2019-20 NWHL season

The 2019–20 NWHL season was the fifth season of the National Women's Hockey League. All five teams from the previous season returned: the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, and the Minnesota Whitecaps.
The NWHL completed the semifinal round of the 2020 Isobel Cup playoffs, but had to postpone the championship game between Boston and Minnesota originally scheduled for March 13, 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. On May 15, the final was cancelled and the Isobel Cup was not awarded.
==League changes==
===2019 offseason events===
Following the 2018–19 season, the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) ceased operations citing the fragmentation of corporate sponsors between the CWHL and NWHL caused their league to be financially infeasible. The NWHL then announced it was pursuing adding two CWHL markets to the league, Montreal and Toronto, if the NWHL found financial backers for the teams.
On May 2, 2019, over 200 players from both the CWHL and NWHL released a joint statement announcing their intent to not participate in any North American professional league for the 2019–20 season citing their dissatisfaction in the operations of both leagues in that neither provided health insurance or a livable salary. The NWHL responded with that they were pursuing many more sponsors than in previous years and hoped to increase player salaries. and agreed to give players a 50 percent split of revenue on league sponsorship and media deals. On May 20, 2019, the players formed a worker's union called the Professional Women's Hockey Player Association (PWHPA) to further push for their stated goals of a league that provides financial and infrastructure resources to players, health insurance, and support to training programs for young female players. With a large number of North American players boycotting the league, more than half of the signed players on opening rosters were new to the league.
On May 8, 2019, Pegula Sports and Entertainment (PSE), the owners of the Buffalo Beauts, relinquished ownership and operations of the team back to the NWHL, but continued to claim rights to the Beauts name as part of the turnover. The Beauts then changed their home venue from the PSE-owned Harborcenter to the Northtown Center in the Buffalo suburb of Amherst.
On May 17, 2019, the New Jersey Devils ended their partnership with the Metropolitan Riveters. The Riveters then changed their home venue from the Devils' practice rink to ProSkate Ice Arena in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, and returned to their original jersey colors.
With the player strike, loss of support from the NHL teams, and lack of additional investors, the NWHL announced they would not be able to increase to full-time salaries or provide players with health insurance outside of the typical worker's compensation for injuries, but had come to an agreement to a 50 percent revenue split on all league-wide sponsorship and media deals. In addition, the league also stated they would not add Montreal and Toronto for the 2019–20 season. The league announced a longer 2019–20 season for the teams, going from 16 to 24 games.
Also during the offseason, the Connecticut Whale relocated to Danbury, Connecticut, and the Boston Pride were purchased by a group of investors led by Miles Arnone.
===Head coach changes===
Team 	2018–19 head coach	2019–20 replacement	Notes
Connecticut Whale 	Ryan Equale 	Colton Orr 	Orr was named head coach of the Whale on September 17, 2019. The Whale had relocated to Danbury Ice Arena during the offseason and Orr operates hockey clinics and a junior team out of the arena.
Buffalo Beauts 	Cody McCormick 	Pete Perram 	McCormick, a former player for the Buffalo Sabres, was named the head coach for in December the previous season. After the Beauts' split from the association with the Sabres and were returned to a league-operated team, Pete Perram was hired as the next head coach.
Metropolitan Riveters	Randy Velischek 	Ivo Mocek 	After the split with the New Jersey Devils, the Riveters hired former Czech junior national team player Ivo Mocek on August 12, 2019.
==Regular season==
===Standings===
Final standings.
