The ZhHL’s season begins with 8 groups this present year
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The Zhenskaya Hockey League’s (ZhHL) 2019–20 period starts on Sept. 13. Needless to say, the greatest offseason news for Russia’s expert women’s hockey league had been the addition of this Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays, previously associated with the CWHL. The addition of Shenzhen is significant not just as the ZhHL has become an eight-team league, but additionally since there now are new movie movie stars into the mix whom could reshape league’s energy structure.
Ag >The protecting champions enter the 2019–20 period because the group to beat, until proven otherwise. Agidel includes a deep roster led by captain Olga Sosina, Slovakian power ahead Nicol Cupkova, and veteran Czech winger Alena Mills. Sosina led the group in scoring final period with 69 points in 31 games and scored eight goals in six playoff games to greatly help secure Agidel its championship. As constantly, she continues to be the player to look at.
Earlier in the day this month @HCAgidel (ZhHL) signed Ulyana Trigubchak (@Uly_3gubchak), an old KHL “ice girl” switched recreations presenter, to a try-out agreement. She’s got over 53k Instagram followers.Sounds like she will be given to be able to try-out for Agidel after some specific training.
It is additionally well well worth noting that Ulyana Trigubchak, a previous KHL “ice girl” switched recreations presenter, happens to be because of the group on a try-out agreement. Whether or perhaps not she’ll crack the roster for the regular period remains become seen. Agidel thinks that having her from the group will provide the ZhHL more exposure.
Dynamo St. Petersburg
In line with the league’s web web site, there haven’t been numerous modifications for Dynamo — and that’s the best thing. St. Petersburg completed 2nd in the standings last period with a record of 22-11-3. Regrettably for the young club, they dropped within the final to Agidel. It could be a huge frustration for Dynamo in order to complete anywhere less than 3rd when you look at the standings.
“The girls are tuned, charged, they actually do whatever they love, they missed games and hockey,” Dynamo head advisor Julia Karpova shared after a preseason game against Agidel. “The mood is just to win . New girls got familiar with the group, and quickly we are going to show our most useful outcome. Needless to say, we don’t would you like to reduce the club as well as least verify my status — the appetite includes consuming, i like to increase!” (translated through Bing)
Dynamo’s best weakness final season ended up being their offense. They finished fifth into the league in goals scored, with 107 in 36 games. Nevertheless, Dynamo additionally had the second-fewest objectives against. One of the keys for St. Petersburg should be finding an approach to have more production from their forwards without compromising the team’s exemplary general protection.
Biryusa Krasnoyarsk
Biryusa destroyed a number of its level scoring within the offseason after up-and-coming ahead Tatiana Shatalova finalized because of the Metropolitan Riveters of this NWHL. But 5-foot-10 celebrity forward Valeriia Pavlova hasn’t gone anywhere. So long as Biryusa has its own captain, they must be a playoff team. Her 33 goals a year ago had been a lot more than twice the amount that Biryusa’s second-highest objective scorer amassed.
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The determining element for Biryusa this year will likely be how long they are able to opt for restricted level on a group that is determined by Pavlova and nationwide group goaltender Nadezhda Morozova to accomplish the majority of the heavy-lifting. For the reason that with this not enough depth that Biryusa appears like a prime prospect to slide down the standings. Written down, the groups around them appeared to improve while Biryusa appeared to stay pat.
SKIF Nizhny Novgorod
SKIF may be yet another group this season, but that doesn’t suggest they are going to are not able to go back to the postseason. As well as adjusting to a different mind advisor, SKIF will even need to find a method to win without Finnish veteran Karoliina Rantamaki, alternative captain Alexandra Vafina, and defender Alexandra Kapustina, whom retired. Fortunately for SKIF, they included defender Yekaterina Ananyina from SKSO Yekaterinburg and Belarusian ahead Lidiya Malyavko, whom scored 10 objectives final period for Biryusa.
Although it’s true that SKIF squeaked in to the playoffs final season, they proved their quality by firmly taking the very first game within their semifinal show against Agidel. Teenager Oxana Bratishcheva almost doubled her manufacturing through the 2017–18 period a year ago. If she continues to grow into the ball player that SKIF and Team Russia are relying on her in order to become, we ought to expect another big 12 months from Bratishcheva.
