Megan Bozek joins Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays

Jessica Wong and Noora Räty also return to the team

United States women’s national team defender Megan Bozek has joined the Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays in the ZhHL, according to lineups posted on the team’s Instagram. Jessica Wong and Finnish goaltender Noora Räty have also returned to the team.

Bozek last played professionally in the CWHL for the Markham Thunder. She has won an Isobel Cup in the NWHL, a Clarkson Cup in the CWHL, two National Championships with the University of Minnesota, and four gold medals in IIHF Women’s World Championships with Team USA. In the 2018-19 season, Bozek notched eight points in 26 games with the Thunder.

Bozek joins fellow Team USA star Alex Carpenter and 10 other North American-born players on the Rays’ roster, including Rachel Llanes, Kimberly Newell, Amy Menke, Hannah Miller, and Rebekah Kolstad. Bozek joins fellow first-year Rays Taylor Flaherty (University of Vermont), Kaitlin Tse (Harvard), Emily Costales (University of British Columbia), Claudia Kepler (HV71, University of Wisconsin), Kolstad (Minnesota State), and Menke (Minnesota Whitecaps, Djurgården, North Dakota).

Before the ZhHL’s international break, Carpenter led the team in scoring with 25 points in 14 games.

Bozek made her debut for the Rays today in their 6-3 victory over Biryusa. According to the ZhHL’s league site, she logged 20:00 TOI and put six shots on net.

After today’s win, the Rays are now 11-4-0 through the first 15 games of the season, which is good for second in the standings behind defending champions Agidel Ufa.