# 2017–18 NWHL season

The 2017–18 NWHL season was the third season of the National Women's Hockey League. All four teams from the previous two seasons returned for this season: the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, and the Metropolitan Riveters.

## League news and notes

* In October 2017, the Russian women's national team participated in exhibition series, called the 2017 Summit Series, going 5–0 against the Pride, Riveters, and Whale. The Beauts played one game against the Chinese national team, which the Beauts won 4–2.
* A Battle of the Sexes match was scheduled between the Buffalo Beauts and Buffalo Jr. Sabres 15U youth team for October 16 with the Jr. Sabres 15U winning 9–4.
* On October 5, the New York Riveters partnered with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. The Riveters, having played in Newark, New Jersey, the previous season, rebranded as the Metropolitan Riveters. As part of the partnership, the Riveters had their opening home game at the Prudential Center.
* On December 14, the NWHL announced that they are playing USA Hockey Women's National Team in Tampa Bay for two exhibition matches for January playing at the U.S. Women's National Team's training complex at Florida Hospital Center Ice.
* On December 21, the Buffalo Beauts were acquired by their landlord, Pegula Sports and Entertainment; Pegula owns several sports teams in the Buffalo area, including the NHL's Buffalo Sabres.

### Head coaching and front office personnel changes
#### Head coaches

| Team | 2016–17 head coach | 2017–18 replacement | Notes |
| Boston Pride | Bobby Jay | Thomas Pöck | Former NHL player and Austrian-born Pöck became the first European coach in NWHL history. |

## Regular season
### News and notes

Brittany Ott of the Boston Pride and Amanda Leveille of the Buffalo Beauts served as team captains for the 3rd NWHL All-Star Game.

### Standings

Final standings.
| | GP | W | L | OTL | GF | GA | PTS |
| Metropolitan Riveters | 16 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 64 | 30 | 26 |
| Buffalo Beauts | 16 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 51 | 41 | 24 |
| Boston Pride | 16 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 33 | 48 | 12 |
| Connecticut Whale | 16 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 26 | 55 | 8 |

## Playoffs

| Semifinal game March 17–18 | Semifinal game March 17–18 | Semifinal game March 17–18 | Isobel Cup Championship March 25 | Isobel Cup Championship March 25 | Isobel Cup Championship March 25 |
| 1 | Metropolitan | 5 | | | |
| 4 | Connecticut | 0 | | | |
| 4 | Connecticut | 0 | 1 | Metropolitan | 1 |
| | | | 2 | Buffalo | 0 |
| 2 | Buffalo | 3(OT) | 2 | Buffalo | 0 |
| 3 | Boston | 2 | | | |

## Awards and honors

* Alexa Gruschow, Metropolitan Riveters, 2018 NWHL Most Valuable Player
* Alexa Gruschow, Metropolitan Riveters, 2018 NWHL Scoring Champion
* Jillian Dempsey, Boston Pride, 2018 NWHL Denna Laing Perseverance Award
* Courtney Burke, Metropolitan Riveters, 2018 NWHL Defensive Player of the Year Award
* Amanda Leveille, Buffalo Beauts, 2018 NWHL Goaltender of the Year
* Hayley Scamurra, Buffalo Beauts, 2018 NWHL Rookie of the Year

### Player of the Week

| Day Awarded | Player | Team |
| October 30, 2017 | Miye D'Oench | Metropolitan Riveters |
| November 6, 2017 | Alexa Gruschow | Metropolitan Riveters |
| November 13, 2017 | Taylor Accursi | Buffalo Beauts |
| November 20, 2017 | Kelly Babstock | Connecticut Whale |
| December 4, 2017 | Alyssa Gagliardi | Metropolitan Riveters |
| December 11, 2017 | Kelly Nash | Metropolitan Riveters |
| December 18, 2017 | Courtney Burke | Metropolitan Riveters |
| January 8, 2018 | Kaylyn Schroka | Buffalo Beauts |
| January 22, 2018 | Katie Fitzgerald | Metropolitan Riveters |
| January 29, 2018 | Amanda Leveille Brittany Ott | Buffalo Beauts Boston Pride |
| February 5, 2018 | Emily Fluke Hayley Scamurra | Connecticut Whale Buffalo Beauts |
| February 21, 2018 | Maddie Elia | Buffalo Beauts |
| February 28, 2018 | Emily Field Kourtney Kunichika | Boston Pride Buffalo Beauts |
| March 5, 2018 | Dana Trivigno | Boston Pride |
| March 12, 2018 | Sarah Edney Madison Packer | Buffalo Beauts Metropolitan Riveters |

## Draft

The 2017 NWHL draft was the third in the history of the National Women's Hockey League and took place on August 17, 2017, in Brooklyn. Goaltender Katie Burt of Boston College was selected first overall by the Boston Pride. It marked the first time that the Boston Pride held the first pick overall in the draft, which the franchise obtained from the Connecticut Whale in the trade that sent Zoe Hickel to the Whale on February 7, 2017.
| Rd | P | Player (Pos) | Team | Nationality | Former team |
| 1 | 1 | Katie Burt (G) | Boston Pride | United States | Boston College Eagles (Hockey East) |
| 1 | 2 | Kennedy Marchment (F) | Buffalo Beauts | Canada | St. Lawrence (ECAC) |
| 1 | 3 | Taylar Cianfrano (F) | New York Riveters | United States | Quinnipiac Bobcats (ECAC) |
| 1 | 4 | Kenzie Kent (F) | Boston Pride | United States | Boston College (HEA) |
| 2 | 5 | Sam Donovan (F) | Connecticut Whale | United States | Brown Bears (ECAC) |
| 2 | 6 | Savannah Harmon (D) | Buffalo Beauts | United States | Clarkson (ECAC) |
| 2 | 7 | Victoria Bach (F) | New York Riveters | Canada | Boston University (HEA) |
| 2 | 8 | Mallory Souliotis (D) | Boston Pride | United States | Yale (ECAC) |
| 3 | 9 | Eden Murray (F) | Connecticut Whale | Canada | Yale Bulldogs (ECAC) |
| 3 | 10 | Brittany Howard (F) | Buffalo Beauts | United States | Robert Morris (CHA) |
| 3 | 11 | McKenna Brand (F) | New York Riveters | United States | Northeastern Huskies (HEA) |
| 3 | 12 | Lexie Laing (F) | Boston Pride | United States | Harvard Crimson (ECAC) |
| 4 | 13 | Denisa Křížová (F) | Connecticut Whale | Czech Republic | Northeastern (HEA) |
| 4 | 14 | Annika Zalewski (F) | Buffalo Beauts | United States | Colgate Raiders (ECAC) |
| 4 | 15 | Toni Ann Miano (D) | New York Riveters | United States | Boston College (HEA) |
| 4 | 16 | Lauren Kelly (D) | Boston Pride | United States | Northeastern (HEA) |
| 5 | 17 | Nina Rodgers (F) | Connecticut Whale | United States | Boston University (HEA) |
| 5 | 18 | Amy Schlager (D) | Buffalo Beauts | United States | New Hampshire Wildcats (HEA) |
| 5 | 19 | Rebecca Leslie (F) | New York Riveters | Canada | Boston University (HEA) |
| 5 | 20 | Julia Fedeski (D) | Boston Pride | Canada | New Hampshire Wildcats (HEA) |