Tag Archives: #PHNWomensHockey

PWHL sells out Madison Square Garden and TD Garden

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NEW YORK AND TORONTO — The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL)’s record-breaking momentum continues in April as the league is set to host capacity crowds in its debuts at both Madison Square Garden and TD Garden, with tickets officially sold out in advance of both games. 

The New York Sirens will take center stage at The World’s Most Famous Arena 30 days from today, on Apr. 4, against the Seattle Torrent, while the Boston Fleet will hit the ice at TD Garden in 37 days, on Apr. 11, hosting the Montréal Victoire. The dual sold-out crowds will represent the largest home game attendance ever for both the Sirens and the Fleet.

“Selling out both Madison Square Garden and TD Garden is a true testament to our fans, whose passion has fueled the growth of the PWHL,” said Amy Scheer, PWHL Executive Vice President of Business Operations. “Playing for the first time at these two world-class arenas will be another step in what has already been a historic season for our league, and the atmosphere for fans and players alike will be nothing short of incredible.”

With an arena capacity of more than 18,000, the sold-out game at Madison Square Garden, presented by e.l.f. Cosmetics, could set a new U.S. attendance record for a professional women’s hockey game, pending the attendance of games in other markets leading up to April 4. The PWHL has broken this mark seven times since its inception in 2024, most recently in Seattle on Feb. 27, where a sold-out crowd of 17,335 packed Climate Pledge Arena for a contest between the Torrent and the Toronto Sceptres.

Since 2024, e.l.f. has proudly partnered with the PWHL as the league’s first beauty brand and an Official PWHL partner.

“At e.l.f., empowering.legendary.females., means investing in women where leadership begins — on the field, on the ice and in sport,” said Patrick O’Keefe, Chief Integrated Marketing Officer at e.l.f. Beauty. “We know when girls stay in sports, they build the confidence, resilience and leadership that carries into every part of their lives. Supporting the PWHL isn’t just about a game — it’s about making sure more women have the opportunity to lead, break barriers and shape the future.”

At a capacity of more than 17,800, the Fleet’s game at TD Garden would surpass the PWHL’s current U.S. attendance record and is expected to rank second all-time on the list.  PWHL ticket demand continues to climb, with league attendance up more than 17 percent season over season through the first half of the 2025–26 campaign.

“Playing in front of sold-out buildings at Madison Square Garden and TD Garden is a historic moment for our athletes — and our sport,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. “As they’ve shown time and again, when the spotlight is brightest, our players show up, giving two capacity crowds in New York and Boston the chance to see their world-class talent on full display.”

Tickets for remaining Sirens and Fleet games are available for purchase here. Fans can stay up to date on the latest news, including additional ticketing information, by signing up for the official New York Sirens newsletter, The Beat, here and the official Boston Fleet newsletter, The Signal, here

Kadirova double leads Charge past Torrent, 4-3

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OTTAWA, ON – Fanuza Kadirova scored twice, including the game-winning goal on the power play with 1:46 remaining in the third period, to lift the Ottawa Charge to a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Torrent in front of 6,997 fans at TD Place on Wednesday night. With the win, Ottawa moves into fourth place in the PWHL standings, while Seattle’s losing streak extends to four games. Alexa Vasko got the Charge on the board first, netting her first goal of the season at 14:15 of the opening period. Kadirova notched her first of two goals with 58 seconds remaining in the first frame, doubling the home team’s advantage heading into the intermission.

Seattle forward Jessie Eldridge got the Torrent back in the game with her first of two power-play goals in the contest — and her 50th career point — midway through the second period. The 2-1 score lasted just 42 seconds, as Emily Clark restored Ottawa’s two-goal advantage with her third of the season before Eldridge scored again at 14:47 of the second to make it 3-2 heading into the third period. Midway through the final frame, Seattle alternate captain Alex Carpenter scored the first successful penalty shot goal in PWHL history, tying the game 3–3. After Kadirova’s late tally, Charge goaltender Gwyneth Philips secured the victory with a last-second save, sliding across the crease to deny Eldridge on the doorstep. Philips finished with 33 saves, while Hannah Murphy stopped 23 for Seattle. Tonight’s puck drop was delayed nearly an hour due to an ice integrity issue on the east side of the ice surface following the game’s opening ceremonies, requiring remidation efforts.

QUOTES

Ottawa defender Kathryn Reilly on getting her first two PWHL points and Emily Clark letting her go first in line to do high fives at the bench after her goal. “It speaks to Clarky. She’s such a leader and a wonderful teammate. It’s a privilege to be on this team. Clarky, Kateřina Mrázová and Fanuza [Kadirova] made it easy to get points tonight, so that was nice.”

Charge forward Alexa Vasko on getting her first goal of the season after her line has been buzzing in the last few games. “It’s definitely nice to get one (goal), but there was an obvious delay at the beginning of the game and we were ready to go from puck drop. Our foot was on the gas. Given the circumstances, it was important to be ready to go.”

Torrent forward Alex Carpenter on scoring the first ever penalty shot goal in PWHL history: “I didn’t know that. Honestly, I was just trying to catch my breath half the time. I went over to the bench, and I was like ‘I don’t know if I’m going,’ but it was a great play by Jessie [Eldridge] on the wall to find me in the middle. I had no idea, but I’m just glad we were able to get that and get back into the game.

Seattle head coach Steve O’Rourke on the Torrent’s pursuit of a playoff spot: “With the three points, if we do our job and get the full three points, we’re always still alive. It’s just a challenge to keep pushing. I liked our group tonight; I liked the way we competed tonight. I thought it was one of our best efforts that we’ve had in a while and I liked that part of it, but we just have to find the back of the net. Those late penalties cost us twice here now, so we have to stay out of the box late in the game, otherwise we’d be coming out of here with points, probably, the last two times. “

NOTABLES

Ottawa has now scored four or more goals in seven games this season, most in the PWHL. Five of those offensive outbursts have been recorded in the team’s nine games at TD Place where they’ve scored 28 total goals — compared to 18 in nine games on the road.