HK Tornado
Tornado dropped well in short supply of objectives final period by lacking the playoffs — completing in fifth destination with an archive of 20-15-1. Talent hasn’t been the question for Tornado, but a year ago the team’s lack of level and lackluster protection proved sufficient to ruin the campaign. It had been a significant dissatisfaction for a group which includes several of Russia’s most talented skaters.
Superstar Anna Shokhina has reached ab muscles top of the list. Shokhina ended up being the league’s leading scorer last season with 76 points in 33 games. It’s hard to genuinely believe that a group led by a person whom averaged over one objective per game could go from having a record of 17-6-1 in 2017–18 to lacking the playoffs the next season, but that’s precisely what took place. Tornado needs more structure around Shokhina. particularly within the protective area. The group also requires its captain to keep out from the field — she finished the 2018–19 campaign with 65 PIM.
2019 Women’s Hockey Top 25 Under 25 | No. 18-20: Anna Shokhina; Chloe Aurard, Hayley Scamurra
It will likely be tough sledding for Tornado to obtain back again to the top of the hill within the ZhHL. They’ll certainly be without nationwide group goaltender Nadezhda Alexandrova, who has got resigned, and star center Yelena Dergachova, 23, that is from the lineup on maternity leave. The 51 points Dergachova scored final period had been advantageous to fourth into the league and 3rd on her behalf group. Needless to express, that caliber of manufacturing will likely be tough to restore. Whoever replaces her on that top line with Shokhina and Alevtina Shtaryova will have to step-up their game if Tornado desires to go back to the playoffs.
SK Gorny Ukhta
Hayley Williams has returned for an additional period with SK Gorny, but Tatiana Rafter has chose to hang up her skates and you will be mentoring in European countries this season. Rafter, a ZhHL and NWHL All-Star whom won an Isobel Cup with all the Riveters in 2018, ended up being the team’s third-highest-scoring skater last period with 21 points in 31 games. She’ll be tough to change. Happily for Gorny, increasing celebrity Fanuza Kadirova stays within the photo.
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Kadirova, 21, scored 20 goals and led her team in points when it comes to 4th consecutive period. With Rafter from the mix, opposing groups will turn a lot more of their focus into slowing her straight straight straight down in 2010. Finally, Gorny is certainly going so far as Kadirova, Williams, and high-scoring defender Liana Ganeyeva are able to just take them. This continues to be a young club that may probably complete not in the playoff photo.
SKSO Yekaterinburg
What’s here to state about SKSO outside of mentioning their dismal record of 1-33-2 from final period? This is a group that has been outscored by over 200 goals final period together with just four skaters set up dual digits in points. Ananyina, SKSO’s highest-scoring skater from last period, has kept the group to try out for SKIF. To phrase it differently, things look much more grim than they did during the start of the 2018–19 period.
SKSO will as soon as once again be in the bottom associated with standings at the conclusion regarding the standard period.
Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays
Because of the star energy showcased on Shenzhen’s roster, it couldn’t be considered a stretch to assume which they could straight away challenge Agidel once the heavyweights associated with the ZhHL. Keep in mind, it absolutely was just couple of years ago that Kunlun Red celebrity caused it to be to the Clarkson Cup Final. And even though it is correct that elite center Kelli Stack isn’t any longer when you look at the image, the Rays nevertheless have some serious worldwide skill in the roster, including Alex Carpenter, Noora Raty, and Kimberly Newell.
Could Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays get in on the Russian Women’s Hockey League?
Newcomers to Shenzhen in 2010 include Harvard alumna Kaitlin Tse, a defender whom scored 51 points in 120 job NCAA games, and 5-foot-10 Minnesota State alumna Rebekah Kolstad. Kolstad may help fill the part that has been once occupied by Stephanie Anderson, whom left Shenzhen to signal aided by the Minnesota Whitecaps associated with NWHL.
Just like it had been into the CWHL, the storyline for Shenzhen will soon be exactly how much the group will get away from its Chinese-born players. In past years, China’s professional groups happen held right back by an overdependence on brought in skill. Now that KRS is playing in a league that is distinctly less competitive compared to CWHL, the coaching staff have actually a way to test buy essay their Chinese players giving them bigger functions and much more ice time. Try to find Xin Fang to bounce back once again after an underwhelming final season into the CWHL.
