Kaleigh Fratkin
Fratkin with PWHL Boston in 2024
Born (1992-03-24) March 24, 1992 (age 32)
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight 154 lb (70 kg; 11 st 0 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Right
PWHL team
Former teams		 PWHL Boston
Metropolitan Riveters
Boston Pride
Connecticut Whale
Boston Blades
National team  Canada
Playing career 2014–present
Medal record
Women's ice hockey
Representing  Canada
Nations Cup
Gold medal – first place 2015 Germany Tournament
Women's ice hockey
Representing  Canada
U18 IIHF World Championship
Silver medal – second place 2009 Germany Tournament

Kaleigh Fratkin (born March 24, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for PWHL Boston of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). The second-longest tenured player and leading scorer among defenders in PHF history, she was the first Canadian player to sign a contract in the league, is a five-time PHF all-star, and is a two-time PHF Defender of the Year in 2020 and 2021. She was also a member of the Boston Pride roster that captured the 2021 and 2022 Isobel Cup, and was one of three 2023 PHF All-Star captains. Previous to the joining the NWHL, she won the Clarkson Cup in 2015 and was the first girl to play boys' midget AAA hockey in British Columbia.[1]

Playing career

Early career

During high school, she played for the Vancouver NW Giants of the boys' BC Hockey U18 AAA league, the first girl in history to play on a British Columbian midget major boys' league, playing alongside future NHLers Sam Reinhart and Alexander Kerfoot. She finished third in scoring among her team's defenders during the 2009–10 season, despite missing fifteen games with an injury.[2] That year, the Giants won a provincial championship, and Fratkin was named a finalist for the BC Athlete of the Year award. She would also make a handful of appearances for the Aldergrove Kodiaks in the boys' Pacific Junior Hockey League.

From 2010 to 2014, she played for the Boston University Terriers women's ice hockey, accumulating a total of 66 points across 151 NCAA games. She scored 10 points in 38 games in her rookie collegiate season, notching her first goal on 11 February 2011 against Northeastern University. She broke out in the 2012–13 season, almost doubling her point production up to 17 points in 37 games, and picking up points in seven of the last eight games of the year. She was named an assistant captain for the team ahead of senior year, where she would go on to score a career-best 30 points in 38 games, being named a 2013–14 New England Division I All-Star and Hockey East First-Team All-Star.[3]

CWHL

Fratkin was selected 20th overall, in the 5th round, by the Boston Blades in the 2014 CWHL Draft. After graduating from Boston University, she signed her first professional contract with the Blades. She put up eight points in 22 games in her rookie Canadian Women's Hockey League season, competing in all postseason games as the Blades captured the 2015 Clarkson Cup.[4]

Premier Hockey Federation

After the end of the 2014-15 CWHL season, despite having just won the Clarkson Cup, Fratkin was cut from the Canadian national team development squad. The blow of the announcement, combined with the financial insecurity that came with playing as a non-national team player in the CWHL, originally pushed her into considering retirement.[5]

However, when the Premier Hockey Federation was founded that summer by Dani Rylan as the first women's hockey league to offer all players a salary, she decided to take a chance and sign with the Connecticut Whale. She was the first Canadian player to sign a contract in the new league and would be the highest paid Canadian in the league that year, with a $20,000 salary. She was named the assistant captain for the team ahead of the league's inaugural season.[6] On December 31, she was one of three Connecticut Whale players (including Kate Buesser and Shannon Doyle) who were loaned to the Boston Pride for one day to participate in the 2016 Outdoor Women's Classic against the CWHL's Les Canadiennes de Montréal, the first outdoor professional women's hockey game.[7][8] She finished the year with 17 points in 18 games, leading all NWHL defenders in points and being named to the 1st NWHL All-Star Game, which took place on January 24, 2016, at the Harbor Center in Buffalo, New York.[9][10]

In April 2016, she left Connecticut to sign with the New York Riveters.[11][12] She was named to the NWHL All-Star Game for the second year in a row, however, her production dropped significantly during the season, receiving much more limited power-play time and occasionally even being used as a third-line forward by Riveters head coach Chad Wiseman.

Ahead of the 2017–18 NWHL season, Fratkin joined the Boston Pride, the third team in her NWHL career.

After the collapse of the Canadian Women's Hockey League in May 2019, Fratkin became the first player to re-sign with an NWHL team for the 2019–20 NWHL season, and became one of the first players to publicly criticise the newly forming Professional Women's Hockey Players Association, stating that:

"At the beginning, when I was approached about if I was going to join the movement or not and [asked] about my stance I had a ton of questions. I asked for follow-up, I asked when I would be getting those answers, and I never got them. I know that the [PHWPA] has had multiple phone calls and none of them have been directly sent to me...