All three games in the season series have been won by the home team scoring four goals.

Seattle has lost four straight games in regulation since Jan. 25, tied with Ottawa (Dec. 2-17) and New York (Dec. 3-21) for the longest such streak in the PWHL this season.

Both of Ottawa’s victories over Seattle have included a game-winning goal on the power play in the game’s final two minutes.

The Charge have scored a power play goal in three straight games and lead the league with 12 goals with the player advantage and an overall efficiency of 22.2%.

The Torrent power play connected twice tonight and is now 5/10 with the player advantage in three games against the Charge, and 3/33 against all other teams.

Fanuza Kadirova notched the first multi-goal game of her PWHL career and now has four goals in her last four games. Her second goal of the contest was the first game-winner and power play goal of her career. The forward now has six goals on the season, ranking third on the Charge and second among first-year PWHL players.

Jessie Eldridge recorded her 50th and 51st career points in her 70th career game with her first multi-goal performance of the season — scoring twice on the power play — extending her point streak to five games (5G, 4A). Eldridge’s only other multi-goal game of her PWHL career, scored as a member of the New York Sirens on Mar. 6, 2024, also featured two power-play tallies. She now has six goals and 11 points in her last seven games after opening the 2025-26 campaign with two points in her first nine contests and is the ninth player in PWHL history to reach the 50-point milestone.

Alex Carpenter notched the first successful shootout goal in PWHL history in the eighth attempt by skaters all-time. The Torrent alternate captain and U.S. Olympic gold medalist also added an assist for her third multi-point game of the season, and second in three games against Ottawa, bringing her season total to 12 points (6G, 6A).

Emily Clark’s goal extended her point streak to three games, marking her first three-game point streak of the season. With the goal, the Charge alternate captain and Canadian Olympian reached forty career points (16G, 24A), becoming the 21st player in PWHL history and second Ottawa player to reach the milestone.

Alexa Vasko scored her first goal — and point — of the season, snapping a 25-game goalless drought dating back to March 11, 2025, when she recorded her only two goals of the 2024–25 campaign.

Gwyneth Philips set a new career-high with her ninth win this season, exceeding the eight she recorded in 15 rookie appearances. The U.S. Olympic gold medalist ranks third in the PWHL in wins behind fellow Olympians Ann-Renée Desbiens (MTL) – 11, and Aerin Frankel (BOS) – 10.  The second-year goaltender has made 30+ saves in eight of her 16 starts this season. She faced the third penalty shot in Ottawa history following two saves by Emerance Maschmeyer during the league’s inaugural season.

Hannah Murphy of Kingston, ON, made the first start of her PWHL career in her home province, just two hours outside her hometown. The rookie netminder is winless in her last five starts after beginning her PWHL career with three straight regulation victories.

Kathryn Reilly notched the first two points of her PWHL career, both assists, in her 13th career game. The Charge rookie defender did not play in 2024-25 while completing her first year of Medical School at University of British Columbia.

Kateřina Mrázová notched two assists for her first multi-point game of the season. The Czech Olympian now has seven points on the season, with points in four of her last six games (5A).

Julia Gosling recorded her first multi-assist performance as a member of the Torrent with two primary helpers on the power play, extending her team-leading point total to 15 (6G, 9A) with points in six of her last seven games (2G, 5A). The Canadian Olympian also led all skaters in the game with a career-high ten shots on goal.

Aneta Tejralová recorded an assist in her first game back in Ottawa where she spent the first two seasons of her PWHL career. The Czech Olympic captain has points in back-to-back games for the first time as a member of the Torrent after scoring her first goal of the season on Friday against Toronto.

Gabbie Hughes reached double-digits in points for the third straight season in Ottawa with her eighth assist of the season and fourth point in her last five games (1G, 3A).

Ronja Savolainen’s primary helper on the game-winning goal was the first power-play assist of her career. The Finnish Olympic defender sits second in scoring among Charge blue liners, with six points (3G, 3A) in 18 games.

Emma Greco recorded an assist for her first point of the season and her first as a member of Ottawa, doing so in her fifth game with the team after being acquired in a trade from Vancouver on Jan. 18.

Peyton Hemp notched the fifth assist of her rookie season, providing the secondary helper on Vasko’s first-period tally, snapping a six-game point drought.

Hannah Bilka was scratched from the Torrent lineup for the second straight game with an upper-body injury after winning Olympic gold with Team USA.

THREE STARS

1. Fanuza Kadirova (OTT) 2G
2. Jessie Eldridge (SEA) 2G
3. Kathryn Reilly (OTT) 2A

STANDINGS

Ottawa: 26 PTS (5-5-1-7) – 4th Place

Seattle: 16 PTS (4-1-2-9) – 8th Place

UPCOMING SCHEDULES

Ottawa: Sunday, Mar. 8 at. New York at 12 p.m. ET
Seattle: Wednesday, Mar. 11 vs. Boston at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET

CLICK HERE FOR STATS

Victoire win sixth straight as Poulin seals it on penalties

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In their fifth and final meeting of the regular season, the Montréal Victoire edged out the Toronto Sceptres 4-3 in a shootout thanks to captain Marie-Philip Poulin’s game-winning shootout goal in front of an all-time-high sold-out crowd of 8,671 at Coca-Cola Coliseum on Tuesday.

The Victoire have now won six straight contests and sit in first place in the PWHL, three points ahead of Boston who have three games in hand. Montréal netminder Sandra Abstreiter turned away 23 of 26 shots in regulation and overtime, and 3 of 6 in the shootout for her second win in her third appearance this season. Meanwhile,

Toronto’s Raygan Kirk stopped 31 of 34 through 65 minutes and 2 of 6 in the shootout in the loss. Maggie Connors provided the lone goal of the first period with a shot from behind the goal that deflected off Abstreiter’s skate and into the net to give the home team a 1-0 lead. Sceptres captain Blayre Turnbull doubled Toronto’s lead to 2-0 with her one-timer from the right circle off a spinning pass from Daryl Watts. Poulin got the Victoire on the board and back into the game at 8:04 of the second period when she tipped Nicole Gosling’s point shot to make the score  2-1.