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Boston Pride 	24	23	1 	0	46	120	43
Minnesota Whitecaps 	24	17	5 	2	36	106	52
Metropolitan Riveters	24	10	11	3	23	70 	91
Buffalo Beauts 	24	8 	15	1	17	71 	116
Connecticut Whale 	24	2 	20	2	6 	39 	100
===Schedule===
Regular season schedule	Regular season schedule	Regular season schedule	Regular season schedule	Regular season schedule	Regular season schedule 	Regular season schedule 	Regular season schedule	Regular season schedule	Regular season schedule
Date 	Visitor 	Score 	Home 	OT 	Decision 	Notes 	 	 	
October 5 	Buffalo 	3–1 	Connecticut 	 	Mariah Fujimagari 	 	 	 	
October 5 	Boston 	4–2 	Metropolitan 	 	Lovisa Selander 	 	 	 	
October 12 	Metropolitan 	2–9 	Minnesota 	 	Amanda Leveille 	 	 	 	
October 12 	Buffalo 	2–4 	Boston 	 	Lovisa Selander 	 	 	 	
October 13 	Buffalo 	1–8 	Boston 	 	Lovisa Selander 	 	 	 	
October 13 	Metropolitan 	4–3 	Minnesota 	OT 	Sam Walther 	 	 	 	
October 19 	Connecticut 	4–5 	Buffalo 	OT 	Mariah Fujimagari 	 	 	 	
October 19 	Minnesota 	1–3 	Boston 	 	Lovisa Selander 	 	 	 	
October 20 	Connecticut 	4–6 	Buffalo 	 	Mariah Fujimagari 	 	 	 	
October 20 	Minnesota 	2–5 	Boston 	 	Lovisa Selander 	 	 	 	
October 26 	Minnesota 	7–2 	Connecticut 	 	Amanda Leveille 	 	 	 	
October 26 	Metropolitan 	2–7 	Boston 	 	Lovisa Selander 	 	 	 	
October 27 	Minnesota 	3–2 	Connecticut 	 	Amanda Leveille 	 	 	 	
October 27 	Metropolitan 	3–5 	Boston 	 	Lovisa Selander 	 	 	 	
November 16 	Buffalo 	1–6 	Boston 	 	Lovisa Selander 	 	 	 	
November 17 	Buffalo 	3–1 	Connecticut 	 	Kelsey Neumann 	 	 	 	
November 23 	Connecticut 	0–8 	Boston 	 	Victoria Hanson 	 	 	 	
November 23 	Minnesota 	5–3 	Buffalo 	 	Amanda Leveille 	 	 	 	
November 24 	Minnesota 	3–4 	Buffalo 	 	Mariah Fujimagari 	 	 	 	
November 30 	Buffalo 	6–2 	Connecticut 	 	Kelsey Neumann 	 	 	 	
November 30 	Metropolitan 	2–5 	Boston 	 	Lovisa Selander 	 	 	 	
December 1 	Metropolitan 	2–1 	Connecticut 	 	Sam Walther 	 	 	 	
December 7 	Boston 	8–3 	Metropolitan 	 	Victoria Hanson 	 	 	 	
December 8 	Metropolitan 	3–2 	Connecticut 	 	Sam Walther 	 	 	 	
December 14 	Metropolitan 	3–2 	Minnesota 	SO 	Sam Walther 	 	 	 	
December 15 	Metropolitan 	2–5 	Minnesota 	 	Amanda Leveille 	 	 	 	
December 21 	Minnesota 	3–0 	Connecticut 	 	Amanda Leveille 	 	 	 	
December 21 	Boston 	4–3 	Buffalo 	OT 	Lovisa Selander 	 	 	 	
December 22 	Boston 	4–2 	Buffalo 	 	Victoria Hanson 	 	 	 	
December 22 	Minnesota 	2–1 	Connecticut 	 	Amanda Leveille 	 	 	 	
December 28 	Boston 	2–1 	Connecticut 	SO 	Lovisa Selander 	 	 	 	
December 28 	Metropolitan 	7–4 	Buffalo 	 	Sam Walther 	Outdoor game at Buffalo RiverWorks. 	 	 	
