Flyers announce partnership with Delaware to develop its women’s hockey program

The partnership's primary goals will support Delaware's intent to become a Division I women's program beginning in 2025.

Flyers president of hockey operations Keith Jones said the partnership with Delaware's women's hockey program took another step in growing the game.Read moreTyger Williams / Staff Photographer

by Jackie Spiegel

Published Mar. 30, 2024, 8:27 p.m. ET

The Flyers and the University of Delaware announced on Saturday they have formally partnered to support the development of the college’s first-ever NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey team.

“To grow the game of hockey — the number one priority,” said Flyers president Keith Jones. “Today, we are taking another step in doing just that.”

In December, Delaware announced its intent to officially become the 45th Division I women’s hockey team on July 1, 2025, and join College Hockey America. The conference includes Lindenwood University in Missouri, Rochester Institute of Technology and Syracuse in New York, and Mercyhurst, Penn State, and Robert Morris in Pennsylvania.

Allison Coomey has been tapped as the program’s first coach. A native of Syracuse, she spent seven seasons with the Nittany Lions team. Although she said with a laugh that she may have a different personality than Flyers coach John Tortorella — but “really enjoys his passion” — she is excited to see what the affiliation can bring to the area and to help her build a team.

“It’s the first of its kind, and so I think that uniqueness alone is special,” said Coomey, who dropped the ceremonial puck before the Flyers hosted the Chicago Blackhawks at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday. “Obviously, being affiliated with an NHL team will bring the interest of recruits. So just that alone, and then the partnership. Working with our student-athletes, being able to sell that as something, that’s important and meaningful for whatever profession they’re striving for.”

Delaware, which has had a women’s club team since 2003, has finished among the top 10 nationally in each of the last 10 seasons. The club program will continue when the varsity team hits the ice for the 2025-26 season.

“I can tell you that the thing that’s most exciting for me is the people that are part of this Flyers organization,” said Delaware’s director of athletics Chrissi Rawak. “They are invested and they care about the sport, and not just about the performance — certainly winning matters. We know that, right? It matters a lot — but there’s also this component of, how do we help each other get better and how do we develop as humans and contribute to this community. And really being able to invest in young people and having people exposed to this incredible sport.”

“We’re going to enjoy it together,” added Jones. “But it’s awesome when you can bring another group of people in to enjoy playing and watching hockey. The more that play, the more that watch, and we need a lot of fans. We’re still trying to build brick by brick here. So we’re really excited about this connection.”

The partnership will include several programs including cohosting youth hockey clinics at the Fred Rust Ice Arena, bringing the Flyers community caravan to the state of Delaware and its beaches, internship access for the university’s students and athletes, and the opportunity for the team’s staff and coaches to shadow their counterparts at the Flyers.

As stated, the partnership is the first of its kind between an NHL franchise and a women’s varsity hockey team. The Tennessee State men’s ice hockey club team has a partnership with the Nashville Predators. Tennessee State is the first historically Black college or university to have a hockey team and it will begin play in 2024. The NHL helped connect the Flyers and Blue Hens.

“Obviously, these days are extremely exciting from the league level as well. We’re providing just more role models for the young boys and girls, the families that are going to be coming to our game, to have access to another high-level of hockey,” said Kevin Westgarth, a former NHLer and now the league’s vice president of hockey development and strategic collaboration.

“Delaware being a women’s program, I think is phenomenal. So to make this connection with the Flyers has been absolutely the ideal situation for this project.”