Forward Hayley Scamurra then knotted the game at two just over five minutes later with a power-play tally at 13:20. Lina Ljungblom claimed Montréal’s first lead of the game at 7:30 in the final frame, before Toronto’s Jesse Compher found the back of the net with just over a minute remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime.

Toronto and Montréal are the first teams to close out their head-to-head season series, which Montréal won with a record of 2-2-0-1. The Sceptres will look to bounce back as they host the Minnesota Frost on Sunday, Mar. 8 for the second game of their three-game homestand. The Victoire aim to keep their momentum after a break when they host the Boston Fleet at Place Bell on Sunday, Mar. 15.

QUOTES

Victoire goaltender Sandra Abstreiter on giving up two goals early and being able to come back strong to make important saves: “Nobody was mad at me or anything like that. I wouldn’t expect it any differently, honestly, from these guys. They’re great, they’ve been so supportive. They were super hype when everyone found out that I was getting the start. So, it was honestly just them keeping me positive, and then I was able to clear my head from that as well and see positive.”

Montréal Head Coach Kori Cheverie on the team’s current win streak: “It’s hard to keep the momentum at times. I think every time I go do interviews, I get told that there’s some sort of new streak that I would prefer us not to talk about. And for us, we looked at these three games as just kind of like a small micro-cycle that we wanted to focus on. I love that the team wanted nine out of nine points. We got eight out of nine. We’re happy with that, but there was lots of learning tonight too, and it’s very valuable to be able to learn in some of these moments as we continue to push down the stretch.”

Sceptres captain Blayre Turnbull on returning to play against Olympic teammates and the schedule coming back: “It’s interesting because you go through something as big as the Olympics and I think whether you win or lose, you’re still thinking about your time there days after getting home. It’s interesting, but I think the good thing about our group here in Toronto is that we’re very focused on what we need to accomplish, and I know the group in Montréal is as well. When we’re on the ice, it’s Toronto versus Montréal. After the game, shaking hands I can say, ‘Thank god we have a break coming up.’ A couple days off will be much needed.”

Toronto Head Coach Troy Ryan on the power play: “The power play was not overly effective tonight. We’ve juggled it around a little bit as of late. Obviously during the Olympic break, it’s not something that you work on because a lot of your players that are on the power play are at the Olympics. It hasn’t been overly effective all year. There was a little spell there before the break that it was kind of clicking pretty good, but you need a bit more of the basics. One of the things I’ve always said is to get pucks inside, get people heading downhill, numbers at the net, good shot mentality, good puck retrieval and repeat. If you’re constantly looking for high-level skill plays, you’re not going to be effective. You’ve got to create the advantage with a mentality and not just the skill.”

NOTABLES

Montréal officially wins the head-to-head season series over Toronto 10-5 in points, but Toronto holds the all-time lead through three regular seasons 26-22 in points.

The Victoire tied a team record with their sixth straight win, previously winning six straight last season from Jan. 17 to Feb. 15, 2025. They also extended their road win streak to three games. Both streaks tie Ottawa for the longest such streaks in the PWHL this season.

Tonight’s shootout set a PWHL record for most total goals with seven, beating the previous record of five. Montréal became the first team in PWHL history to score four times in a single shootout, while Toronto set a team record with three shootout goals, their first three shootout goals of the season on 15 total attempts.

The Victoire are the only PWHL team without a loss beyond regulation (4-0), including a 2-0 record in shootouts, with both shootout wins earned against the Sceptres.

Montréal allowed only three shots on goal during tonight’s first period, the fifth time they have limited opponents to three shots in a regulation period this season.

Both teams have now played in a league-high 10 one-goal games, with Montréal winning six of their one-goal decisions and Toronto winning five.

Despite each team scoring a third period goal, Toronto (11) and Montréal (12) have scored the fewest goals in the third period of any PWHL teams.

Tonight’s sold-out crowd of 8,671 fans is the largest attendance for a PWHL game played at Coca-Cola Coliseum.

Marie‑Philip Poulin scored two shootout goals for the first time in her career and is the league’s all-time leader with nine, including five shootout winners. The Victoire captain, who led the game with seven shots, also added her first goal post-Olympics, bringing her career total to 65 points in 68 games as the PWHL’s all-time points leader. She now has points in three straight games and is tied for the league’s scoring lead with 16 points (8G, 8A) in 17 games.

Hayley Scamurra has seven points in her last eight games with tonight’s goal, and nine points (2G, 7A) in 18 games overall, which is one point shy of tying her career high of 10 (5G, 5A) as a member of the Charge during the inaugural season. The Olympic gold medalist ended a 14-game goalless streak with her second-period tally.

Lina Ljungblom has now recorded two goals and one assist in the Victoire’s three games since returning from the Olympic break, where she reached the same points total (2G, 1A) for Team Sweden. Prior to playing in the Olympics, Ljungblom went without a point in her previous 12 regular-season appearances with Montréal, dating back to the 2024-25 season.

Maggie Connors notched her second goal and third point of the season in her 19th game, matching her goal total and surpassing her point total from the 2024-25 season in 30 games. The Toronto forward ended a streak of 11 games without a point, which tied a single-season career high from Jan. 22 to Feb. 25 of last season, and puts her halfway to her career high point total in 24 games during the inaugural season (3G, 3A).

Blayre Turnbull scored on her bobblehead giveaway night to bring her season total to five goals in 19 games, matching her career high in 30 games last season. The Sceptres captain is one point away from becoming the eighth player in team history to reach 30 career points in a Toronto uniform.

Jesse Compher notched her sixth goal of the season to tie Daryl Watts for the team lead. The tally was her first at Coca-Cola Coliseum since Feb. 14, 2025, in Toronto’s 3-1 win against visiting Boston.

