TORONTO, ON – Here’s a look at highlights from the last week of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) season, plus a look ahead to this week’s action.
CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
This past Friday, International Women’s Day, PWHL players came together in a video collaboration with Rogers to celebrate those who trailblaze and inspire. The video includes Emma Woods (NY), Jincy Roese (OTT), Renata Fast (TOR), Danielle Marmer (BOS), Blayre Turnbull (TOR), Sophia Kunin (MIN), Jamie Lee Rattray (BOS), Carly Jackson (TOR), Alex Poznikoff (MTL), and Jessie Eldridge (NY). The league is also celebrating Women’s History Month with branding that proudly highlights three PWHL trailblazers in Marie-Philip Poulin (MTL), Sarah Nurse (TOR) and Alina Müller (BOS). Click here for more.
NHL TEAMS SHOW SUPPORT FOR PWHL
The past week featured a number of NHL/PWHL collaborations. On Tuesday, the New York Islanders hosted members of PWHL New York for their Women in Sports Night at UBS Arena, and the Winnipeg Jets wore PWHL pins ahead of their Women in Sport game. On Wednesday, members of the Toronto Maple Leafs wore PWHL Toronto jerseys for their walk-ins ahead of the team’s Women’s Celebration Game. Members of PWHL New York were in attendance at the Prudential Center on Thursday following the New Jersey Devils Gender Equality Night. Today, PWHL New York joined the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden for a clinic with the Jr. Rangers and the team’s Women’s Empowerment Night.
PWHL ON THE TODAY SHOW AND BREAKFAST TELEVISION
The PWHL’s historic inaugural season was featured on The TODAY Show on Thursday with a segment that highlighted PWHL New York and interviews with players Ella Shelton, Abbey Levy, Madison Packer, and league Business Operations SVP Amy Scheer. Watch the report by NBC’s Kaylee Hartung here. Then on Friday, the PWHL was spotlighted on Breakfast Television with PWHL Toronto forward Jesse Compher and league Hockey Operations SVP Jayna Hefford live on set with hosts Meredith Shaw and Sid Seixeiro. Among the topics discussed was the league’s partnership with Molson and the ‘See My Name’ jersey campaign. Watch the segment here.
PRIME MINISTER TRUDEAU VISITS TORONTO
On Thursday, PWHL Toronto had a special guest visit them at Mattamy Athletic Centre. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with captain Blayre Turnbull, alternates Renata Fast and Jocelyne Larocque, and head coach Troy Ryan. He was presented with a personalized team jersey with Trudeau and the number 24 on the back. This was Trudeau’s second visit to a PWHL team this season, following his attendance in Ottawa for the team’s Jan. 24 home game against Boston.
MOVIE AND MERCHANDISE
A pair of PWHL stars made some exciting announcements last week. Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield revealed on Thursday that she will voice a character in Disney & Pixar’s Inside Out 2, which opens in theatres on June 14. And on Wednesday, Boston’s Jamie Lee Rattray launched a new line of merchandise that features the tag line ‘Women In Sport Are Here To Stay.’ Rattray is the first PWHL player to introduce branded merchandise this season.
MONTRÉAL, BOSTON, TORONTO RECORD SEASON-HIGH ATTENDANCES
Sunday’s game at Place Bell between Montréal and Ottawa had an attendance of 10,172, which is the team’s second sold-out game at the Laval, QC, venue this season – tying the crowd on Feb. 18 against Minnesota. Also on Sunday, the crowd of 4,607 at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell for the game between Boston and New York is a season-high attendance for a Boston home game in nine appearances. Toronto played its eighth game at Mattamy Athletic Centre on Friday against Montréal before a sold-out crowd of 2,554 – their largest attendance at the venue this season. Toronto’s season-high crowd and record attendance of 19,285 was set on Feb. 16 against Montréal at Scotiabank Arena. The league’s total attendance through 48 games is 244,981 – an average of 5,104 per game.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTERS
Hockey Canada announced on Thursday the 23 players named to Canada’s National Women’s Team for the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship, April 3-14 in Utica, NY. Nineteen PWHL players are on the roster, including Toronto’s Kristen Campbell, Renata Fast, Jocelyne Larocque, Emma Maltais, Sarah Nurse, Natalie Spooner, and Blayre Turnbull, Montréal’s Erin Ambrose, Ann-Renée Desbiens, Kristen O’Neill, Marie-Philip Poulin, and Laura Stacey, Ottawa’s Ashton Bell, Emily Clark, Brianne Jenner, and Emerance Maschmeyer, New York’s Jaime Bourbonnais and Ella Shelton, and Boston’s Jamie Lee Rattray. The roster was selected by general manager Gina Kingsbury (PWHL Toronto), head coach Troy Ryan (PWHL Toronto) and Cherie Piper, senior manager of player development and scouting. Team Canada assistant coaches Kori Cheverie (PWHL Montréal), Courtney Kessel (PWHL Boston) and Caroline Ouellette, along with goaltending consultant Brad Kirkwood (PWHL Toronto), also provided input.
