Wikipedia

Bray Ketchum

Bray Ketchum (born March 18, 1989) is an American former ice hockey player and executive. She played for the Metropolitan Riveters of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) and the Boston Blades of the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL), winning the Isobel Cup and the Clarkson Cup respectively, before ending her playing career and serving as general manager of the Connecticut Whale during the 2019–20 NWHL season.[2][3]

Bray Ketchum
Bray Ketchum in ice hockey gear with team members standing behind her
Ketchum with the New York Riveters in 2015
Personal information
Born (1989-03-18) March 18, 1989 (age 35)
Brussels, Belgium[1]
Home townGreenwich, Connecticut, US
Alma materYale University
Occupation(s)Ice hockey executive, player
Ice hockey career
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight 141 lb (64 kg; 10 st 1 lb)
Position Forward
Shot Left
Played for Metropolitan Riveters
Boston Pride
Boston Blades
Yale Bulldogs
Playing career 2007–2018
Updated on January 1, 2021

Playing career

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Ketchum grew up playing on boys' teams until she reached the high school level.[4] During her teenage years, she played for Greenwich Academy in Greenwich, Connecticut, leading the girls' ice hockey team in scoring three times and being named New England Prep School Div. II Player of the Year in 2007.[5]

At the NCAA Division I level, she accumulated 84 points in 117 games while competing for the Yale Bulldogs women's ice hockey program of the ECAC Hockey conference from 2007 to 2011.[6] She was selected to the ECAC Hockey All-Star Team that competed in an exhibition match against the American national team in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics.[7][8]

Following her graduation, Ketchum played the 2011–12 and 2012–13 CWHL seasons with the Boston Blades. After sitting out the 2013–14 season, she was selected in the 6th round, 24th overall by thein the 2014 CWHL Draft and opted to return to the team.[9][10] She picked up 4 points in 20 games in the 2014–15 CWHL season, competing in all postseason games as the Blades captured the 2015 Clarkson Cup.

She left the CWHL in 2015 to join the newly formed National Women's Hockey League, signing with the New York Riveters.[11] She scored 14 points in 18 games in her debut NWHL season, leading the team in goals and including the game-winning goal in the Riveters' first-ever victory.[12][13] In December 2015, she and Meghan Fardelmann were the two Riveters players loaned to the Boston Pride to participate in the 2016 Outdoor Women's Classic, the first outdoor professional women's hockey game.[14][15]

Her production dropped during the 2016–17 season, down to 7 points in 17 games.[16]

In the summer of 2017, she played for the Riveters in the Summit Series against the Russian national team, picking up an assist on Amanda Kessel's first ever NWHL goal.[17]

Her production picked back up as the Riveters moved from Brooklyn to New Jersey for the 2017–18 season, becoming the Metropolitan Riveters. She scored 11 points in 16 games, serving as an assistant captain for the team, as the Riveters won the Isobel Cup for the first time.[18]

In September 2018, Ketchum announced her retirement from professional play, stating that "This isn’t a goodbye, it’s a 'see you later!' Thank you to everyone who has let me live this incredible journey. I will forever be a Riv and a fan of this league!"[19]

International career

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Ketchum played for the American U22 Select Team in 2010.[20][21]

When the players of the senior American national team went on strike over pay and working conditions in 2017, she was invited to join the roster for the 2017 IIHF World Championship as a replacement for the striking players. She refused the invitation, stating, "it’s kind of sad that U.S.A. Hockey is almost in a sense ignoring [the striking players]."[22]

Post-playing career

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In April 2019, the Connecticut Whale announced that they had hired Ketchum to serve as their general manager for the 2019-20 season.[23] Despite the Whale finishing last in the league during the regular season, she was received praise for her handling of the team, especially as they had lost four out of their five All-Star players from the previous season and as the team showed a marked improvement in performance as the season progressed, eventually upsetting the Buffalo Beauts in the first round of the NWHL playoffs and holding the reigning Isobel Cup champions, the Minnesota Whitecaps, to one goal in the semi-finals.[24][25]

She did not return to the Whale for the 2020–21 season, being replaced by Amy Scheer as she chose to focus on a new full-time teaching position outside of hockey instead.[26]

Personal life

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Ketchum has a bachelor's degree in American Studies from Yale and works as a teacher outside of hockey.[27] From 2016 to 2019, she ran a plant-based sports nutrition business called Upwild with her brother.[28]

During her time at Yale, she played on a line with Mandi Schwartz, who died of acute myeloid leukemia in 2011. Ketchum would go on to wear Schwartz's jersey number, 17, to honour her during her professional career, and has served as a board member of the Mandi Schwartz Foundation.[29][30][31] In senior year, she also played for Yale's women's lacrosse programme.[32]

Career statistics

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Note: New York Riveters became the Metropolitan Riveters in 2017.

