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The Metropolitan Riveters (originally the New York Riveters) are a professional women's
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
team based in
East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census.
, with home games at the
American Dream Meadowlands American Dream is a retail and entertainment complex in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The first and second of four opening stages occurred on October 25, 2019, and on December 5, 2019. The remainin ...
ice rink. They were one of the four charter franchises of the
National Women's Hockey League The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), formerly the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), is a women's professional ice hockey league located in the United States and Canada. The league was established in 2015 with four league-owned teams and ha ...
(NWHL), now known as the
Premier Hockey Federation The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), formerly the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), is a women's professional ice hockey league located in the United States and Canada. The league was established in 2015 with four league-owned teams and ha ...
(PHF). Its team name and logo are based upon
Rosie the Riveter Rosie the Riveter is an allegorical cultural icon in the United States who represents the women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies. These women sometimes took entirely new ...
, the subject of the
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
-era motivational poster "
We Can Do It! "We Can Do It!" is an American World War II wartime poster produced by J. Howard Miller in 1943 for Westinghouse Electric as an inspirational image to boost female worker morale. The poster was little seen during World War II. It was rediscove ...
". The Riveters played one season in Brooklyn before moving to the
New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional sports, professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...
practice rink in
Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Janine Weber Janine Weber (born 19 June 1991) is an Austrian professional ice hockey player and member of the Austrian national team, currently playing in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) with the Connecticut Whale. She previously played with the Boston ...
, who also became the first player in the history of the NWHL to be signed to a contract. With the first pick overall in the
2015 NWHL Draft Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music *Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak album ...
, the Riveters selected
Alexandra Carpenter Alexandra "Alex" Carpenter (born April 13, 1994) is an American ice hockey player and member of the United States women's national team. She most recently played in the 2020–21 season of the Zhenskaya Hockey League (ZhHL) with the KRS Vanke ...
, a medalist from the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. The team made its debut in
2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
playing at Aviator Sports & Events Center in
Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. The first player to ever score a goal for the Riveters was Brooke Ammerman. The New York Riveters won their first game against the Boston Pride on November 15, 2015.
Nana Fujimoto is a professional Japanese ice hockey player for Vortex Sapporo and the Japanese national team. Fujimoto was previously a starting goaltender for the New York Riveters of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL). Career Fujimoto participated ...
became the first New York Riveters goaltender to earn a win in the NWHL and the first Japanese born goaltender to win a NWHL game. Meghan Fardelmann became the first Riveter to record a
hat trick A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
. On May 1, 2016, the Riveters signed free agent
Amanda Kessel Amanda Kessel (born August 28, 1991) is an American professional ice hockey player. She has been a member of the United States women's national ice hockey team and played four seasons for the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey program (2 ...
to a one-year deal worth $26,000, making her the highest paid player in the league. At the
2016 NWHL Draft Sixteen or 16 may refer to: *16 (number), the natural number following 15 and preceding 17 *one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016 Films * '' Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film * ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film di ...
, held in Brooklyn, the Riveters held the first overall pick for the second consecutive year and selected
Kelsey Koelzer Kelsey Koelzer (born June 16, 1995) is an American ice hockey defender, currently serving as head coach of the Arcadia University women's ice hockey program, the first black female head coach in NCAA ice hockey history, as well as the Advisor t ...
from the
Princeton Tigers women's ice hockey The Princeton Tigers women's ice hockey team represents Princeton University in the ECAC Hockey conference in the NCAA Division I women's ice hockey. They play at the Hobey Baker Memorial Rink. In the 2019-2020 season, they won their first ECAC ch ...
program. On August 1, 2016, it was announced that the Riveters would move from Brooklyn to Barnabas Health Hockey House at the
Prudential Center Prudential Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the central business district of Newark, New Jersey. Opened in 2007, it is the home of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the men's basketball program of Seton Hal ...
in Newark, New Jersey. Prior to their second season in New Jersey, the Riveters announced they had partnered with the
New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional sports, professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...