USA Hockey announced on Wednesday the 39 athletes who have been invited to the 2024 U.S. Women’s National Team Evaluation Camp, which will take place March 27-30 at the Lake Placid Olympic Center in Lake Placid, NY. Thirteen PWHL players are listed, including Minnesota’s Kendall Coyne Schofield, Taylor Heise, Nicole Hensley, Kelly Pannek, and Grace Zumwinkle, Boston’s Aerin Frankel, Megan Keller, and Hilary Knight, Ottawa’s Savannah Harmon, Gabbie Hughes, and Hayley Scamurra, New York’s Alex Carpenter, and Toronto’s Jesse Compher.
Boston has two international players already confirmed on World Championship rosters including Finland’s Susanna Tapani and Switzerland’s Alina Müller.
PATTY KAZMAIER FINALISTS
The 10 finalists for the 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award were announced on Thursday by the USA Hockey Foundation. The honor, which first was presented in 1998, is awarded annually to the top player in NCAA Division I Women’s Ice Hockey. The finalists, in alphabetical order, are as follows: Izzy Daniel (Cornell, F), Sarah Fillier (Princeton, F), Caroline Harvey (Wisconsin, D), Abby Hustler (St. Lawrence, F), Tessa Janecke (Penn State, F), Abbey Murphy (Minnesota, F), Casey O’Brien (Wisconsin, F), Gwyneth Philips (Northeastern, G), Danielle Serdachny (Colgate, F), Kirsten Simms (Wisconsin, F). The last 10 recipients of the prestigious award are all competing in the PWHL and include: Minnesota’s Sophie Jaques (Ohio State, 2023), Minnesota’s Taylor Heise (Minnesota, 2022), Boston’s Aerin Frankel (Northeastern, 2021), New York’s Elizabeth Giguère (Clarkson, 2020), Boston’s Loren Gabel (Clarkson, 2019), Ottawa’s Daryl Watts (Boston College, 2018), Montréal’s Ann-Renée Desbiens (Wisconsin, 2017), Minnesota’s Kendall Coyne Schofield (Northeastern, 2016), New York’s Alex Carpenter (Boston College, 2015), and Boston’s Jamie Lee Rattray (Clarkson, 2014).
ONE STREAK CONTINUES, TWO STREAKS STOP
Toronto won twice last week, defeating Boston and Montréal to extend its season-high winning streak to nine games. The nine victories represent more than half of their 16 games played and more than one third of the 24-game schedule. It also triples the next longest winning streaks among other teams. Boston and Ottawa did their part to stop two other streaks on Sunday: Ottawa defeated Montréal for the first time in four games with a 4-2 victory, and Boston beat New York for the first time in three games with a 3-2 overtime triumph. Each of Ottawa’s five wins this season have been in regulation and by multiple goals. Boston extends its perfect record to five wins when scoring the game’s first goal, and becomes the fourth team, following Toronto, New York, and Minnesota, to defeat all five opponents. See all results here.
