Anya Packer

Anya Packer (née Battaglino; born November 19, 1991) is an American retired ice hockey player and the current general manager of the Metropolitan Riveters of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF).[1] She played three PHF seasons with the Connecticut Whale before retiring from top-level play and stepping into the role as executive director of the Premier Hockey Federation Players' Association.

Anya Packer
Born (1991-11-19) November 19, 1991
Waltham, Massachusetts, US
Height 5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
Weight 141 lb (64 kg; 10 st 1 lb)
Position Defense
Shot Left
Played for
Playing career 2010–2018

Career

University

During college, Packer played for the Boston University Terriers women's ice hockey team during the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons.[2]

CWHL

Packer began her post-collegiate career with the Boston Blades of the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) in the 2012–13 season, making her debut with the team in a game against the Calgary Inferno on December 10, 2012.[3] In 2013, her first season with the team, Packer won the Clarkson Cup.[2]

NWHL

Packer signed a contract with the Connecticut Whale in 2015, joining the franchise for the inaugural 2015–16 NWHL season. Packer was injured in a November 2015 game against the Buffalo Beauts.[4][5]

Following the 2016–17 season, Packer was named one of the NWHL Fans' Three Stars of the Season alongside Harrison Browne and Rebecca Russo after a fan vote.[6]

On the June 2, 2017, it was reported that Packer had signed an extension to play with the Connecticut Whale for the 2017–18 NWHL season.[7]

Post-playing career

In early 2017, Packer was named director of the NWHL Players' Association after serving as a players' representative in previous seasons.[8][9]

In 2019, the NWHLPA negotiated a 50/50 revenue split between the league and players, leading to a 26% increase in player salaries.[10]

She was named one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Hockey by Sportsnet in 2020 and was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 – Sports 2021 List.[11][12]

Personal life

Packer has actively campaigned in support of mental health awareness and inclusivity in sport.[13]

In March 2018, Packer came out and composed an accompanying commentary published on the website OutSports.com.[14] On July 22, 2018, she became engaged to fellow NWHL player Madison Packer.[15] The two married in August 2019 and welcomed their first child, Waylon, in September 2020.[16]

In addition to her career as an ice hockey executive, Packer works in cybersecurity and technology research.[17]

References
  1. Murphy, Mike (April 8, 2021). "Kate Whitman Annis named Director of W Hockey Partners, Anya Packer named GM of the Riveters". The Ice Garden. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  2. Share-Cohen, Brandon (February 9, 2017). "Anya Battaglino – Growing the NWHL One Day at a Time". The Hockey Writers. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  3. Staffieri, Mark (February 20, 2013). "Boston Native Anya Battaglino Proudly Represents in Contest at Saddledome". Canadian Women's Hockey League. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  4. Rice, Dan (January 8, 2016). "Anya Battaglino Making a Difference Off the Ice During Recovery". The Hockey Writers. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  5. Fornabaio, Michael (February 27, 2016). "New league smashes hockey's glass ceiling". Connecticut Post. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  6. 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.
  7. Murphy, Mike (June 2, 2017). "Anya Battaglino signs with Connecticut Whale". The Ice Garden. Archived from the original on January 25, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  8. 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.
  9. Ayala, Erica L. (February 8, 2017). "Battaglino on her new role and the future of the NWHL". The Ice Garden. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  10. Strollo, Leighann (March 4, 2020). "NWHLPA Director Anya Packer details next NWHL season during broadcast". The Ice Garden. Archived from the original on May 20, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  11. Sadler, Emily (March 1, 2020). "The 25 Most Powerful Women in Hockey". Sportsnet. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  12. Settimi, Christina; Badenhausen, Kurt, eds. (December 21, 2020). "Forbes 30 Under 30 - Sports 2021 List — Featured Honoree: Anya Packer, 29". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 30, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  13. Murphy, Mike (November 22, 2017). "Women's hockey leagues NWHL, CWHL set example for inclusivity in sports". Sporting News. Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  14. Battaglino, Anya (March 20, 2018). "For this NWHL player, coming out was a mixture of heartache and joy". OutSports.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  15. Anya, Battaglino (July 22, 2018). "When these NWHL players got engaged in Boston Public Garden the whole place cheered". OutSports.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  16. Ennis, Dawn (August 19, 2019). "Cheers to the happy couple! These 2 NWHL players got married". OutSports.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  17. Berkman, Seth (June 20, 2017). "Twitter to Live-Stream Women's Hockey". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2017.


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