of the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL), becoming the first NWHL team to officially partner with an NHL team. Upon the announcement, the Riveters changed their name to the Metropolitan Riveters to reflect the broader geographic region. The Riveters also adopted the colors of the Devils and changed their jerseys. As part of the new affiliation, the Riveters and Devils held a doubleheader for the Riveters' 2017–18 season opener against the
Boston Pride The Boston Pride are a professional women's ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are one of the four charter franchises of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), formerly the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL; 2015–2021). The ...
followed by the Devils' game against the
Arizona Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mull ...
at the Prudential Center. In the 2017–18 season, the Riveters won both the regular season and the
Isobel Cup The Lady Isobel Gathorne-Hardy Cup, often shortened to Isobel Cup, is the championship trophy awarded annually to the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) playoff winner. It is named after Lady Isobel Gathorne-Hardy, one of the first known women to p ...
against the previous champions, the
Buffalo Beauts The Buffalo Beauts are a professional ice hockey team based in Amherst, New York, United States. The team was established in 2015 as one of the four founding franchises of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), originally named the National Women' ...
. At the end of their 2017–18 championship season, original head coach
Chad Wiseman Chad Wiseman (born March 25, 1981) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. As a player, he played 9 games in the National Hockey League for the San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers between 2003 and 2005. After retiring in ...
resigned, taking a job closer to home as an assistant with the
Guelph Storm The Guelph Storm are a major junior ice hockey team based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. They have played in the OHL since the 1991–92 season. The team plays home games at the Sleeman Centre. History The franchise started as the Toronto Marlb ...
, and was replaced by
Randy Velischek Randolph John Velischek (born February 10, 1962) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League from 1982–83 until 1991–92 for the Minnesota North Stars, New Jersey Devils, and ...
. In March 2019, it was announced that the professional level
Canadian Women's Hockey League The Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL; french: Ligue canadienne de hockey féminin ‒ LCHF) was a women's ice hockey league. Established in 2007 as a Canadian women's senior league in the Greater Toronto Area, Montreal, and Ottawa, the league ...
(CWHL) would discontinue operations. In response to the folding of the CWHL, players from both leagues were dissatisfied in the operation of both the NWHL and CWHL in that neither league provided health insurance or a livable salary. Due to these conditions, over 200 players released a joint statement announcing their intent to not participate in any North American professional league for the 2019–20 season. In response, the NWHL committed to pursuing many more sponsors than in previous years in hopes of increasing player salaries. On May 17, 2019, it was reported that the New Jersey Devils were ending their partnership with the Riveters. Following the dissolution of the partnership, the Riveters no longer had a lease to operate out of Barnabas Health Hockey House at the Prudential Center in Newark, which they had used rent-free as part of their partnership. The team then changed home venues to ProSkate Ice Arena in
Monmouth Junction, New Jersey Monmouth Junction is an unincorporated community and census designated place (CDP) located within South Brunswick Township, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. and returned to their original blue, red, and white colors. The team was eliminated in the semifinal game by the
Minnesota Whitecaps The Minnesota Whitecaps are a professional ice hockey team in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF; formerly known as the National Women's Hockey League). They play in Richfield, Minnesota, part of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, at ...
prior to the championship being cancelled by the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. The following season was then delayed amidst the capacity and travel restrictions during the pandemic. The 2020–21 season eventually started on January 23, 2021, with the entire season to be played at
Herb Brooks Arena The Herb Brooks Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Lake Placid, New York. This surface, along with the USA Rink, was built for the 1980 Winter Olympics. About The arena hosted various events during the 1980 Winter Olympics, most famously the ice ...
in
Lake Placid, New York Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,303. The village of Lake Placid is near the center of the town of North Elba, southwest of Plattsburgh. ...
, without fans in attendance and teams kept in isolation. However, after playing three games, the Riveters were forced to withdraw from the two-week season on January 28 after several members of the organization tested positive for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. On May 26, 2021, the league announced the Riveters had been sold to BTM Partners, owners of the Boston Pride and
Toronto Six The Toronto Six is a professional women's ice hockey team based in Toronto playing out of Canlan Ice Sports – York. They are one of two Canadian teams in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) (formerly known as the National Women's Hockey League ...
, with John Boynton named the team's chairman. On September 14, 2022, the Riveters announced that they would play their home games at The Rink at the American Dream Meadowlands retail and entertainment complex for the next three years.


