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NWHL News and Notes – September 9th, 2019

Today in the NWHL the Buffalo Beauts announced that they have re-signed forward Taylor Accursi for the 2019-20 season.

Accursi, who will be entering her third season with the Beauts, is a fan favorite in Buffalo and has recorded 10 goals and seven assists in 28 career NWHL games. In her rookie season with the Beauts in 2017-18 she led the league in powerplay goals.

All players will partake in the 50 percent cut of revenue from league sponsorship and media deals. Plus they will also receive 15 percent of revenue from apparel sold with their name on it.

TXHT will continue to provide NWHL coverage as more signings are announced.

*Graphics courtesy of the NWHL.

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September 9, 2019
Capitals News – Brooks Orpik Named to Player Development Department

Today the Washington Capitals named recently retired defenseman Brooks Orpik to the teams Player Development Department.

NEWS | The Washington Capitals have named Brooks Orpik to the Player Development Department. #ALLCAPS https://t.co/Qjs2ceJXWT

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) September 9, 2019

Per the Capitals release, Orpik will assist and work with the organization’s defensive prospects, primarily with the Hershey Bears of the AHL, in his new role. Per the release Capitals General Manager Brian MacLellan had the following to say about the Orpik hiring:

“As a member of our team, Brooks was a tremendous leader and a great role model for our young players. We are excited to be able to bring him back in this new role. We feel he will be a great resource for our hockey staff and our prospects.”

We here at TXHT like this move by the Capitals organization as Orpik was a key piece to the Capitals restructure in culture for the organization, and will be able to share that with the Capitals young prospects as they continue to develop and prepare to make the jump to the NHL. Orpik’s championship pedigree and high level leadership qualities will also assist him in working with the prospects.

We here at TXHT would like to congratulate Brooks Orpik on his new role with the Washington Capitals.

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September 9, 2019
2019-20 NHL Previews – Columbus Blue Jackets

2018-19 Record: 47-31-4 98pts. – – 5th Place in Metropolitan (Wild Card)

Playoffs: Lost in Second Round to Boston

2019-20 Jersey Guide:

Key Additions: F – Gustav Nyquist

Key Departures: F – Ryan Dzingel, F – Mark Letestu, G – Jean-Francois Berube, G – Sergei Bobrovsky, F – Artemi Panarin, F – Matt Duchene, G – Keith Kinkaid, D – Adam McQuaid

2019-20 Preview:

After trading away their future in draft picks to acquire forwards Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel, goalie Keith Kinkaid, and defenseman Adam McQuaid to make a huge playoff push. While they did the unthinkable and swept the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round for their first ever playoff series victory in franchise history, they would fall to the Boston Bruins in the second round and then the departures would begin.

The Blue Jackets lost Duchene to Nashville, Dzingel to Carolina, Kinkaid to Montreal, forward Artemi Panarin to the New York Rangers, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to Florida, and McQuaid the Blue Jackets did not pursue to re-sign for next season. What was their response? They signed forward Gustav Nyquist. That’s it.

General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen believes they have a strong team, and don’t have any huge holes on their team. On offense they have Pierre-Luc Dubois and Cam Atkinson who definitely top six forwards, and Boone Jeener and Josh Anderson as quality bottom six forwards, but both Nick Foligno and Brandon Dubinsky are getting older and slipping down in the lineup. On defense it’s all Zach Werenski and Seth Jones. Ryan Murray is at best a third pairing defenseman on a good team, as is David Savard. Lastly, and an important question. Is Joonas Korpisalo ready to be the number one goalie for teh Columbus Blue Jackets?

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September 9, 2019
2019-20 NHL Previews – Colorado Avalanche

2018-19 Record: 38-30-14 90pts. – – 5th Place in Central (Wild Card)

Playoffs: Lost in Second Round to San Jose

2019-20 Jersey Guide:

Key Additions: F – Joonas Donskoi, F – Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, D – Calle Rosen, F – Jayson Megna, F – Nazem Kadri, F – Andre Burakovsky, D – Kevin Connauton

Key Departures: F – Sven Andrighetto, D – Patrik Nemeth, D – Tyson Barrie, F – Alexander Kerfoot, G – Semyon Varlamov, F – Carl Soderberg

2019-20 Preview:

Despite making the playoffs for a second straight season, the Colorado Avalanche did some retooling to their lineup which saw them move on from goaltender Semyon Varlamov, forwards Carl Soderberg and Alexander Kerfoot, and defenseman Tyson Barrie and Patrik Nemeth, and acquire forwards Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, Joonas Donskoi, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare.

With the addition of Kadri, the Avalanche get a center that will be able to take some of the burden off of number one center Nathan MacKinnon, but he will also give them a bit more of an edge as he plays the agitator very well. Also with Burakovsky and Donskoi the Avalanche will look to them to add some offense to help spread out the scoring amongst the lineup.

