Hickel changes sweaters but stays in CWHL with Calgary
Zoe Hickel
The 25-year-old free agent will reunite with her former University of Minnesota Duluth coach Shannon Miller, who recently took over as Inferno bench boss.
Hickel played last season with the league’s Kunlun Red Star and tallied 12-26—38 totals in 28 games. She led the CWHL in assists and played a key role in helping her team to the Clarkson Cup final in its inaugural season.
“The speed and talent of the CWHL is second to none and I am excited to be a part of it with the Calgary Inferno. I am thrilled to accept the offer to play for such a hard-fighting, professional organization,” she said in a press release.
Hickel, of Service High fame, also has professional experience in the National Women’s Hockey League. She was an all-star and champion in her two years.
The 5-foot-6 forward played her first season in 2016-17 with the Boston Pride and collected 4-6-11 totals in 19 games and won the Isobel Cup.
She was traded to the Connecticut Whale in her second season and posted 5-5–10 totals in 19 games.
The Calgary Inferno appear primed to make a strong run at the Clarkson Cup as they return a handful of Canadian Olympic team veterans and welcome a new coach and a promising Alaska newcomer with a track record for success.