MRÁZOVÁ STREAKS INTO TOP FIVE IN SCORING
Ottawa’s Kateřina Mrázová has tied the league’s longest point streak this season at six games, scoring four goals and six assists in that span, to vault her among the league’s top five scorers. The Czech native produced a three-assist performance on Sunday to bring her point total to 13. New York’s Alex Carpenter, the only other player with a six-game point streak this season, continues to lead the league in scoring with 18 points in 16 games. Her 10 assists are tied for most in the league. Montréal’s Marie-Philip Poulin (8G 9A) is second in scoring with 17 points, followed by goal-scoring leader Natalie Spooner (12G 4A) of Toronto with 16 points. Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle (7G 6A) is tied for fourth in scoring with 13 points. New York’s Ella Shelton (4G 8A) is the league’s top scoring defender with 12 points. See all points leaders here.
THIRD SHUTOUT FOR CAMPBELL
Toronto’s Kristen Campbell turned aside all 23 shots faced in Friday’s 3-0 victory over Montréal. The shutout is her third of the season and 11th victory overall – both league-leading totals. Campbell has been between the pipes for the duration of Toronto’s nine-game win streak and has won her last 10 starts. Her goals-against-average of 2.00 and save percentage of .924 both rank fifth among netminders. Montréal’s Elaine Chuli, who suffered her first loss of the season on Friday against Toronto, continues to lead the league with a 1.34 GAA and .958 SV%. See goaltender stats here.
FIRST PWHL GOALS
Six players scored their first career PWHL goals this past week, bringing the league’s total to 85 different goal scorers. The latest to record milestone markers includes veterans Jillian Dempsey (MTL), Elizabeth Giguère (NY), Jess Healey (BOS), Denisa Křížová (MIN), Rebecca Leslie (TOR), and Allie Munroe (TOR). Křížová had herself quite the game on Tuesday, scoring her first and second PWHL goals in regulation, followed by a shootout tally in Minnesota’s 4-3 win over Ottawa.
TORONTO TAKES OVER FIRST
First place was on the line on Friday night when Toronto (8-3-0-5) defeated Montréal (7-3-3-4). Both teams are tied with 30 points, but the edge goes to Toronto with a .625 points percentage having played just 16 games to Montréal’s 17. Minnesota (6-3-3-4) gained two points last week and continue to hold onto third place with 27 points. Boston (4-3-2-6) also picked up two points to bring their total to 20. They are in a tie for fourth place with Ottawa (5-0-5-6) who earned four of a possible six points last week. Boston has one game in hand with 15 played compared to Ottawa’s 16. New York (2-4-3-7) remains in sixth place with 16 points and have lost five straight games. See the full standings here.
THE WEEK AHEAD
PWHL Takeover Weekend is the highlight of this week’s schedule with neutral site games in Detroit and Pittsburgh March 16-17. On Saturday, it will be Boston and Ottawa at Little Caesars Arena, home of the Red Wings, then Sunday will feature Montréal and Toronto at PPG Paints Arena, home of the Penguins. Minnesota hosts the other two games this week at Xcel Energy Center, another NHL venue. They welcome Boston on Wednesday night, followed by New York on Saturday afternoon. The PWHL Trade Deadline is Sunday night at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
8:00 p.m. ET – Boston at Minnesota (Xcel Energy Center)
Linear TV: Bally Sports North, NESN+, Sportsnet Pittsburgh, TSN5
Streaming: Women’s Sports Network, YouTube
Saturday, March 16, 2024
3:30 p.m. ET – New York at Minnesota (Xcel Energy Center)
Linear TV: Bally Sports North, MSG/MSGHD, CBC
Streaming: CBC Gem, YouTube
6:00 p.m. ET – Ottawa vs Boston (Little Caesars Arena)
Linear TV: Bally Sports Detroit Extra, Sportsnet ONE
Streaming: Sportsnet+, YouTube
Sunday, March 17, 2024
12:30 p.m. ET – Toronto vs Montréal (PPG Paints Arena)
Linear TV: Bally Sports North, CBC
Streaming: CBC Gem, YouTube
French: RDS2
Visit thepwhl.com to purchase tickets and merchandise, and subscribe to the PWHL e-newsletter to receive the latest league updates. Follow the league on all social media platforms @thepwhlofficial plus all six team accounts @pwhl_boston, @pwhl_minnesota, @pwhl_montreal, @pwhl_newyork, @pwhl_ottawa, and @pwhl_toronto.
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