NHL notebook: Devils partner with women’s team to help game grow
NEWARK, N.J.— The New Jersey Devils are the first NHL franchise to partner with a National Women’s Hockey League team.
Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the Devils parent company, announced the partnership with the Metropolitan Riveters on Thursday.
The goal is to support the growth of the NWHL, a four-team women’s pro league that started in 2015. The Devils will assist with marketing and facilities for Riveters’ games and practices in Newark, N.J.
“We are grateful to begin this longterm collaboration with them and are confident that together we will grow the game,” NWHL commissioner Dani Rylan said.
The Devils and Riveters will host a doubleheader on Oct. 28 at the Prudential Center. The Riveters will open their season against the Boston Pride in the afternoon and the Devils will play the Arizona Coyotes at night.
The new alliance begins on Saturday at Prudential Center in support of World Girls Hockey Weekend. The Riveters will join 60-plus area female youth hockey players for the Devils home opener against the Colorado Avalanche. The girls will meet the Riveters and participate in a skating clinic after the game.
Hugh Weber, president of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, called the partnership “an extraordinary opportunity to support youth and women’s professional ice hockey at the Prudential Center.”
The Riveters will adopt the team colours of the Devils.
Select games will be featured on The One Jersey Network and the Devils’ website.
The other NWHL cities are Stamford, Conn., and Buffalo.
TWO CAPTAINS: The Carolina Hurricanes’ didn’t have a captain last season. Now they have two — forward Jordan Staal and defenceman Justin Faulk.
Coach Bill Peters said Thursday that Staal will begin the season as the captain at home, while Faulk will fill that role on the road and they will switch at midseason. The player not serving as captain during a particular game will join forward Jeff Skinner as an alternate captain.
The Hurricanes haven’t had a captain since Eric Staal was traded in February 2016 and used several players as alternates last year.
Jordan Staal’s debut wearing the “C’’ comes Saturday night against his brother’s new team, the Minnesota Wild, in the season opener.
SENATOR EXTENDED: The Ottawa Senators signed defenceman Mark Borowiecki to a $2.4-million (U.S.), two-year contract extension on Thursday.
Borowiecki had three points in a career-high 70 games last season and led the NHL in hits (364) and penalty minutes (154).
The 28-year-old Ottawa native was limited to two playoff games after suffering an injury in the Senators’ first-round series against Boston.
His contract extension will carry an average annual value of $1.2 million in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, the Senators said in a release.
Borowiecki was selected by Ottawa in the fifth round (139th overall) of the 2008 NHL Draft.
He has four goals, 13 assists and 436 penalty minutes in 217 career NHL games.