I want to know if we're ultimately doing this for the salary, better resources, and to make it more sustainable, what does that look like? You know, do we have a [plan] that's already solidified? If there was something legitimate there, if there was some sort of contractual agreement that said, ‘Hey, this is the money that you're going to be making, these are where the teams will be, this is what it's going to look like,’ then I would be looking at it a little bit differently."[13]

Fratkin at the 2020 NWHL All-Star Game

During the 2019–20 season, her third season with the Boston Pride and her first serving as an assistant captain for the team, Fratkin notched a career-high 23 points in 24 games, helping the Pride finish the season almost undefeated and making the Isobel Cup finals before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. That year, she was named NWHL Defender of the Year.[14] She was also named to Team Packer for the 2020 NWHL All-Star Game, her third consecutive all-star game appearance. At the All-Star Game, she won the hardest shot competition with a winning shot of 76 miles per hour.[15]

She re-signed with the Pride for the 2020–21 NWHL season, returning as an assistant captain for the team.[16] She would win her second-straight Defender of the Year award as the Pride went on to win the Isobel Cup.[17] She would stay with the team for both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons in the newly-renamed Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), being named an all-star in both and collecting her second Isobel Cup in 2022.[18][19][20]

Professional Women's Hockey League

After going undrafted in the 2023 PWHL Draft, Fratkin signed a one-year contract with PWHL Boston prior to their 2023 training camp.[21]

International career

Fratkin represented Canada at the 2009 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship, scoring four points in five games as the country won silver. She attended the Team Canada U18 development camp each year from 2006 to 2009, twice participating in the U18 Summer Series against the United States. With Canada's U22 Development Team, she earned a gold medal at the 2015 Nations Cup in Germany.

She was named to the Canadian senior national team roster for the 2014 Fall Festival and to the 2015 pre-World Championship training camp roster, but was ultimately cut from the team before the 2015 IIHF Women's World Championship.[22][23]

Style of play

One of eight original NWHLers still active in the league and a fixture on the top defensive pairing for the Boston Pride, Fratkin has been most often been described as an offensive defender with elite playmaking skills.[24][25] She has stated that "What I've noticed from college to turning pro is that defensemen being very offensive is extremely helpful to the NWHL style of play."[26] She also been noted for the strength of her shot, her physicality, currently holding the NWHL's record for career penalty minutes, as well as her ironman streak, having only missed five games since the start of her professional career.[27]

She has worn the number 13 on her jersey since her days in youth hockey, picking the number after being advised by her father to choose one that nobody else wanted.[28]

Personal life

Fratkin was born and raised in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, and is Jewish.[29][10][30] Her parents are Ron and Marilyn Fratkin, and she has two brothers, Jesse (who played on the Brown University men's ice hockey team and on the Stockton Thunder of the ECHL) and Casey (who played on the Elmira College and Wesleyan University men's ice hockey teams).[31][32][33] She attended Burnaby Central High School, where she also played lacrosse and soccer, winning provincial championships in both sports.[31]

She obtained her bachelor's degree from the Boston University College of Communication, and her master's degree in sports leadership from Northeastern University. During the 2015–16 season, she served as an analytics intern with the New York Islanders.[34]

Fratkin got engaged to her longtime boyfriend Henry Lee, former Boston University Terriers men's lacrosse player, on January 15, 2021. The couple got married June 4, 2022, in Vancouver, Canada.

Career statistics

    Regular Season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2014–15 Boston Blades CWHL 22 1 7 8 10 3 0 1 1 4
2015–16 Connecticut Whale PHF 18 5 12 17 40 3 0 1 1 6
2016–17 New York Riveters NWHL 18 1 5 6 20 1 0 0 0 0
2017–18 Boston Pride NWHL 11 0 5 5 20 1 0 0 0 2
2018–19 Boston Pride NWHL 16 2 7 9 26 1 0 0 0 2
2019–20 Boston Pride NWHL 24 3 20 23 38 1 1 2 3 0
CWHL totals 22 1 7 8 10 3 0 1 1 4
NWHL totals 87 11 49 60 114 7 1 3 4 10