Sandra Abstreiter earned her second career victory — both with Montréal this season — and first shootout win of her career. The appearance marked her third start of the season for the Victoire, and first since Jan. 2. Abstreiter won three of her five starts for Germany at the Olympics, posting a .907 save percentage and 2.59 goals-against average.

Natálie Mlýnková notched her fourth assist and eighth point in 18 games with Montréal this season. The Victoire forward now has points in three of her last four games, moving into a tie for fourth place in rookie scoring.

Alexandra Labelle snapped a 13-game point drought, assisting on Ljungblom’s third-period tally.  The forward now has two points, both assists, through 16 games this season — her career-high is four points (1G, 3A), set last season with the Victoire in 19 games.

Nicole Gosling notched her sixth assist for her seventh point of the season in 18 games. The Victoire defender holds the fourth most points scored among rookie defenders and moves into a tie for ninth in scoring among all rookies.

Maggie Flaherty’s assist brought her to seven points (3G, 4A) in 18 games this season, moving her into a tie for seventh in league scoring among defenders. The Minnesota native has now set a new career-high in points, surpassing her inaugural‑season total of six points (1G, 5A) in 24 games. She also ranks second on the team in power‑play assists (3), trailing only Erin Ambrose (4).

Maureen Murphy recorded a power-play assist — her first of the season and third of her career — and now has three points (1G, 2A) in Montréal’s last two games. The Victoire forward sits one point away from 30 for her career, a milestone that 31 PWHL players have reached in the league’s history.

Amanda Boulier has her first point streak of the season and her first since scoring points in three consecutive games during the inaugural season between Feb. 4 to Feb. 17 (1G, 2A). She is now a third of the way to her career high points total of nine (1G, 8A) in 23 games across Ottawa and Montréal during the inaugural season.

Watts tallied a primary helper for the 29th assist of her career, putting her one away from becoming the fifth player in PWHL history to reach 30 career assists. The forward now has thirteen points on the season (6G, 7A), moving into a tie for eighth place in PWHL scoring while continuing to lead Toronto in points.

Renata Fast recorded the primary helper on Toronto’s late game-tying goal, marking her third point in the Sceptres’ three games since the Olympic break (1G, 2A) — doubling her season point total to six (1G, 5A) in 15 games.

Ella Shelton’s assist put her two away from becoming the first defender in PWHL history to reach 45 career points — a milestone which only 11 players have reached. She now has six points (2G, 4A) on the season and is tied for the team scoring lead among blue liners with Fast.

Raygan Kirk suffered her first loss since Toronto’s last matchup with Montréal on Jan. 28. Tonight’s start marked the fifth time that the Sceptres netminder has made at least 30 saves across 14 games this season, a feat which she reached three times in 10 games during the 2024-25 regular season. Kirk remains winless in four career shootout games.

Ann-Renée Desbiens served as Montréal’s backup today for a day of rest after nine consecutive games between the pipes, including two wins since returning from the Olympics.

Emma Gentry missed the third game of her rookie campaign with the Sceptres due to a lower-body injury.

THREE STARS

1.  Marie-Philip Poulin (MTL) 1G, SOWG
2.  Nicole Gosling (MTL) 1A
3. Maggie Connors (TOR) 1G

STANDINGS

Montréal: 35 PTS (9-4-0-5) – 1st Place
Toronto: 24 PTS (6-1-4-8) – 4th Place (Tied)

UPCOMING SCHEDULES

Toronto: Sunday, Mar. 8 vs. Minnesota at 12 p.m. ET
Montréal: Sunday, Mar. 15 vs. Boston at 1 p.m. ET

CLICK HERE FOR STATS

Torrent’s Olympians look to drive Seattle to PWHL playoffs

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The Seattle Torrent, one of the PWHL’s two expansion franchises, sent six players to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

Four of them—including Cayla Barnes and Hannah Bilka, shown above—won gold with the USA. The trick now is for the Torrent’s stars to translate their international magic into greater success in the PWHL, as the last-place Torrent need to get hot quickly to make a playoff push.

Torrent captain Hilary Knight led Team USA alongside alternate captain Alex Carpenter, defender Barnes and forward Bilka. Forward Julia Gosling represented Canada, while defender Aneta Tejralová captained Czechia. Collectively, the entire group reached the knockout rounds and combined for 25 points (14G, 11A) in 40 games.

The Torrent group won four gold medals, one silver and played countless high-pressure minutes. For a young team still building its identity, that kind of experience matters.

Few players in women’s hockey history have defined big moments the way Knight has. In Milan, she competed in her fifth and final Olympic Winter Games and added another epic chapter to a remarkable international career.

Knight delivered one of the tournament’s defining moments, scoring the game-tying goal in the gold medal final against Canada with just over two minutes to play to force overtime, a surge that propelled the United States to its third Olympic title, and the second of Knight’s career. She finished the tournament with six points (3G, 3A) in seven games and cemented her place as the U.S. Olympic women’s all-time leader with 15 goals and 33 career points.

Yet upon returning to Seattle, Knight’s focus was not on medals.

“First and foremost, while we were out realizing our Olympic dreams, we had a whole team here working their butts off, getting ready for the moment we came back and could collectively continue this journey on behalf of Seattle,” Knight said. “There’s been a tremendous amount of hard work that’s gone in, just continuing to team-build and get going. Hopefully this Olympic break was everything we needed to jump-start the second half. I’m confident in the group we have—we’re the ones who are able to do it.”

They have to do it without Captain America to start, as Knight was placed on LTIR before the Torrent’s record-setting game against Toronto Friday night.

If Knight represents sustained excellence, Bilka embodies emergence. The 24-year-old forward made her Olympic debut and quickly became one of the tournament’s most dynamic scorers. Bilka tied for the Olympic lead with four goals and added three assists, finishing tied for fifth overall with seven points. She recorded two assists in the semifinal, scored in the quarterfinal, and delivered a two-goal performance in preliminary play against Canada. For a second-year PWHL player, it was a statement performance.

