Left winger Cailey Hutchison, who played in 127 games with the University of Maine women’s ice hockey team, has signed with the Metropolitan Riveters of the National Women’s Hockey League.
Another UMaine graduate, former Black Bears captain and goalie Amanda Cronin (2002) has been named the new general manager of the NWHL’s Buffalo Beauts.
Hutchison joins a group of UMaine alums who have played in the league including Brittany Ott, Audra Richards and Harrison Browne.
Hutchison was drafted by the Riveters with the 21st overall pick in the 2019 NWHL draft. The Riveters, based in Newark, New Jersey, were one of five NWHL franchises last season.
“Signing my first NWHL contract is a surreal experience,” Hutchison, a New York native, said in a release. “When the NWHL first started and I learned there was a team in the New York area, it was my goal to play for the Riveters. I can’t believe that day is finally here.”
Hutchison concluded her UMaine career with 10 goals and 10 assists. The 5-foot-4 forward, an assistant captain, notched five goals and five assists in 32 games last season.
However, she missed her last game after being suspended along with teammates Alyson Matteau and Brittany Kucera for violating the school’s student code of conduct during an altercation at an Orono restaurant-bar.
UMaine failed to make the Hockey East playoffs last season.
“She has been an important key to our program having its recent success,” UMaine coach Richard Reichenbach said.
Riveters General Manager Kate Whitman Annis said in the release that Hutchson is a “tough, aggressive player with a strong work ethic and positive attitude.”
Cronin worked with USA Hockey as a goalies coach and evaluator at national camps after graduating from UMaine. She earned a Level 4 coaching certification, the highest in the sport, and represented USA Hockey at the IIHF High Performance and Development Camp in Finland in 2012.
The York native played in the NWHL and the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, which shut down earlier this year. She had owned M-Power Hockey in Toronto since 2006, where she has advised and coached goaltenders.
“I am eager and excited to work with the Buffalo Beauts players and staff, as well as the league, to continue building on the success they have already achieved,” Cronin said in a release.