Anya Battaglino

Anya Battaglino (born November 19, 1991) is an American former professional ice hockey player and current director of the NWHL Players' Association. She played three years for the Connecticut Whale of the NWHL prior to being named director.

Anya Battaglino
Born (1991-11-19) November 19, 1991
Waltham, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height 5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
Position Defense
Shot Left
Playing career 2012–2017

Career

University

During college, Battaglino played for the Boston University Terriers women's ice hockey team during the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons.[1]

CWHL

Battaglino began a professional career with the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) in the 2012/13 season, joining the Boston Blades and making her professional debut on December 10, 2012.[2] In her first season with the team, Battaglino won the 2013 Clarkson Cup.[1]

NWHL

Battaglino signed a professional contract with the Connecticut Whale in 2015, joining the franchise for its inaugural 2015/16 NWHL season. Battaglino was injured in a November 2015 game against the Buffalo Beauts.[3][4]

Following the 2016/17 season, Battaglino was named one of the NWHL Fans’ Three Stars of the Season alongside Harrison Browne and Rebecca Russo after a fan vote.[5]

On the 2nd of June, 2017, it was reported that Battaglino had signed a contract to play for the Connecticut Whale in the 2017/18 NWHL season.[6]

Post-playing career

In early 2017, Battaglino was named director of the NWHL Players' Association after serving as a players' representative in previous seasons.[7][8]

In 2019, the NWHLPA negotiated a 50/50 revenue split between the league and players, leading to a 26% increase in player salaries.[9]

She was named one of the 25 most powerful women in hockey by Sportsnet in 2020.[10] She was named to Forbes' 30 under 30 list for sports for 2021.[11]

Personal life

Battaglino has actively campaigned in support of mental health awareness and inclusivity in sport.[12] In March 2018, Battaglino made the decision to publicly come out as a lesbian, composing a commentary on the website Outsports.com.[13] On July 22, 2018, she became engaged to fellow NWHL athlete Madison Packer.[14] The two would get married in August 2019.[15]

In addition to her playing career, Battaglino works in cybersecurity and technology research.[16]

References
  1. Share-Cohen, Brandon (February 9, 2017). "Anya Battaglino – Growing the NWHL One Day at a Time". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  2. Staffieri, Mark (February 20, 2013). "BOSTON NATIVE ANYA BATTAGLINO PROUDLY REPRESENTS IN CONTEST AT SADDLEDOME". The CWHL. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  3. Rice, Dan (January 8, 2016). "Anya Battaglino Making a Difference Off the Ice During Recovery". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  4. Fornabaio, Michael (February 27, 2016). "New league smashes hockey's glass ceiling". CT Post. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  5. Balf, Celia (March 14, 2017). "NWHL Awards recognizes the top players this season". Excelle Sports. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  6. Murphy, Mike (June 2, 2017). "Anya Battaglino signs with Connecticut Whale". The Ice Garden. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  7. Forrester, Nick (February 2, 2017). "NWHL announces shortened season, Anya Battaglino named director of NWHLPA". Excelle Sports. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  8. Ayala, Erica L. (February 8, 2017). "Battaglino on her new role and the future of the NWHL". The Ice Garden. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  9. https://www.theicegarden.com/2020/3/4/21163371/nwhlpa-director-anya-packer-details-next-nwhl-season-2020-2021-womens-hockey
  10. https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/25-powerful-women-hockey/
  11. https://www.forbes.com/profile/anya-packer/?list=30under30-sports&sh=d6229115f8eb
  12. Mike Murphy (November 22, 2017). "Women's hockey leagues NWHL, CWHL set example for inclusivity in sports". Sporting News. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  13. "For this NWHL player, coming out was a mixture of heartache and joy". outsports.com. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  14. Anya Battaglino (July 22, 2018). "When these NWHL players got engaged in Boston Public Garden the whole place cheered". SB Nation - Outsports. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  15. https://www.outsports.com/2019/8/19/20812496/anya-battaglino-madison-packer-nwhl-married-gay-lesbian-newport-rhode-island
  16. Berkman, Seth (June 20, 2017). "Twitter to Live-Stream Women's Hockey". The New York Times. Retrieved October 6, 2017.


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