Bilka’s speed and finishing ability give the Torrent an added offensive dimension heading into the stretch run. More importantly, her Olympic success reinforced her ability to deliver in high-stakes moments, a trait that translates directly to playoff hockey. Bilka also missed the Torrent’s first game back but is listed as day-to-day.

Carpenter fits somewhere between Knight’s longevity and Bilka’s freshness. The three-time Olympian tallied six points (3G, 3A) in seven games en route to her first Olympic gold medal, after earning silver in both 2014 and 2022. Her production tied her for 11th in tournament scoring.

Carpenter has already established herself as a cornerstone in Seattle, becoming the first American to reach 50 PWHL points, and her Olympic performance reinforced her reputation as a player who thrives in critical situations.

On the defensive side of the ice, Barnes continued to demonstrate why she is one of the most trusted blueliners in the game. A three-time Olympian, Barnes previously won gold in 2018 and silver in 2022. In Milan, she logged significant minutes in all situations and opened the scoring in the United States’ 5–0 semifinal victory over Sweden. Barnes’ championship pedigree, not to mention her composure, positioning and ability to handle elite competition are invaluable assets for an expansion team navigating its first playoff race.

As for the Torrent’s Canadian Olympic star, it’s safe to say that Gosling made the most of her first Olympic opportunity. The 25-year-old forward recorded five points (3G, 2A) in seven games, finishing third on Team Canada in scoring as the squad earned silver. She also finished tied for fourth in goals, just one behind the tournament lead.

Gosling’s ability to generate offense could prove pivotal for Seattle down the stretch. In addition to established stars like Knight and Carpenter, the Torrent need their forwards to create timely offense and Gosling’s Olympic performance, on the heels of a six-goal first half of the PWHL season, are proofshe can do just that against top-tier competition.

Torrent defender Tejralová brought leadership and poise to Czechia as team captain in her second Olympic appearance. Though she did not record a point, she helped guide her team to the quarterfinals and logged critical defensive minutes. A two-time World Championship bronze medalist, Tejralová’s experience against international competition strengthens Seattle’s defensive depth. Her calm, structured style adds balance to a blue line built on versatility and she had perhaps her best game of the PWHL season in Friday’s loss to Toronto, recording a season-high five shots and notching her first goal of the season.

Seattle has slipped below the playoff line in recent weeks, searching for consistency in both five-on-five scoring and late-game execution. If they can get healthy, the team’s six Olympians—who just navigated elimination rounds and medal pressure—could provide exactly the stabilizing push the Torrent need in tight contests down the stretch.

Championship runs build confidence. Elimination games sharpen instincts. High-stakes moments forge composure. Expansion teams often face growing pains as they try to develop chemistry, establish systems and define roles. The Olympic stage may have accelerated that process for Seattle’s core players.

Knight and Carpenter return with renewed leadership and clarity. Barnes brings defensive resilience shaped by medal-round matchups. Bilka and Gosling return validated as offensive drivers. Tejralová adds the steady voice of a captain accustomed to guiding her team through knockout play.

The Olympics helped prove how much talent is on the Torrent roster; now that talent just needs to get healthy and coalesce in time to qualify for the PWHL Walter Cup Playoffs.

PWHL weekly notebook for 2 March 2026

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NEW YORK AND TORONTO – The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) officially launched the second half of the league schedule with a wave of momentum following the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Fans celebrated all 61 PWHL Olympians, including the league’s 41 Olympic medalists, in five games highlighted by three sold-out crowds, a U.S. attendance record of 17,335 fans in Seattle, and a new PWHL weekend attendance record of 49,343 fans for games played at primary home venues Friday through Sunday.

PWHL SETS U.S. AND WEEKEND ATTENDANCE RECORDS

Seattle’s first-ever sold-out crowd on Friday night at Climate Pledge Arena set a new U.S. arena record for a women’s hockey game with 17,335 fans in attendance to see the Torrent host the Toronto Sceptres. It was the first of three sold-out PWHL games played over the weekend, with 8,572 fans at Ottawa’s TD Place on Saturday to see the Charge host the Boston Fleet, and 10,172 fans at Place Bell on Sunday as the Montréal Victoire hosted the Minnesota Frost. Also on Sunday, 13,264 fans packed Vancouver’s Pacific Coliseum for the Goldeneyes and Sceptres to set a new PWHL three-day weekend attendance record among games played at primary home venues with 49,343 fans. The previous record, set in the first four games of the season played Nov. 21-23, was 36,633. PWHL attendance through 66 games of the 2025-26 season is 580,494, an average of 8,795 fans per game.

LIVE FROM NEW YORK, IT’S KELLER AND KNIGHT

Boston captain Megan Keller and Seattle captain Hilary Knight made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live, joining guest host and Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie during his opening monologue. Storrie was on stage with brothers Jack and Quinn Hughes when the PWHL pair entered to a loud and lengthy ovation wearing their Team USA jerseys and new Olympic gold medals. They also appeared on stage with the full cast at the end of the show wearing their Fleet and Torrent jerseys. The cameo completed a whirlwind day for Keller who contributed an assist in Boston’s 3-2 shootout win in Ottawa just hours before. Knight, who previously joined SNL after winning Olympic gold in 2018, is the first professional female athlete to appear on the show twice.

DESBIENS TIES SINGLE SEASON SHUTOUT RECORD

Montréal’s Ann-Renée Desbiens returned from Milan with an Olympic silver medal for Canada and jumped right back into the action with two wins, including one shutout, and has been named PWHL Player of the Week presented by SharkNinja. The 31-year-old from Clermont, QC, made 34 saves in the Victoire’s 4-1 win against New York on Thursday, then turned aside all 17 shots faced against Minnesota in a 4-0 shutout on Sunday for a combined 0.50 goals-against-average and .986 save percentage. The shutout was her fourth of the campaign, tying the PWHL single-season record set by Corinne Schroeder last season with the Sirens. Desbiens, Schroeder and Boston’s Aerin Frankel are all tied for the all-time lead with five career shutouts. Desbiens leads all PWHL goaltenders this season with 11 wins, a 1.06 GAA and .958 SV%, and has not surrendered more than two goals against in 15 starts, including 10 games with one or fewer goals against. Click here to see this season’s goaltending leaders.

