Looking at the state of the PWHL

NEW YORK — The Professional Women’s Hockey League is on the cusp of its third postseason, with the Boston Fleet dropping the puck on Thursday in Lowell towards the Ottawa Cost.

Boston is likely one of the unique six franchises within the PWHL, which started play in January 2024. The league added two groups in April 2025: Seattle and Vancouver. It’s poised so as to add 2-4 groups for the 2026-27 season, with bulletins anticipated quickly.

What’s the state of the league? A handful of executives sat down with the Related Press Sports activities Editors to debate simply that. Right here’s the place issues stand getting into the Walter Cup Playoffs.

Enlargement on the horizon

The place will the PWHL go subsequent? League officers have stated that the cities that confirmed up the perfect for Takeover Tour video games — the neutral-site matchups the league has featured since its inception — are a powerful indicator of excellent candidates to host groups.

Detroit is likely one of the favorites for growth, with Little Caesars Enviornment internet hosting 4 video games over three seasons, the latest on March 28 in entrance of virtually 16,000 that aired on nationwide tv.

Canada is more likely to land a staff or two, with an emphasis on western markets. PWHL government vp of enterprise operations Amy Scheer stated Tuesday that capability and availability of venues are two of the largest components contributing to the growth resolution.

Different components embrace geography — the PWHL flies industrial, so that they should be cities which have direct flights. And youth hockey and sponsorship alternatives are necessary. Are there pipelines inside a metropolis to assist future gamers? Are there sufficient massive firms prepared to spend cash to again the staff?

The large query is: How a lot growth is an excessive amount of? Vancouver and Seattle struggled of their first seasons. Are there sufficient sources to assist as much as 4 extra groups?

“Will we be good when the puck drops on opening day? No, however I believe in our three seasons we’ve had a little bit bit extra appreciation for progress over perfection, and that’ll be the identical tact that we take going into season 4,” Scheer stated. “Will or not it’s good? No. Will the staff arise? Will the gamers have an expert atmosphere to play in? Will the followers have an ideal atmosphere? Sure.”

Scheer stated the league is taking a look at cities with venues that may seat a minimal of 10,000 followers. For context: Boston’s residence venue, the Tsongas Middle in Lowell, seats about 6,500.

Can the ladies’s hockey pipeline assist growth?

The talent expected to enter the PWHL in the 2026 entry draft is remarkable: Olympic stars Caroline Harvey, Laila Edwards, Abbey Murphy, and Tessa Janecke will probably be eligible. Vancouver holds the No. 1 choose within the yet-to-be-scheduled draft.

However every staff carries 23 gamers. Which means a max of 92 roster spots may very well be added in growth. Is there sufficient expertise to fill out groups?

Jayna Hefford, the PWHL government vp of hockey operations, believes the pipeline shouldn’t be a difficulty, particularly as a result of the league is predicted to attract much more European expertise. In accordance with The Canadian Press, solely 25 Europeans are on rosters this season.

“While you seemed on the Olympic Video games, you possibly can see the hole is closing,” Hefford stated. “We weren’t seeing blowout scores like we have now seen beforehand. So the expertise outdoors of North America is huge, and I believe untapped from our perspective.”

Ilana Kloss, a PWHL advisory board member, philanthropist, and accomplice of Billie Jean King, thinks the PWHL serves as inspiration for the pipeline of gamers.

“Younger women see that there’s an expert league and a pathway to incomes a dwelling taking part in skilled hockey,” Kloss stated. “I believe the pipeline will get greater and larger … we really feel comfy that they’re going to be many younger women who need to play skilled hockey.”

Why the league construction is working for now

The PWHL is exclusive in that it’s wholly owned by one individual, Dodgers proprietor Mark Walter (who shouldn’t be closely concerned within the operations). Whereas the league intends to ultimately promote franchises to native homeowners, this single-entity construction is making for a extra even taking part in discipline with out the issues that a person proprietor gained’t spend sufficient on a staff.

“Each staff will get the identical sources,” Scheer stated, with the power to rapidly go to the four-person advisory board to regulate based mostly on market wants.

“I’ve been in different leagues the place you’ve got tremendous rich homeowners and lots of groups that don’t have the sources,” Kloss stated. “I believe the one factor that’s unimaginable about this league that we have now funding throughout all of the groups, however extra importantly, we have now a marketing strategy that may maintain progress throughout the league.”

The main target within the PWHL proper now, in keeping with its executives, is funding — not profitability.

Will the PWHL accomplice with the NHL?

You’d be shocked at how little overlap there may be between an NHL and PWHL viewers. Scheer stated for the league’s Takeover Tour video games that 40-80 % of attendees in some markets had by no means attended an NHL sport earlier than going to observe ladies’s hockey.

The PWHL doesn’t have a proper partnership with the NHL, however Scheer stated groups — particularly those who could lend their venues for video games, such because the Bruins, Rangers, and Senators (Ottawa moved its playoff video games to the bigger Canadian Tire Centre) have been supportive. Some groups have even lobbied the league to convey a Takeover Tour sport to their metropolis, Scheer stated.

Due to the dearth of crossover viewers, amongst different components, the PWHL doesn’t see direct relationships with groups — sharing workers, sources, and different issues you might even see in leagues just like the WNBA — as a necessity.

“Do we want them? I don’t know. In the present day, do we want them? Certain, why not?” Scheer contemplated. “I believe there’s room for everyone available in the market to develop the sport of hockey.

“… We’re not aggressive to [NHL teams],” Scheer stated. “We’re additive to them.”