The NWHL's sixth season, without a doubt, will be a monumental one.
The league not only will play a condensed season in Lake Placid at the historic Herb Brooks Arena, but it also will have the Isobel Cup Semifinals and Final aired on a national network.
The Boston Pride were the NWHL's best team last year, dominating the league with a 23-1-0 record. Unfortunately, COVID-19 threw a wrench in the club securing its second Isobel Cup and the championship game against the Minnesota Whitecaps was canceled.
The Pride begin their "revenge tour" Saturday against the very team they were supposed to play back in March. And while they have some unfinished business to take care of, the women also have some added motivation to bring a second Isobel Cup to Boston.
Team president Hayley Moore was named the AHL's next vice president of hockey operations Jan. 11, a role she'll begin Feb. 9 after the NWHL season concludes.
Moore has been involved with the Pride since their inaugural season in 2015, and she reflected on the last few seasons Tuesday.
"I actually get a little emotional thinking about it and how far we've come," she said during the Pride's media availability. "I reflect on it hearing Jill (Dempsey) and (Kaleigh Fratkin) both kind of talk about it. To see how far this league has come over the past six years is just remarkable and a testament to all of the work that players and the staff across the board. I was lucky enough to be part of that inaugural season in Boston and with Jill to raise that first Cup (in 2015).
"It's definitely our focus right now. I believe when I shared my personal news with Jill, her reaction was it was even more incentive to finish the deal this year and bring home that Cup back to Boston and send me off in the right way," Moore added. "I love that that's the mentality, as if we needed more motivation. We've got plenty of it here."
Moore also knows this is a stellar opportunity to bring more coverage to the NWHL, especially with the final games being broadcast on a national network. And knowing there will be young girls watching their idols at home only adds more meaning to season No. six.
"I think you also look to the opportunity that we have specifically to play on the platform in Lake Placid, to have a national TV broadcast. ... It's so meaningful to us," she said. "People who have grown in this game since we were young girls, to think about the little girls at home that get to watch these players on TV, it's so moving and it's so motivating. We can't wait to put in the work, and put on a show and create some new and everlasting fans in the process."
The wait soon will be over. The Pride drop the puck against the Whitecaps on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the game on Twitch.