Awards, honors and championships

Championships
2021 Isobel Cup Champion
2022 Isobel Cup Champion

See also

References

  1. ^ "Whale signs Kaleigh Fratkin, First Canadian in the NWHL". NWHL.co. 2015-07-01. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  2. ^ "Not just one of the boys". The Daily Free Press. 2011-03-01. Archived from the original on 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  3. ^ "Kaleigh Fratkin, Career Stats". USCHO.com. Archived from the original on 2015-11-14. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  4. ^ "Kaleigh Fratkin, Boston Blades". cwhl.com. Archived from the original on 2023-01-24. Retrieved 2016-01-07.
  5. ^ Coghe, Yuri (2020-07-04). "A phone call that changed the course for NWHL star from Burnaby". The Toronto Observer. Archived from the original on 2021-01-13. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  6. ^ Nelson, Dustin (November 14, 2015). "New York Riveters, Connecticut Whale Name Captains". thehockeywriters.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  7. ^ "Three Whale Players to participate in historic womans game at Winter Classic". Collinsville Press. 2015-12-28. Archived from the original on 2016-08-07. Retrieved 2016-01-07.
  8. ^ Lane, Jon (January 1, 2016). "Women's hockey happy for Winter Classic showcase". nhl.com. Archived from the original on 2016-01-02. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  9. ^ "NWHL All-Star Draft Recap". NWHL.co. 2015-12-11. Archived from the original on 2016-03-01. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  10. ^ a b "Kaleigh Fratkin at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com. Archived from the original on 2023-05-18. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  11. ^ "Fratkin and Leonoff Join New York Roster". Archived from the original on 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  12. ^ Kaitlin Cimini. "Kaleigh Fratkin Talks Joining The New York Riveters – TSS". Today's SlapShot. Archived from the original on 2016-05-04. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  13. ^ Murphy, Mike (2019-04-24). "Kaleigh Fratkin on the #ForTheGame movement, the PWHPA, and her decision to return to the NWHL". The Ice Garden. Archived from the original on 2021-01-23. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  14. ^ "Kaleigh Fratkin of the Boston Pride Named NWHL's Defender of the Year". NWHL Media.
  15. ^ Levinsky, Greg (February 9, 2020). "NWHL All-Stars play to sold-out arena". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on February 10, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  16. ^ Rice, Dan (2020-07-10). "Kaleigh Fratkin: NWHL Pillar and Trailblazer". The Hockey Writers. Archived from the original on 2021-02-05. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  17. ^ Campbell, Lauren (28 April 2021). "Boston Pride's Kaleigh Fratkin Wins NWHL Defender Of The Year Award". NESN. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  18. ^ Stephens, Mike (4 January 2022). "PHF Selects Players for 2022 All-Star Showcase". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  19. ^ Kristen, Shilton (27 January 2023). "2023 PHF All-Star Game: How to watch, schedule, rosters". ESPN. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  20. ^ Burgess, Melissa (29 March 2022). "PHF's Boston Pride are Back-to-Back Isobel Cup Champions". The Victory Press. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  21. ^ Kennedy, Ian (7 November 2023). "Boston Signs Former Pride Defender Kaleigh Fratkin". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  22. ^ Shulman, Michael (2016-03-08). "Playing at even strength: NWHL's quest for respect, fair wages". CTV News. Archived from the original on 2021-01-21. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  23. ^ Larsen, Karin (2016-03-28). "B.C. shut out of Team Canada again as Women's World Championship opens in Kamloops". CBC Sports. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  24. ^ Staffieri, Mark (2016-12-21). "Kaleigh Fratkin Embodies Essence of Teamwork with New York Riveters". Women's Hockey Life. Archived from the original on 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  25. ^ Bryant, Casey (2020-09-21). "All-Time Starting Lineup: Connecticut Whale". The Ice Garden. Archived from the original on 2020-10-04. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  26. ^ Murphy, Mike (2019-05-26). "Fratkin ready for another year on the power play with the Pride". The Ice Garden. Archived from the original on 2021-10-19. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  27. ^ Ingemi, Marisa (2020-09-11). "Kaleigh Fratkin finding ways to better her game". The Ice Garden. Archived from the original on 2021-01-23. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  28. ^ Jay, Michelle (2020-12-13). "Question Jenga with Mallory Souliotis, Kaleigh Fratkin". The Ice Garden.
  29. ^ Johal, Harjeet (February 24, 2016). "Meet Canada's highest-paid female hockey player". Vancouver Is Awesome. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  30. ^ "Sports Shorts," Jewish Sports Review, March/April 2018, Vol 11, No. 6, Issue 126, p. 21.
  31. ^ a b "Kaleigh Fratkin - Women's Ice Hockey". Boston University Athletics. Archived from the original on 2023-05-18. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  32. ^ "Jesse Fratkin Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Archived from the original on 2023-05-18. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  33. ^ "Casey Fratkin Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Archived from the original on 2023-05-18. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  34. ^ Press Release (8 August 2018). "Kaleigh Fratkin Returns for Fourth NWHL Season, Second with the Boston Pride". NWHL. Archived from the original on 9 August 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  35. ^ "Toronto's Mikyla Grant-Mentis named MVP at 2021 NWHL Awards". sportsnet.ca. 2021-04-28. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
  36. ^ "Leaders 2020-21". nwhl.zone. Archived from the original on 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2021-04-30.

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