Today in the NWHL it was announced that a team of investors led by Cannon Capital managing partner Miles Arnone has purchased the Boston Pride.
The Pride were informed on Monday night prior to the practice. Arnone met with the team’s players and staff, and as part of their new ownership of the team, their immediate plans for the Pride include investments in player and team development, increases in marketing and promotion, along with more youth hockey initiatives to be created. Also Arnone plans to hire a team president for the Pride to run all of the day to day operations of the team.
Per the NWHL’s Press Release this morning Arnone brings to the Pride and NWHL “more than 20 years of investment experience and a background in engineering, turn-around management and start-ups. He is the author of two books, founder of three start-ups and principal inventor on 125 patents. A Long Island native, Arnone earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and has called Boston home for more than thirty years.”
“My investors and I believe in the NWHL, and we are honored to take on the responsibility of leading the Boston Pride during this important era of growth for women’s sports. We will build the Pride into a world-class team and an innovative and thoughtful business venture that demonstrates the power of professional women’s hockey and the value of the game’s remarkable athletes.”
– Miles Arnone
The sale of the Boston Pride to Miles Arnone’s investment group was facilitated by the Sports Advisory Group, which is an idustry leader in the sale and acquisition of major and minor league sports teams. This sale can also be viewed as a catalyst for the NWHL to consider the sale of the other current teams that the league runs, and also brings in the prospect of bringing in expansion teams with investors who are genuinely dedicated to the women’s game.
We here at TXHT see this as a huge plus for the NWHL and for Women’s Hockey as a whole. With how the offseason unfolded and with the dedication of the NWHL to continue to grow, today’s announcement proves that their vision and dedication to the women’s game is undeterred and that the 2019-20 season will be another year of growth.
Also today the Connecticut Whale have announced that former NHLer Colton Orr and NWHL Veteran Laura Brennan will be the coaches for the team this season.
Orr will be the Whale’s head coach with Brennan serving as his assistant coach. Brennan will also act as Interim Head Coach while Orr competes on CBC’s “Battle of the Blades” tv show.
“I’m honored to have the privilege of leading the Connecticut Whale. This game means a lot to me, and these fantastic athletes on the Whale and across the NWHL are role models to the next generation – including my daughter, who is in the Learn to Play program. I’m determined to take all of the hockey knowledge and life lessons learned from great NHL people like (former Rangers coach) Tom Renney and apply them to the Whale. I’m grateful to Laura Brennan for running the show while I’m away, and I can’t wait to get back to Connecticut to work with her and the players and give the Whale fans a team they can believe in.”
– Colton Orr
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