The PWHL Player of the Week award will continue throughout the second half of the league schedule with recipients honored every Monday. The monthly PWHL Starting Six will return at the end of March, inclusive of the first five games played in February.

MONTRÉAL MOVES UP FROM WORST TO FIRST

The Victoire (9-3-0-5) have taken over first place in the PWHL standings with 33 points while riding a five-game winning streak and wins in eight of their last nine games since they occupied eighth place back on Jan. 4. It’s the first time the Fleet (8-3-2-2) have dropped down to second place all season as they sit just one point back with 32 points and two games in hand, showing an incredible 12-point improvement through 15 games this season compared to last. The Frost (7-2-3-4) had their six-game point streak snapped but remain in third place with 28 points, followed by the Sirens (7-0-3-7) with 24 points in fourth place. The Charge (4-5-1-7) are tied with the Sceptres (6-1-3-8) with 23 points following Toronto’s first two-game win streak of the season over the Goldeneyes (5-1-2-9) and Torrent (4-1-2-8) who occupy the final two spots with 19 and 16 points, respectively. Click here to see the full PWHL standings.

THERE’S NO PLACE (BELL) LIKE HOME

Montréal remains undefeated through their first seven of 12 games at Place Bell this season, which represents a team record for most consecutive wins at their primary home venue in a season. The Victoire have an incredible .952 points percentage in those games, just slightly ahead of Boston’s .944 points percentage in their six wins in six games split between Agganis Arena and the Tsongas Center. The rest of the league’s primary home venue point percentages consist of Minnesota (.722) at Grand Casino Arena, Ottawa (.625) at TD Place, Vancouver (.611) at Pacific Coliseum, Seattle (.542) at Climate Pledge Arena, New York (.458) at Prudential Center and Toronto (.267) at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Montréal’s seven straight wins at Place Bell are tied for the second-longest winning streak at a single venue in a season, matching Boston’s seven straight wins at the Tsongas Center in 2024-25, and one behind Toronto’s eight straight wins at Mattamy Athletic Centre in 2024.

BOSTON THRIVES IN BONUS HOCKEY

The Fleet became the first team in PWHL history to play three consecutive games with shootout results and have emerged victorious in all three. The record was interestingly set on Saturday against the Charge in the third straight shootout of the head-to-head season series, where Ottawa had won the first two. Boston leads the league with five shootout games in total, one shy of New York’s record of six last season. The 2024-25 Fleet hold the record for most shootout wins in a season, going 4-0 in such games. This season, Frankel has now faced 30 shootout attempts, twice as many as the previous single-season record of 15 set by Minnesota’s Maddie Rooney in 2024-25. On Saturday, Boston’s Hannah Brandt recorded her fourth shootout goal of the season and is tied with Ottawa’s Brianne Jenner for the league lead, one shy of Marie-Philip Poulin’s record of five scored last year with Montréal. Brandt and Poulin share the single-season record with 10 shootout attempts. The Fleet have played in eight straight games decided by one goal, dating back to their last shootout at TD Place on Dec. 27. Prior to that, each of Boston’s first seven games were decided by multiple goals. Click here to see all PWHL results.

STACEY JOINS HALF CENTURY CLUB

Montréal’s Laura Stacey became the eighth PWHL player to record 50 career points as part of a multi-assist effort on Thursday, then added to her total with her first career shorthanded ‘jailbreak’ goal on Sunday. The Canadian Olympian’s 51 career points consist of 24 goals and 27 assists in 67 games. Past players to reach the half century club include Poulin, Jenner, Knight, Minnesota’s Kendall Coyne Schofield and Taylor Heise, Seattle’s Alex Carpenter and Toronto’s Daryl Watts. Seattle’s Jessie Eldridge (21G, 28A), Boston’s Alina Müller (15G, 31A) and Vancouver’s Hannah Miller (18G, 27A) are next in line for the milestone. Click here to see PWHL all-time leaders.

FAST BECOMES TORONTO’S NEW ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER

Renata Fast became the first member of the Sceptres to reach 40 career points, entirely produced in a Toronto uniform, when she scored a goal and an assist on Friday in Seattle. Her 40 points include 10 goals and 30 assists in 68 games and is one point ahead of Watts (18G, 21A) with 39 points in 46 games as a Sceptre, and Natalie Spooner (26G, 13A) with 39 points in 56 games. Miller held the previous team record with 38 points (17G, 21A) in 52 games in two seasons with Toronto. Three of the league’s six inaugural teams have maintained its top scorer through two and half seasons, including Montréal (Poulin, 64 points), Minnesota (Coyne Schofield, 56 points) and Ottawa (Jenner, 51 points). Earlier this season, Müller surpassed Knight to become Boston’s all-time leading scorer, while Carpenter’s 43 points in New York remain a team record. Sarah Fillier (40 points) has the Sirens record within reach.

LESLIE CLIMBS INTO TIE FOR SCORING LEAD

Ottawa’s Rebecca Leslie scored twice in her final game before the Olympic break, then picked up where she left off with two more tallies on Saturday to bring her season goal total to 10. She’s the third PWHL player to reach double-digits in goals this season following Frost captain Coyne Schofield (10) and Sirens rookie Kristýna Kaltounková (11). Leslie’s 16 points are also tied for first with Coyne Schofield, Jenner (8G, 8A), and Minnesota’s Britta Curl-Salemme (7G, 9A) and Heise (3G, 13A). Keller leads all defenders with 12 points (5G, 7A) and Kaltounková and teammate Casey O’Brien (5G, 7A) are tied for the rookie lead in scoring with 12 points each. Click here for PWHL leaders.

