The new Professional Women’s Hockey League was officially revealed yesterday with six inaugural franchises and a 24-game regular season that begins this coming January 2024.
The PWHL will feature three teams in Canada and three teams in the U.S. The American franchises are located in Boston, Minneapolis-St. Paul and the New York City area, which could include Connecticut and New Jersey.
The Canadian franchises will be located in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.
It’s cool that it’s starting with six teams like the NHL did with “The Original Six.”
A new era dawns for women’s hockey.@thepwhlofficial | 📰 https://t.co/W1gnBZjk06 pic.twitter.com/qA2YRgJ6VW
— PWHLPA (@PWHLPA) August 29, 2023
Details on home arenas, team names and logos are yet to be determined.
The PWHL will play its games in a variety of rinks, from NHL-sized ones to minor and junior league arenas like the Halifax Mooseheads home in Moose Country at the Scotiabank Centre.
The league plans to stream each game digitally, but also hopes for eventual television coverage.
The 2024 season schedule will be announced in the coming months and is expected to run from early January through late May or early June.
It will include a break for the IIHF Women’s World Championship in April.
Future seasons are expected to start in November and run through the following May.
“This is the most exciting day in the history of women’s hockey."
Executive Director of the PWHLPA, Brian Burke, talks about the plans for the newly named Professional Women’s Hockey League 🥅
More on @thepwhlofficial: https://t.co/x7rTEg57N2 pic.twitter.com/I1Hlc8SwUZ
— Hockey Night in Canada (@hockeynight) August 29, 2023
This is great news for female hockey players who can now make their dreams come true of playing professional hockey!
-Ian
(Credits: @PWHLPA & @hockeynight)
