2018–19 NWHL season

League news and notes

• This is the first full season of the Buffalo Beauts being owned and controlled by Pegula Sports and Entertainment, the owners of the Buffalo Sabres NHL team, instead of the league. The Beauts took part in a doubleheader event immediately before a Sabres game on December 29, 2018, at KeyBank Center.
• On May 15, 2018, the league announced its first expansion franchise; the Minnesota Whitecaps had been purchased by the league and had joined the NWHL for the 2018–19 season. The Whitecaps had played in the Western Women's Hockey League from 2004 to 2011 and then operated independently from any league after the WWHL ceased operations, including playing a few exhibition games against other NWHL teams during the inaugural 2015–16 season.
• On August 13, 2018, the Minnesota Wild revealed its partnership with the Whitecaps. As part of a cross-promotional marketing agreement, the Whitecaps' home opener on October 6 at the TRIA Rink, the Wild's practice facility, became part of a doubleheader to take place before the Wild's home opener at the Xcel Energy Center.
• August 21, 2018: The Whitecaps' new logo and colors of blue, while, silver and black were unveiled.
• September 29, 2018: The Champions Cup was played between the NWHL's 2018 Isobel Cup champion Metropolitan Riveters and the Swedish Women's Hockey League 2018 champion Luleå HF at Hobey Baker Memorial Rink in Princeton, New Jersey. Luleå defeated the Riveters 4–2. The game had been originally scheduled to take place at Norrbotten Arena in Sweden, but scheduling challenges forced a relocation. Luleå
• January 10, 2019: The Boston Pride and the NHL's Boston Bruins announced a partnership to further promote women's hockey in Massachusetts. The partnership makes the Pride the fourth NWHL to become officially associated with an NHL team.
• At the conclusion of the season, the league had set new attendance records with 16 sold out games, led by the Whitecaps selling out all ten home games including the playoffs.

One league movement

All-Star Game

Regular season

Standings

Schedule

• All regular season games were scheduled to be contested on Saturdays and Sundays. There is one neutral-site game in Pittsburgh on December 2 with the Connecticut Whale as the home team against the Metropolitan Riveters at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
• On December 29, 2018, the Whitecaps faced the Beauts at the KeyBank Center as part of a doubleheader involving both the NWHL and the NHL. After the NWHL game, the Buffalo Sabres hosted the Boston Bruins.

Awards and honors

• Maddie Elia, Buffalo Beauts, 2019 Most Valuable Player
• Hayley Scamurra, Buffalo Beauts, 2019 Players' Top Player of the Year
• Shannon Szabados, Buffalo Beauts, 2019 Goaltender of the Year
• Blake Bolden, Buffalo Beauts, 2019 Defender of the Year
• Hayley Scamurra, Buffalo Beauts, 2019 Scoring Champion
• Jillian Dempsey, Boston Pride, 2019 Denna Laing Award
• Jonna Curtis, Minnesota Whitecaps, 2019 Newcomer of the Year

Transactions

Signings