Formerly known as “Weekly Links,” our round-up of important and interesting pieces from the hockey blogosphere and media will now appear twice a month. 

• The New Jersey Devils are financially investing in the New York Riveters of the NWHL. The Riveters will now be known as the Metro Riveters and will be able to practice and play out of the same facilities as the Devils. [New York Times]
• Wayne Gretzky made a $99,000 donation to the University of Alberta’s hospital foundation to support brain research. [CBC]
• If you haven’t read enough about Crosby, the Penguins, and the White House, here are a few more summaries/commentaries about the recent visit to the White House: [Sports Illustrated] [MacLeans] [Vice Sports] [CBC] [NHL]
• The hockey world was largely able to escape the Black Lives Matter debate last year but this year the League, teams, players, and fans have some decisions to make. [Pucks & Rec]
• J.T. Brown held up a fist during the anthem to demonstrate his solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Devante Smith-Pelly talked about the significance of being the first player in the NHL to join the wave of athlete activism with the [Washington Post]. Former NHL’er, Bill Reilly, also commented via [Color of Hockey]. And, here’s a more comprehensive history of the black power salute and black athletes from [Raw Charge]
• The newly formed Vanke Rays of the CWHL have been in Canada playing some exhibition games and they look pretty good!

• [Color of Hockey] has created a new podcast and they hosted P.K. Subban’s dad talking about the release of his new book, “How We Did It.”
• The CWHL will be offering a modest stipend to its player this year but players still need to work full time jobs until hockey is able to pay them a living wage. [CBC]
• Hayley Wickenheiser took to the TEDx stage in Calgary to talk about creating a “new status quo”:

• An ECHL equipment manager was caught stealing equipment from the Reading Royals for almost two years and selling the merchandise at a local rink. [Puck Daddy]
• After there was a terrorist attack in Edmonton, Alberta in late September, Max Domi took to Twitter to call for stricter immigration controls. [TSN]
• Couple of good pieces from The Victory Press in the last couple of weeks: [Here] is one about cultural perceptions of masculinity and how they affect trans athletes. And, [Here] is one calling out white supremacy in the NHL.
• Las Vegas experienced one of the worst mass shootings in modern American history and here are two different takes on the role that the Golden Knights played in the aftermath. [Puck Daddy] [Vice Sports]
• A Windsor man tossed the first octopus onto the ice at the Red Wings’ new Little Caesar’s Arena and is asking Don Cherry to help him get out of a lifetime ban from the rink. [CBC]
• Lastly, let’s welcome Morocco to the international hockey stage with its IIHF title. [IIHF]