PWHL Shakeups & Exciting Signings | ​​GSMC Hoops & Heels Women’s Sports Podcast

welcome back everybody to the gsmc hoops and heels andone Sports podcast brought to you by the gsmc sports network we just got done talking about the race for the nwsl MVP title and now we're going to be talking about some Professional Women's Hockey League or pwhl news we're going to talk about three things one Minnesota firing three people two resigning CLA Dalton to Montreal and three Boston signing igrao so let's begin with Minnesota's firing drama this is Juicy drama so pwl Minnesota's effort to repeat as Walter Cup champions in 2025 will be guided by a vastly different cast of characters behind the scenes as three more key figures in their title run from last season were fired on Monday assistant coach Jake rowski goalie coach Brena pder and skills consultant Johnny seil were all dismissed from their roles with the team the fire Trio coaches was aong a group of P Minnesota employees who expressed support for sire general manager Natalie in what increasingly appears to have been a power struggle between her and head coach Ken CLE in addition to coaching the team going forward Glee has been in the acting general manager role since darwitz was dismissed pwl officials have acknowledged that they knew of the ongoing internal strife between darwis and CLE prior to the pwhl playoffs in April the league officials sat down with several members of the team staff and players to get their Insight on the diff differences of opinion one former pwl Minnesota employee said quote I told them Ken is never recepted to any sort of suggestions and that he is extremely arrogant have you ever heard heard of a coach telling people to not come to the ice for practice because you are taking time away from the important girls that are playing why do you think players are retiring unquote pwl Minnesota forward Sophia kunan and Britney Fleming announced their retirement following the 2024 season which ended with Minnesota defeating pwl Boston in five games for the inro elite title darwitz who put together the team and is credited with things like securing Excel Energy Center as their home Rank and Sharia rank as their practice facility was fires just days after the teams championship celebration attended by thousands of fans it was very successful another source who was formerly a part of the PW Minnesota organization said the latest firings appear to be CLE consolidating his control of the team Bowski worked closely with Daris on the Women's Hockey coaching staffs at Hamlin University and the Minnesota Gophers prior to his work as an assistant coach for pwh Minnesota last season P has worked with Minnesota state manado and is currently the men's hockey goalie coach for the golfers Gophers why do I keep saying golfers the go first which um he did last season in addition to his work with the pro women's team the coaching staff changes have not been yet announced by PW Minnesota or the league office as of Tuesday Morning photos of owski and P were still on the team's official website okay in my opinion the firing of assistant coach J Kowski goalie coach Brandon p and skills consultant uh Johnny cybel right after letting go of general manager Natalie darwitz definitely screams drama and a power struggle from my perspective C's action seem like a classic power play that's just what it seems like I'm not saying that is what it is by removing key figures who were close to darwis Cle is it it seems like C is eliminating potential opposition and solidifying his own influence within the team this move can seem can be seen as a way to ensure that there are no dissenting Voices That Could challenge authority or decisions while consolidating power might make sense from a leadership standpoint it's Risky Business C's approach might streamline decision-making but it could also create an environment of fear and uncertainty the sudden firing of coaches who were integral to the team success could damage morale and disrupt the chemistry that helped the team secure the championship which is what my biggest worry is also firing Daris does seem questionable especially since she was pivotal and assembling the team and securing their facilities like it seems like from the outside she did a great job and had been successful in her role it makes you wonder if management is making the right calls you know Daris was obviously a huge asset and getting rid of her along with her supporters does seem like a risky move in itself how pwl Minnesota handles this turmoil will be crucial for their future I feel like this is a definitely deciding fact like a this is might have a lot more influence than you think on their future because if an organization is like struggling and has too many shakeups like the entire team could just fall you know C's do a role as head coach and acting general manager can either stabilize or further destabilize the team they need to find a balance between strong leadership and a supportive atmosphere to stay on top but ultimately this whole situation is pretty messy and it might get even more messy so now let's talk about some happier news P Montreal resigned laor clir Dalton to a one-year contract this is good news Okay so we're back on like some habier news page dalon registered nine points five goals and four assists and 20 games during the League's inaugural season the 24-year-old from Toronto also appeared in three playoff games she was selected in the 12th round 67th overall by Montreal during the 2023 WP D pwh draft I was about to say like WNBA and pwhl in the same time it just did not come out right anyway so Dalton attended Gale University from 2018 to 2023 she served as a captain of the Yale Bulldogs during her senior year and led them to their first IB League championship scoring the game timeing goal and overtime winner against Cornell in the