FIRST GOALS FOR HJALMARSSON, IRVING, MESSIER

Toronto’s Sara Hjalmarsson carried the momentum from her Olympic performance with Sweden (2G, 3A) back to the PWHL where she scored her first two career goals in her first two games following the break, after the fifth-round draft pick had been scoreless in her first 16 games. Montréal third-round pick Skylar Irving scored her first career PWHL goal on Thursday in her 14th game, and Sceptres rookie Lauren Messier scored her first career PWHL goal on Sunday in her fourth game. A total of 107 players have scored at least one PWHL goal so far this season, including 24 rookies. Click here to see PWHL rookie leaders.

PWHL 101

If you’re new to the PWHL or hockey in general, class is in session with ‘Professor Puck’ delivering all you need to know in a new video content series titled PWHL 101. Episode 1 will catch you up on the history and composition of the PWHL and Episode 2 covers the basics of ice hockey. New episodes will be posted regularly to the PWHL’s YouTube channel.

REMEMBERING MARC MAISONNEUVE

Prior to Sunday’s game in Montréal, a moment of silence was observed to honor the life of Marc Maisonneuve, who served as a PWHL off-ice official, among his countless contributions to the hockey community. Marc was among the first to actively promote girls’ and women’s hockey, championed opportunities for female athletes across Québec and worked on behalf of Hockey Canada to help advance the women’s game nationwide. His vision, belief, and commitment helped open doors for generations of players and strengthened the foundation of the sport we celebrate today. His passion, generosity, and dedication left a lasting mark on the hockey world, and he will be remembered not only for his contributions to the game, but for the integrity, kindness, and encouragement he shared with so many.

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE

PWHL action continues with five games this week, beginning Tuesday night when Toronto hosts Montréal at 7 p.m. ET at Coca-Cola Coliseum where the first 6,000 fans will receive a Blayre Turnbull Bobblehead presented by Esso, while quantities last. On Wednesday, it’s Ottawa’s Indigenous Peoples Celebration Unity Game when the Charge host Seattle at 7 p.m. ET at TD Place. On Thursday, New York welcomes Boston to Prudential Center at 7 p.m. ET where the first 2,000 fans will receive a Kristýna Kaltounková Bobblehead, while quantities last. The weekend features two Sunday afternoon games at 12 p.m. ET, including the Sirens hosting the Charge at Prudential Center where the first 1,000 fans will receive an exclusive ‘In My Women’s Sports Era’ Hat in collaboration with Gotham FC, and the Sceptres will host the Frost at Coca-Cola Coliseum for Toronto’s Black History Celebration Unity Game. Full broadcast details are below and available online here.

Tuesday, March 3 – 7 PM ET
Montréal Victoire at Toronto Sceptres (Coca-Cola Coliseum)

  • Canada: Prime Video
  • U.S. (Out of Market): FOX 11+ Los Angeles

Wednesday, March 4 – 7 PM ET
Seattle Torrent at Ottawa Charge (TD Place)

  • Canada: TSN
  • U.S. (In-Market): FOX 13+
  • U.S. (Out of Market): Arizona’s Family Sports, Great Lakes Sports & Entertainment Network, KCRG-TV 9/Ottumwa–Kirksville CW (Iowa), Last Frontier Sports & Entertainment Network (Alaska), NESN (Boston), North Star Sports & Entertainment Network, Palmetto Sports & Entertainment Network, Peachtree Sports Network, Rock Entertainment Sports Network, SNP+ (Pittsburgh), South Texas Sports, Tennessee Valley Sports Network

Thursday, March 5 – 7 PM ET
Boston Fleet at New York Sirens (Prudential Center)

  • Canada: Sportsnet Pacific
  • U.S. (In-Market): MSGSN, NESN+
  • U.S. (Out of Market): FanDuel Sports Network (Detroit, Florida, Midwest, North Extra, Ohio, Southeast, Southwest, SoCal, Wisconsin), SNP+ (Pittsburgh)

Sunday, March 8 – 12 PM ET
Ottawa Charge at New York Sirens (Prudential Center)

  • Canada: Sportsnet ONE
  • U.S. (In-Market): MSG, My9

Sunday, March 8 – 12 PM ET
Minnesota Frost at Toronto Sceptres (Coca-Cola Coliseum)

  • Canada: TSN
  • U.S. (In-Market): FanDuel Sports Network North, FOX 9+
  • U.S. (Out of Market): FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin, NESN+ (Boston)

Fans around the world can continue to follow every game live via the PWHL YouTube channel and thepwhl.com, with the exception of Canada, and in Czechia and Slovakia — where Nova Sport will continue to carry games locally.

Kirk, Sceptres edge Goldeneyes, 2-1

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VANCOUVER – Raygan Kirk was outstanding between the pipes for the Toronto Sceptres on Sunday afternoon, backstopping her team to a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Goldeneyes before a crowd of 13,264 at Pacific Coliseum.

Kirk’s 25 saves gave the Sceptres a second straight west coast win post Olympics, bringing them into a tie with Ottawa for fifth in the PWHL standings. Emerance Maschmeyer, fresh off representing Canada in Milan, was equally impressive with 22 saves for the seventh-place Goldeneyes, who took the ice for the first time following the break. The Sceptres struck for two goals in 57 seconds early in the first period. First,

Sara Hjalmarsson stayed hot with her second goal in as many games at 7:10, then rookie Lauren Messier cashed in her first PWHL goal at 8:07, both off passes from Claire Dalton. A pair of former Sceptres connected for the Goldeneyes goal at 9:07 of the third period when Izzy Daniel buried a centering feed from Hannah Miller to cut the deficit to one. Kirk stood tall down the final stretch as the Goldeneyes sustained pressure in the offensive zone with the extra attacker in search of the equalizer.