Season-by-season records


Team


Current roster

Coaching staff and team personnel * Head coach:
Venla Hovi Venla Hovi (; born 28 October 1987) is a Finnish former ice hockey forward and the current head coach of the Metropolitan Riveters in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). She played with the Finnish national team and won bronze medals at the 201 ...
* Associate head coach: Ivo Mocek * Goaltending coach: Mitch Harris * Conditioning coach: Krista Gialanella * Equipment manager: Regina Bataille * Director of Gameday Operations: Mike Gawbill


Team captains

*
Ashley Johnston Ashley Johnston (born 17 July 1992) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defender and current assistant coach of the Premier Hockey Federation's Metropolitan Riveters. Known for her gritty, stay-at-home style of play as a shutdown defend ...
, 2015–2018 *
Michelle Picard Michelle "Shelly" Picard (born May 27, 1993) is a retired American ice hockey player who played defense for the United States women's national ice hockey team. Picard also played for the Harvard Crimson and Metropolitan Riveters. She later served ...
, 2018–19 *
Madison Packer Madison Packer (born June 25, 1991) is an American professional ice hockey forward, currently serving as captain of the Metropolitan Riveters of the Premier Hockey Federation. One of the longest tenured players in PHF history, she is the league' ...
, 2019–present


Head coaches

*
Chad Wiseman Chad Wiseman (born March 25, 1981) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. As a player, he played 9 games in the National Hockey League for the San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers between 2003 and 2005. After retiring in ...
, 2015–2018 *
Randy Velischek Randolph John Velischek (born February 10, 1962) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League from 1982–83 until 1991–92 for the Minnesota North Stars, New Jersey Devils, and ...
, 2018–19 * Ivo Mocek, 2019–2022 *
Venla Hovi Venla Hovi (; born 28 October 1987) is a Finnish former ice hockey forward and the current head coach of the Metropolitan Riveters in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). She played with the Finnish national team and won bronze medals at the 201 ...
, 2022–present


General managers

*
Dani Rylan Dani Rylan Kearney (born August 5, 1987) is an American entrepreneur and former ice hockey player. She is the founder and former commissioner of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), the first professional women's hockey league in the United ...
, 2015–16 *
Kate Whitman Annis Kate Whitman Annis (born ) is an American ice hockey executive, currently serving as executive director of the Devils Youth Foundation, the youth outreach arm of the New Jersey Devils. She previously served as executive of operations for W Hocke ...
, 2019–2021 * Anya Packer, 2021–22 * Tori Charron, 2022–present


NWHL draft

A draft lottery was held for the
2015 NWHL Draft Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music *Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak album ...
, taking place on June 20, 2015. and the New York Riveters earned the first pick overall. With the first pick in the 2015 NWHL Draft, the New York Riveters selected
Alexandra Carpenter Alexandra "Alex" Carpenter (born April 13, 1994) is an American ice hockey player and member of the United States women's national team. She most recently played in the 2020–21 season of the Zhenskaya Hockey League (ZhHL) with the KRS Vanke ...
.


2015 NWHL Draft

The following were the Riveters selections in the
2015 NWHL Draft Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music *Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak album ...
on June 20, 2015.


Awards and honors

*
Ashley Johnston Ashley Johnston (born 17 July 1992) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defender and current assistant coach of the Premier Hockey Federation's Metropolitan Riveters. Known for her gritty, stay-at-home style of play as a shutdown defend ...
, New York Riveters, 2017 NWHL
Denna Laing Denna Christine Laing (born May 12, 1991) is an American former professional ice hockey player. She last played for the Boston Pride of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) until a career-ending injury. At the collegiate level, she accumul ...
Perseverance Award *
Katie Fitzgerald Kathleen "Katie" Fitzgerald (born April 13, 1994) is an American ice hockey player who currently plays for the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA). She previously played for the Metropolitan Riveters in the Premier Hockey Fede ...
, New York Riveters, 2017 NWHL Goaltender of the Year


Franchise milestones


References


External links

* {{NYC Metro sports Ice hockey teams in New Jersey Sports in Newark, New Jersey Women's ice hockey teams in the United States Premier Hockey Federation teams 2015 establishments in New York (state) 2016 establishments in New Jersey Ice hockey clubs established in 2015