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2007–08 Yale Bulldogs NCAA 31 9 11 20 10 - - - - -
2008–09 Yale Bulldogs NCAA 29 13 10 23 20 - - - - -
2009–10 Yale Bulldogs NCAA 29 12 11 23 8 - - - - -
2010–11 Yale Bulldogs NCAA 28 7 11 18 24 - - - - -
2011–12 Boston Blades CWHL 20 0 6 6 2 3 0 0 0 0
2012–13 Boston Blades CWHL 1 0 0 0 0 - - - - -
2014–15 Boston Blades CWHL 20 3 1 4 0 3 0 0 0 0
2015–16 New York Riveters PHF 18 10 4 14 18 2 0 0 0 0
2016–17 New York Riveters PHF 17 2 5 7 2 1 0 0 0 0
2017–18 Metropolitan Riveters PHF 16 5 6 11 4 2 1 0 1 0
CWHL totals 41 3 7 10 2 6 0 0 0 0
PHF totals 51 17 15 31 24 5 1 0 1 0

References

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  1. ^ "2014/2015 Boston Blades: # 26 Bray Ketchum". cwhl_site.stats.pointstreak.com. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  2. ^ Berkman, Seth (March 25, 2018). "Riveters' Core Four Leads Way to First N.W.H.L. Championship". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  3. ^ Murphy, Mike (November 13, 2015). "Interview with Bray Ketchum of the New York Riveters". Blueshirt Banter. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  4. ^ Rice, Dan (December 1, 2016). "Catching Up with Ketchum". The Hockey Writers. Archived from the original on December 5, 2016. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  5. ^ Fierro, David (July 6, 2010). "GA mourns death of coach, teacher Medley". Connecticut Post. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  6. ^ "Bray Ketchum, Career Statistics". USCHO.com. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  7. ^ Griswold, Alison (December 11, 2009). "Two Bulldog hockey players to challenge Team USA". Yale Daily News. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  8. ^ "Greenwich's Ketchum to play for ECAC All-Stars against Team USA". Greenwich Time. December 18, 2009. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  9. ^ "2014/2015 Boston Blades: # 26 Bray Ketchum". cwhl_site.stats.pointstreak.com. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  10. ^ Hardenbergh, Cornelius (August 20, 2014). "Boston Blades draft 19 including Olympic medalists". Stanley Cup of Chowder. Archived from the original on September 22, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  11. ^ Stevie Borrello (director) (January 31, 2016). A Chance to Go Pro: The NWHL (Short film). Reel 13. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  12. ^ Staffieri, Mark (January 20, 2016). "Eventful TImes for New York Riveters Forward Bray Ketchum". Women's Hockey Life. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  13. ^ Murphy, Mike (April 27, 2016). "Rebuilding The Riveters Part 1 - Ketchum And Belyakova". Today's SlapShot. Archived from the original on April 28, 2016. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  14. ^ Murphy, Mike (December 30, 2015). "Fardelmann and Ketchum to Join Pride for Women's Classic". Today's SlapShot. Archived from the original on January 6, 2016. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  15. ^ Lane, Jon (January 1, 2016). "Women's hockey happy for Winter Classic showcase". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on January 2, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  16. ^ Murphy, Mike (December 30, 2016). "A look at the Riveters at the midway point". The Ice Garden. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  17. ^ Staffieri, Mark (June 13, 2017). "Summit Series a Hallmark in NWHL's Growing Legacy". Women's Hockey Life. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  18. ^ Staffieri, Mark (June 27, 2018). "Isobel Cup Represents Peak Achievement for Inaugural Riveter Bray Ketchum". Women's Hockey Life. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  19. ^ Murphy, Mike (September 4, 2018). "Bray Ketchum calls it a career". The Ice Garden. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  20. ^ Fierro, David (July 3, 2010). "Greenwich resident and Yale forward Bray Ketchum named to U.S. Under-22 women's hockey team". Greenwich Time. Archived from the original on July 5, 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  21. ^ "Ketchum Earns Spot on U.S. Under-22 Select Team". ECAC Hockey. June 18, 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  22. ^ Berkman, Seth (March 28, 2017). "No Resolution in Pay Dispute Involving U.S. Women's Hockey Team (Published 2017)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 30, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  23. ^ Demestihas, Eleni G. (April 30, 2019). "Connecticut Whale name Bray Ketchum as general manager". The Ice Garden. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  24. ^ Murphy, Mike (July 15, 2020). "Awarding NHL Awards in the NWHL". The Ice Garden. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  25. ^ Clinton, Jared (February 28, 2020). "'Nothing to lose': The Connecticut Whale have their sights set on shocking the NWHL". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  26. ^ Jay, Michelle (August 20, 2020). "Whale announce Amy Scheer as new General Manager". The Ice Garden. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  27. ^ Jacobs, Jeff (May 6, 2019). "Jeff Jacobs: Two Connecticut natives, two sides of a fascinating labor rift in women's hockey". New Haven Register. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  28. ^ Murphy, Mike (March 30, 2018). "Bray Ketchum: Isobel Cup Champion and Entrepreneur". The Ice Garden. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  29. ^ "Bray Ketchum Celebrates Stanley Cup Win with Schwartz Family". ECAC Hockey. June 24, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  30. ^ O'Neill, Dan (February 3, 2018). "Rick Schwartz remembers Mandi on her birthday in Buffalo". NHL. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  31. ^ "Hockey game to pay homage to former Yale player who lost her battle with cancer". News 12 Connecticut. October 2, 2020. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  32. ^ Ayala, Erica L. (June 22, 2017). "Riveters re-sign forward Bray Ketchum". The Ice Garden. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
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