AMHERST, N.S. — Mallory Rushton is trading her college hockey uniform for a professional one.
The 22-year-old Brookdale native has signed a contract with the Metropolitan Riveters of the National Women’s Hockey League.
The team is based in Monmouth Junction, N.J.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity and one that I’m looking forward to,” Rushton said while on a break from training. “It’s something you dream about as a young hockey player, getting a chance to play pro.”
Rushton just finished her college career graduating from the Rochester Institute of Technology. The forward-defenceman finished ninth in RIT’s record books for games played at 134 and in 2018-19 she was fourth in points with five goals and 10 assists for 15 points in 35 games.
“It’ll definitely be a step up from college. It will be a lot faster and I’ll have to make decisions a lot quicker,” Rushton said. “It’s a good league.
Training camp opens Sept. 9.
She earned College Hockey America All-Academic honours in each of her four years in Rochester after joining the school from Hampton Prep School, where she also played varsity soccer and lacrosse.
She’s a graduate of the Cumberland County Minor Hockey Association and the Truro Major Bantam Bearcats.
“Mal is a highly-talented player who will bring her determination and drive to the Riveters this year,” said Riveters GM Kate Whitman Annis said in a team release. “She takes smart, calculated risks and is creative with her game. Her style of play will fit well with coach Ivo Mocek’s plans for our team.”
Rushton said she was unsure where her hockey career would go after finishing at Rochester and was considering heading to Sweden or somewhere else in Europe for the upcoming hockey season.
“After I graduated I heard from a couple of teams in the NWHL but I put it off and started looking for a job. I started talking to some teams in the Swedish league and talked to a coach who suggested that I consider the NWHL because it’s closer to home,” Rushton said. “The GM of the Riveters called and said there was a spot and I decided to sign because of it’s 20 minutes from New York City and I think I can get a pretty good internship there.”
The NWHL has five teams including the Riverters, Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale and the Minnesota Whitecaps.
Each team plays a 24-game schedule with the regular season beginning Oct. 5 and concluding March 1.
