the league’s sixth season and permanently throughout season seven. The PHF has made great strides over the past 18 months by establishing a joint venture ownership model, generating landmark broadcast and corporate partnerships, drawing record digital viewership, and redefining its brand based on the singular skills of its athletes. In January the PHF’s Board of Governors announced a commitment to invest more than $25 million over the next three years to directly enhance the player experience by providing competitive compensation and benefits that will continue to distinguish the PHF as a leader among professional sports leagues.

Team roster building for the PHF’s eighth season is underway with unrestricted free agency officially commencing on May 1. The salary cap for 2022-23 will be a record $750,000 per team with a floor of $562,500. The 2022 PHF season concluded March 28 with the Boston Pride crowned Isobel Cup champions for the third time in Tampa Bay, Florida in a thrilling 4-2 victory over the Connecticut Whale seen live across North America on ESPN2 and TSN2.

About the Premier Hockey Federation
The PHF is the home of professional women’s hockey in North America. Established in 2015 as the National Women’s Hockey League, the NWHL rebranded to become the PHF in 2021 and provide opportunities for elite athletes to earn a living playing the game they love while fueling the continued growth of the sport. The league is made up of the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, and the Toronto Six who all compete annually for the Isobel Cup. For more information visit premierhockeyfederation.com.

”We have to make women’s hockey a priority.”

Asked who needs to come to the table if it’s not the PHF, Jenner said: “That’s a good question.”

The NHL was supposed to be that entity, before it backed off after the coronavirus pandemic blew a major hole in its budget.

American star Hilary Knight essentially shut the door on the PHF by reiterating the PWHPA’s mission statement to establish a player-driven league with a sustainable economic model.

The responses are a setback for the PHF, which has spent the past two years restructuring its governing model by bringing in private ownership groups. The league hoped its decision to invest $25 million over the next three years to increase salaries, provide health care and improve facilities would help lure the PWHPA members into joining.

If there was a bright side in Beijing, criticism that the world was falling behind the U.S. and Canada after several lopsided wins seemed premature.

The Americans briefly trailed the Czech Republic before pulling out a 4-1 win in the quarterfinals. Canada, meantime, was on its heels in allowing the Swiss to cut their lead to 5-2 before rallying to an eventual 10-3 win in the semifinals.

What became evident was the U.S. and Canada benefitting in the early stages after spending the previous four months playing and practicing together. Most of the other nations didn’t have that advantage. Their players didn’t have much time to be together because they have professional commitments and had to deal with COVID-19 travel restrictions. They used the preliminary round games to find their chemistry.

The Beijing Games were the first of seven Olympic women’s hockey tournaments in which every team registered a win, and with the field expanded from eight to 10 teams.

At the International Ice Hockey Federation level, newly elected president Luc Tardif attempted to fix a credibility gap, with the governing body criticized for favoring the men’s game over women. The latest example came a few months ago, when the IIHF canceled the Under-18 women’s tournament for COVID-19 reasons while pressing ahead with its men’s world junior championship.

The world juniors were eventually stopped a few days into the tournament because of COVID-19, and have been rescheduled for August. The Under-18 women’s tournament will also be rescheduled this year.

Tardif noted the IIHF added $5.4 million to its women’s hockey budget to increase its prize purse for players in both the qualifying tournaments and Olympics.

“I’m not the guy who doesn’t believe in women’s hockey. I think Zsuzsanna by my side, she’s always there to remind me, but she doesn’t have to push me a lot,” Tardif said, referring to women’s tournament organizer Zsuzsanna Kolbenheyer. “I’m convinced, and I believe in women’s hockey.”

Tardif spoke at a news conference originally scheduled to start at 10 a.m., two hours before the women’s gold-medal final. The news conference was moved to 9 a.m. after the IIHF realized it could conflict with the game.

Stalder shook her head in dismay when informed of the potential scheduling conflict.

“Find your answer yourself in that,” Stalder said, sarcastically. ”We have to make women’s hockey a priority.”

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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.

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