final she finished her collegiate career with 133 points and 13 games and is Yale's alltime leader and assist with 89 Claire Dolson is known for her offensive prowess her ability to score goals in setup plays will be crucial and bolstering Montreal's attacking lineup having a reliable and experienced forward like Dalton ensures that the team has a consistent threat on the ice which can help in close games where offensive depth is necessary also Dalton brings valuable experience to the team both from her previous Seasons with Montreal and her overall career her understanding and I was about to say understudy and understanding at the same time that was crazy her understanding of the game and Leadership qualities will be instrumental in guiding younger players and maintaining team cohesion veteran presence is often vital in high pressure situations such as playoffs where her experience can calm nerves and Inspire confidence in her teammates and that's like the hope with bringing her in of course dolin skills are not limited to even strength play she is also expected to make significant contributions to the Special Teams particularly the power play unit her vision and hockey IQ allow her to create opportunities and capitalize on man Advantage situations potentially increasing the team's efficiency in converting power plays into goals that's the hope I also want to add that having a player who's already familiar with the team system and Dynamics means there's no need for an adjustment period and sometimes that can be a lot more negative than you think it is uh Do's resigning allows for continuity in team chemistry which is essential for executing play smoothly and maintaining an effective communication on the ice her established relationships with other players will help in maintaining a harmonious locker room environment I love that we're harmonious the third thing we got to talk about is that pwhl Boston has signed free agent Defender Emma Greco a Walter Cup champion with PW Minnesota to a one-year deal okay so this is so random but doesn't Emma greo look like this one I don't even know her name this Tik Tok influencer who does like makeup and like this use crazy story time she looks exactly like her and like every single time I see Emma like pictures of em Emma grco I'm literally like wa is she a makeup influencer and we're all just like not like is this just like a secret like I don't know anyway so igrao is a native of Burlington or Ontario and she played 22 games for P Minnesota throughout the 2024 regular season in addition to all 10 playoff games prior to the PW the 29-year-old played five Pro Seasons beginning in 2017 to 2018 with the phfs Connecticut w followed by the 2018 to 2019 campaign with the cwls Toronto fies and 2019 to 2020 as a member of the pwp she played for the P phfs Toronto 6 in 2021 to 2020 2020 to 2021 and again in 2022 to 2023 where she won an Isabelle cup Greco also played for NCA Seasons at Quinn Pak University where she led the team in shots block at 72 during her senior year as a graduate student Greco also played with women's soccer for the Bobcats recording 1,9 minutes on defense and 15 games pwhl Boston general manager Daniel marmer said quote Emma is a steady reliable defensive man with proven experience in this league she was a part of Minnesota's Walter Cup winning team so she knows what it takes to win in the playoffs her hard defending and simple Puck moving style is an identity we're expected to add to our DEC corpse unquote and then Greco said quote I am excited and grateful to be joining PW Boston I know Boston is a sports city with Incredible fans and I'm looking looking forward to seeing them at their home opener un quote signing Graco is a significant boost for Boston Emma Graco brings a wealth of experience in skill to Boston's blue line known for her strong play and strong defensive play in particular Graco is adept at shutting down opposing forwards blocking shots and making smart plays under pressure her presence will bolster Boston's defense making it harder for opponents to generate scoring chances also having won the Walter cup with pwhl Minnesota Greco knows what it takes to succeed at the highest levels her Championship experience will be invaluable in guiding Boston through tough situations particularly in high stakes games she brings a winning mentality and the knowledge of how to navigate the pressures of a playoff run and that is what this team definitely will need one of greo strengths in her ability TR to tr is her ability to transition the puck from defense to offense smoothly her vision and passing skills can jump star the team's breakout plays leading to quick quick Transitions and counterattacks this will add an extra Dimension to Boston's game hopefully allowing them to turn defense into offense more effectively so we're now going to move into the next segment where we talk about um where we preview the amandi Eon championships before we dive into that we are going to be taking a very short break so I will see you guys very soon looking for your daily fix of sports talk without having to pay for it g GMC Sports network is available on YouTube just search gsmc sports network get your fix of daily Sports talk shows on YouTube absolutely free NFL college football NBA MLB MMA UFC fantasy football and so much more gsmc Sports network has shows running all day long with new sports shows starting every 2 hours just like on your favorite Cable Sports channel except gsmc Sports network is absolutely free just SE gsmc Sports Network on YouTube to catch one of your new favorite shows like the gsmc college football podcast Chip Shot football podcast hoops and heels women's sports podcast gsmc basketball podcast and so many more check it out for yourself gsmc Sports Network now available on YouTube absolutely free search gsmc Sports Network on YouTube right now