The Avalanche, however, will need help defensively as both defenders Erik Johnson (shoulder surgery) and Ian Cole (hip surgeries) could very likely not be ready to play come the start of the season, with Cole slated for a return in December most likely, and will need not only the newly acquired Kevin Connauton and Calle Rosen to step up, but may also need to pick up one more defensemen to help boost them especially if Johnson is not ready to go come the start of the season.

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September 8, 2019
2019-20 NHL Previews – Chicago Blackhawks

2018-19 Record: 36-34-12 84pts. – – 6th Place in Central

Playoffs: Missed

2019-20 Jersey Guide:

Key Additions: F – Alexander Nylander, G – Robin Lehner, F – Ryan Carpenter, F – Andrew Shaw, D – Calvin de Haan, F – John Quenneville, D – Olli Maatta, F – Zack Smith

Key Departures: D – Henri Jokiharju, F – Marcus Kruger, F – Andreas Martinsen, G – Anton Forsberg, D – Gustav Forsling, F – John Hayden, F – Dominik Kahun, F – Artem Anisimov, G – Cam Ward, F – Chris Kunitz

2019-20 Preview:

Going into the 2019 Offseason General Manager Stan Bowman needed to make some changes to a Chicago Blackhawks team that missed the playoffs and have been on the decline even before that. As part of the tinkering to the Blackhawks lineup it starts in between the pipes as the Blackhawks signed 2019 Masterton Trophy and William M. Jennings Trophy winner Robin Lehner to a one year deal.

Bowman also did some tinkering to the defense as well by trading for Olli Maatta from the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Calvin de Haan from the Carolina Hurricanes with the hopes that they will be able to help the Blackhawks cut down on the goals against which was the second most behind the Ottawa Senators last season. The Blackhawks also re-acquired forward Andrew Shaw from the Montreal Canadiens to give them a net presence on offense. The Blackhawks also signed free agent forward Ryan Carpenter from Vegas, and traded for forward Alexander Nylander from Buffalo to help bolster their offense.

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September 7, 2019
2019-20 NHL Previews – Carolina Hurricanes

2018-19 Record: 46-29-7 99pts. – – 4th Place in Metropolitan (Wild Card)

Playoffs: Lost in Eastern Conference Finals to Boston

2019-20 Jersey Guide:

Key Additions: F – Ryan Dzingel, F – Brian Gibbons, G – James Reimer, F – Erik Haula, G – Anton Forsberg, D – Gustav Forsling, D – Jake Gardiner (signed 9/6/19)

Key Departures: F – Micheal Ferland, G – Curtis McElhinney, F – Greg McKegg, G – Scott Darling, D – Calvin de Haan

2019-20 Preview:

After being one of the best stories of the 2018-19 season, the Carolina Hurricanes reinvigorated their franchise, along with some excellent “Bunch of Jerks” marketing thanks to Don Cherry, the Hurricanes stormed their way to the Eastern Conference Finals where they would eventually fall to the Boston Bruins.

For the Hurricanes they did some minor tinkering to their lineup. The re-signed forward Sebastian Aho and goalie Petr Mrazek, and then traded for goalie James Reimer, and forward Erik Haula. Then the signing of forward Ryan Dzingel helped solidify their offense in the top six.

The Hurricanes will look to duplicate their success this past season in the 2019-20 season, and they have the ingredients to do so. It’s up to them to continue to grow and evolve their game, and keep skating in the right direction.

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September 6, 2019
The NWHL is Coming to Twitch!
Today in the NWHL a monumental announcement was made as the NWHL is coming to Twitch!

Twitch, the world’s leading live streaming platform for gamers and the things we love, will be the exclusive live streaming partner of the NWHL for the next three years, and will feature all regular season, Isobel Cup Playoff, and special event games. It was also announced that the league and Twitch will collaborate on innovative content that will increase the deep connection that the NWHL players have with their fans.

As part of our new three-year partnership with @Twitch, future NWHL games and programming will be on https://t.co/EHkD9gflXv! Fans will be able to watch games for free, from anywhere, on any device. #NWHLGameOnTwitch
📰: https://t.co/b6fxM8EYlh pic.twitter.com/eMRPs1v0y9

— PHF (@PHF) September 5, 2019

Also as part of this agreement the NWHL will be receiving for the first time in league history a broadcast rights fee. As part of the NWHL-NWHL Players’ Association agreement, revenue from this exclusive streaming partnership with Twitch will be split in half with the NWHL players, and will result in additional income beyond their salaries for playing.

But now let’s get to the nitty gritty of what this really means, and that is the ability to use a platform that is more suited for what the NWHL needs and that is the live streaming. We here at X75 Productions utilize Twitch for various projects including TXHT, and it has been to great benefits for us especially with AwesomeMania. It allows for interactions amongst the viewers and with the streamers which let’s the broadcasts take a life of their own which is great, but also they should be wary of this.

Just like with social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, Twitch does have it’s bad eggs who will troll, harrass, and essentially “ruin it for everyone”. So my piece of advice for the NWHL is to have some very dedicated moderators for all streams that are done and remove all of the people who are there to make it a negative experience for those watching. You have this new platform that will significantly increase your audience, and you will need to make this the most fan friendly environment as possible.