December 29 	Metropolitan 	6–3 	Buffalo 	 	Sam Walther 	 	 	 	
December 29 	Boston 	7–2 	Connecticut 	 	Victoria Hanson 	 	 	 	
January 4 	Minnesota 	2–0 	Metropolitan 	 	Amanda Leveille 	 	 	 	
January 4 	Boston 	5–2 	Buffalo 	 	Victoria Hanson 	 	 	 	
January 5 	Boston 	7–2 	Buffalo 	 	Lovisa Selander 	 	 	 	
January 5 	Minnesota 	1–3 	Metropolitan 	 	Sam Walther 	 	 	 	
January 11 	Connecticut 	4–3 	Metropolitan 	OT 	Brooke Wolejko 	 	 	 	
January 11 	Buffalo 	2–8 	Minnesota 	 	Amanda Leveille 	 	 	 	
January 12 	Buffalo 	1–7 	Minnesota 	 	Amanda Leveille 	 	 	 	
January 12 	Connecticut 	2–4 	Boston 	 	Lovisa Selander 	 	 	 	
January 18 	Connecticut 	1–6 	Minnesota 	 	Amanda Leveille 	 	 	 	
January 19 	Connecticut 	0–7 	Minnesota 	 	Amanda Leveille 	 	 	 	
January 20 	Metropolitan 	3–5 	Boston 	 	Victoria Hanson 	 	 	 	
January 25 	Connecticut 	2–1 	Metropolitan 	SO 	Brooke Wolejko 	 	 	 	
January 25 	Boston 	3–4 	Minnesota 	 	Amanda Leveille 	 	 	 	
January 26 	Boston 	4–2 	Minnesota 	 	Lovisa Selander 	 	 	 	
January 26 	Connecticut 	2–4 	Metropolitan 	 	Sam WaltherDana DeMartino	 	 	 	
February 15 	Connecticut 	1–4 	Boston 	 	Lovisa Selander 	 	 	 	
February 15 	Buffalo 	6–5 	Metropolitan 	SO 	Tiffany Hsu 	 	 	 	
February 16 	Buffalo 	3–4 	Metropolitan 	 	Dana DeMartino 	 	 	 	
February 22 	Minnesota 	6–1 	Buffalo 	 	Amanda Leveille 	 	 	 	
February 22 	Boston 	3–0 	Connecticut 	 	Lovisa Selander 	At Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut, as a double-header with the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers	 	 	
February 23 	Minnesota 	9–3 	Buffalo 	 	Allie Morse 	 	 	 	
February 23 	Boston 	5–0 	Metropolitan 	 	Lovisa Selander 	 	 	 	
February 29 	Buffalo 	2–5 	Metropolitan 	 	Sam Walther 	 	 	 	
February 29 	Connecticut 	3–6 	Minnesota 	 	Amanda Leveille 	 	 	 	
March 1 	Connecticut 	1–3 	Minnesota 	 	Amanda Leveille 	 	 	 	
March 1 	Buffalo 	3–1 	Metropolitan 	 	Lea-Kristine Demers 	 	 	 	
==Playoffs==
==All-Star Game==
The 2020 NWHL All-Star Game and its weekend festivities took place on February 8–9, 2020, at Warrior Ice Arena, the Boston Pride's home arena. The teams were captained by Jillian Dempsey of the Boston Pride and Madison Packer of the Metropolitan Riveters, who drafted their rosters from the selected all-star players in a draft.
The skills challenge took place on February 8. Team Packer won the fastest skater (Grace Kleinbach of Connecticut) and hardest shot (Kaleigh Fratkin of Boston), while Team Dempsey won fastest goalie (Mariah Fujimagari of Buffalo), shooting accuracy (Jillian Dempsey), and the team relay. Team Packer ultimately won the skills competition via the team shootout competition. On February 11, the league awarded fastest skater to Team Dempsey's Allie Thunstrom of the Minnesota Whitecaps following a review and a timing error.
The All-Star Game took place the following day on February 9. The game was a four-on-four format with Team Dempsey winning 5–2. The game was sold out in the 800-seat arena and had about 10,000 viewers watching the game live on Twitch.
==Awards and honors==
*Jillian Dempsey (Boston Pride) and Allie Thunstrom (Minnesota Whitecaps), 2020 Most Valuable Players
*Lovisa Selander, Boston Pride, 2020 Goaltender of the Year
*Kaleigh Fratkin, Boston Pride, 2020 Defender of the Year
*Jillian Dempsey, Boston Pride, 2020 Scoring Champion
*Kate Leary, Metropolitan Riveters, 2020 Newcomer of the Year
==References==
==External links==
*
 
NWHL