This was the first time in three games of the season series where the visiting team emerged victorious, following a 2-1 Sceptres overtime win in Toronto on Jan. 17, and a 5-0 Goldeneyes win in Vancouver on Jan. 22. The teams will meet one more time in Toronto on Mar. 29. I

n the meantime, the Sceptres are back in action Tuesday when they host first-place Montréal, while the Goldeneyes will play the second of a five-game homestand on Mar. 10 against Boston.

QUOTES

Sceptres forward Claire Dalton on the game: “I think we’ve had really good energy coming back from the break, and it’s been a big reason that we’ve been able to get six points on the road. It’s a testament to the work that the group did in-market, and how good the Olympians were while they were there. We started a roll and will keep going.”

Toronto Head Coach Troy Ryan on the difference between this game and the last visit to Vancouver: “I thought the game [at the end of January] was a little bit uncharacteristic of what we’re capable of doing as a team. The game just got away from us—it was just sloppy all around. After that game, the Olympic break couldn’t come soon enough. Sometimes you just need to separate yourself from situations like that. As [Claire] Dalton said, just getting back together as a group, we’re in a much better place than we were a month ago.”

Goldeneyes forward Izzy Daniel on her goal: “We wanted to get more pucks on the net, that was something we were talking about, especially with traffic in front. I would say for myself, I’m a passer, so not always looking to shoot, but when you get the puck in the slot, I think that’s the time when you have to bear down and fire it on net. That’s something I continually try to work on, is being more shot ready. I’m just looking for the right play and that was the right play there.”

Vancouver Head Coach Brian Idalski on what he’d like to see from his team next game: “As much as the game is involved with individual skill and ability, hockey still at its core is a one-on-one physical competition. Having a little more of a chip on your shoulders, having a little more grit sandpaper to go along with our skill to get to the inside, to battle to get net front presence and to be heavier to play against, specifically offensively, that’s the missing piece for me. I think we start stringing some of that together – we’re a good hockey club, and we still have faith in that.”

NOTABLES

Toronto has won consecutive games for the first time this season and are the last PWHL team to do so in 2025-26. Both of their wins came on the west coast, including Friday’s 5-2 victory in Seattle, after previously losing both games of their first west coast trip in January by a combined score of 11-4.

The Sceptres lead the PWHL with 15 points on the road but rank last with only eight points in home games.

Toronto has now played in nine one-goal decisions, tied with Montréal for the most in the league. Both teams have won five such games, tied with Ottawa for the most one-goal victories.

Vancouver was held to one goal for the first time in six games at Pacific Coliseum this season. This was their ninth game overall scoring one or fewer goals, the most in the PWHL, having previously been tied with Toronto with eight such games.

The Goldeneyes have outshot the Sceptres twice this season, accounting for two of the four total games in which they have outshot their opponent. They are tied with the Torrent for the fewest wins when leading the game in shots with one each.

Raygan Kirk has won consecutive games for the first time this season after stringing together a career-high three straight victories to end her Sceptres rookie campaign in 2024-25. She has now allowed one goal against in four of her 12 starts this season, with today’s save percentage (.962) counting as her third best.

Sara Hjalmarsson has goals in consecutive games after beginning her PWHL career without a point in her first 16 games. Both goals by the Sceptres fifth-round pick were scored post Olympics where she represented Sweden on the world stage and recorded two goals and five points in seven games.

Lauren Messier scored her first career PWHL goal in just her fourth career game and on her second shot on goal. The former Dartmouth College captain was signed to a 10-day contract from the team’s Reserve Player list on Friday and has slotted on the left wing of the team’s fourth line during the west coast road trip.

Izzy Daniel scored her team-leading fifth goal of the season and third in her last four games. The Goldeneyes forward now has seven points in 17 games, matching her rookie point total (2G, 5A) produced in 30 games with the Sceptres last season.

Claire Dalton put together her first multi-point performance as a member of the Sceptres with a pair of primary assists. The forward now has six assists in 18 games, which ties her assist total produced in a second straight nine-point campaign with Montréal in 2024-25.

Kali Flanagan has her first point streak of the season with a secondary assist today following an empty net goal on Friday in Seattle. With two goals and three assists in 18 games, she makes the Sceptres the only team in the PWHL to have four defenders with five or more points this season.

Hannah Miller picked up a primary helper for her sixth assist of the season and second in three games. The Goldeneyes forward is in a three-way tie for fourth in team scoring with seven points in 17 games.

Sarah Nurse was held off the scoresheet for the first time in six games as a member of the Goldeneyes, but the Canadian Olympian led today’s skaters with a season-high six shots on goal.

Emerance Maschmeyer suffered her sixth loss of the season when allowing two or fewer goals against. For the season, the Canadian Olympian has surrendered two or fewer goals in eight of her 12 starts as a member of the Goldeneyes. Today’s 24 shots against were the fewest she’s faced in a game this season.

Brianna Brooks, Vancouver’s fourth-round pick in the 2025 PWHL Draft, made her first appearance in the Goldeneyes lineup after being signed to a 10-day contract earlier today.

Claire Thompson missed Vancouver’s first game back from the Olympic break and is listed day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Rookie forward Katie Chan was also scratched from the Goldeneyes lineup due to an upper-body injury and is day-to-day.

Daryl Watts was scratched from Toronto’s lineup after the Olympian exited Friday’s game prematurely due to illness. Rookie forward Emma Gentry missed a second straight game for the Sceptres and is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

THREE STARS

1. Raygan Kirk (TOR) 25/26 SV
2. Claire Dalton (TOR) 2A
3. Izzy Daniel (VAN) 1G

STANDINGS

Toronto: 23 PTS (6-1-3-8) – 5th Place (Tied)
Vancouver: 19 PTS (5-1-2-9) – 7th Place

UPCOMING SCHEDULES

Toronto: Tuesday, Mar. 3 vs. Montréal at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Vancouver: Tuesday, Mar. 10 vs. Boston at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET

CLICK HERE FOR STATS