Also with this new partnership with Twitch you now have this channel that allows you to create new content outside of the games that will be streamed live. The NWHL can now explore alternative programming to help grow the game and give the players, and more importantly the fans, a bigger platform to interact and promote the game. Now how can the NWHL do that with Twitch? Well here are some ideas:
1. NWHL Recap Show
2. NWHL Talk Show
3. Gaming Competitions
4. Behind the Scenes Series
And so much more can be done.

The possibilities are endless, and it is simply exciting for everyone involved, and the great thing about it is that it’s all free. So head on over to Twitch.tv/NWHL today, and make sure you turn on those notifications so you get notified because this season… it’s going to be a great season.

Little Bonus – Here is TXHT’s Twitch debut featuring NWHLPA Director Anya Packer.

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September 5, 2019
AwesomeMania – All Cardiff’d Out with a Little Bit of the Bubbly! *NSFW*

Welcome to AwesomeMania!!

Audio Version:

This week on AwesomeMania Ben and Michael recap NXT UK Takeover: Cardiff and AEW All Out. Plus news and notes, and the return of Fantasy Booking!!

Opening Music from https://filmmusic.io:
“Motherlode” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
Licence: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

This week’s episode was recorded on Wednesday, September 4th, 2019

Have a question you want answered on the show? Ask us! Comment on here or on one of our Social Media outlets, and we’ll answer it.

September 5, 2019
2019-20 NHL Previews – Calgary Flames

2018-19 Record: 50-25-7 107pts – – 1st Place in Pacific

Playoffs: Lost in First Round to Colorado

2019-20 Jersey Guide:

Key Additions: G – Cam Talbot, F – Byron Froese, F – Milan Lucic

Key Departures: G – Mike Smith, F – Garnet Hathaway, F – Tyler Graovac, D – Oscar Fantenberg, F – Curtis Lazar, D – Dalton Prout, F – James Neal, D – Michael Stone

2019-20 Preview:

For a team that had their best regular season since the won the Stanley Cup in 1989, the Calgary Flames only made two key additions after losing seven players from their roster this offseason, but their two key additions had a horrible 2018-19 season.

Cam Talbot is coming to Calgary to replace the departing Mike Smith after going 11-17-3 with a 3.40 GAA and an .892 Save % in 35 games last season. Talbot will be paired with young goaltender David Rittich, who stepped up his game last season, as they will split the duties together, but Talbot will need to bounce back to his 2016-17 form when he won 42 games with the Edmonton Oilers if he expects to be the number one guy in Calgary.

Also one of the biggest moves for the Flames was trading forward James Neal, who had signed a multi year deal with the Flames last summer, to the Oilers for forward Milan Lucic who had been struggling in Edmonton since signing his seven year contract there a few seasons ago. This was actually a good trade for both sides. IT was evident that things were not working out for Neal in Calgary, and Lucic needed a fresh start somewhere else. Only time will tell though as to how both players will respond to their new surroundings.

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September 5, 2019
NWHL News and Notes – September 4th, 2019

Today in the NWHL there were six more signings announced bringing the total number of players signed for the 2019-20 season to 80.

Starting with the Metropolitan Riveters, yhey would announce that they have signed goaltender Dana DeMartino to a one year deal.

DeMartino, 24, will be playing in her first season in the NWHL and with the Riveters. DeMartino is also the second goalie to sign with the Riveters for the upcoming campaign.

Then the Minnesota Whitecaps announced a pair of signings starting with the return of forward Kalli Funk.

Funk, 25, is returning for her second season with the Whitecaps and in the NWHL. Last season with the Whitecaps Funk had a goal and an assist in six games.

The Whitecaps also announced that they have signed Kelsey Cline to a one year deal.

Cline, primarily a defender but can also play forward, played in 161 games from 2014 to 2017 for the University of Minnesota. This will be Cline’s first season with the Whitecaps and in the NWHL.

Then the Connecticut Whale would announce three signings for their 2019-20 campaign. Their first signing was goaltender Brooke Wolejko.

Wolejko, a Connecticut native, becomes the third goaltender to sign with the Whale for the upcoming season, and will be playing in her first season for the Whale and in the NWHL.

Then the Whale announced that they have re-signed versatile player Hanna Beattie to a one year deal.

Beattie, who will be entering her third season with the Whale, is the ninth member from last season’s team to return for the 2019-20 season. Beattie has played both offense and defense for the Whale in the past.

And finally the Whale announced that they have signed defender Erin Hall to a one year deal.

Hall, who played collegiately at Holy Cross, played two seasons in the CWHL for the Boston/Worcester Blades where she played in 17 career games for them. This will be Hall’s forst season with the Whale and in the NWHL.

All players will partake in the 50 percent cut of revenue from league sponsorship and media deals. Plus they will also receive 15 percent of revenue from apparel sold with their name on it.

TXHT will continue to provide NWHL coverage as more signings are announced.

*Graphics courtesy of the NWHL.

Sponsored by:

September 4, 2019