Trade deadline, Sports Business Awards, and PWHL Takeover Weekend spikes attendance
TORONTO, ON (March 19, 2024) – 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.
TWO TRADES MADE AT DEADLINE
The PWHL trade deadline passed at 4:00 p.m. ET on Monday with two deals that involved a total of three teams and five players. Ottawa was part of both trades, acquiring forward Tereza Vanišová from Montréal in exchange for defender Amanda Boulier. Ottawa also acquired forward Shiann Darkangelo from Boston in exchange for forward Lexie Adzija and the rights to forward Caitrin Lonergan. The first trade in league history was made on Feb. 11, when Boston acquired forward Susanna Tapani and defender Abby Cook from Minnesota in exchange for defender Sophie Jaques.
SPORTS BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR NOMINATION
The PWHL has been nominated for a 2024 Sports Business Award in the Sports Breakthrough of the Year category. Launched in 2008, the Sports Business Awards were established by Sports Business Journal to celebrate excellence in the business of sports. The 17th annual Sports Business Awards includes 90 nominees in 16 different categories that reflect the industry’s best. Award recipients will be announced on Wednesday, May 22, at the New York Marriott Marquis Times Square.
DETROIT SETS U.S. ATTENDANCE RECORD, PITTSBURGH CROWD EIGHTH-HIGHEST OF PWHL SEASON
Saturday’s game at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena between Boston and Ottawa had an attendance of 13,736, which set a record for a professional women’s hockey game in the United States. The game was part of PWHL Takeover Weekend, presented by e.l.f. Cosmetics, and was followed by a Sunday afternoon matchup between Montréal and Toronto at PPG Paints Arena with a crowd of 8,850 that set a Pittsburgh attendance record for a women’s professional hockey game. The weekend also included a Saturday afternoon game between Minnesota and New York at Xcel Energy Center that drew an attendance of 9,006. The league’s total attendance through 52 games is 281,242 – an average of 5,409 per game.
PWHL Top-10 Attendances:
19,285 – February 16 – Montréal at Toronto (Scotiabank Arena)
13,736 – March 16 – Boston vs Ottawa (Little Caesars Arena)
13,316 – January 6 – Montréal at Minnesota (Xcel Energy Center)
10,186 – February 25 – Boston at Minnesota (Xcel Energy Center)
10,172 – February 18 – Minnesota at Montréal (Place Bell)
10,172 – March 10 – Ottawa at Montréal (Place Bell)
9,006 – March 16 – New York at Minnesota (Xcel Energy Center)
8,850 – March 17 – Montréal vs Toronto (PPG Paints Arena)
8,646 – January 27 – Ottawa at Montréal (Place Bell)
8,447 – March 2 – Toronto at Ottawa (The Arena at TD Place)
PWHL TAKEOVER WEEKEND GROWS THE GAME
Community engagement was a focal point of PWHL Takeover Weekend in Detroit and Pittsburgh. Boston’s three Michigan-born players Shiann Darkangelo, Taylor Girard, and Megan Keller led a ‘Learn to Play’ clinic for girls from local programs following the team’s practice on Friday afternoon. The Michigan trio was recognized at the Red Wings game on Thursday night and sounded the ceremonial goal horn as part of the pre-game festivities. Montréal players Sarah Bujold and Catherine Dubois also led an on-ice ‘Learn to Play’ clinic in partnership with the Penguins following team practice on Saturday.
COMPHER FAMILY REUNION
The Compher siblings made a statement on a special Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh. The Northbrook, IL, pair were both playing at PPG Paints Arena, with Jesse Compher and PWHL Toronto taking on Montréal in the afternoon and J.T. Compher and the Detroit Red Wings facing the Penguins in the evening. They arrived at the rink in style and in support of one another with Jesse wearing her older brother’s No. 37 Red Wings jersey, and J.T. wearing his younger sister’s No. 18 Toronto sweater.
WATCH PARTY IN WASHINGTON
On Wednesday, March 20, the Embassy of Canada is teaming up with the PWHL to host a celebration of the league’s record-breaking inaugural season and girls/women’s hockey. The evening’s focus will be a watch party highlighting two live PWHL games between Boston and Toronto, and Ottawa and New York, as well as the NHL contest between the Maple Leafs and Capitals. Invited guests include Canadian Consuls General from across the United States, members of Congress, directors and coaches of local girls’ hockey organizations, media, and fans of the “best game you can name.”
CZECHIA ANNOUNCES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTER
Four PWHL players have been named to Czechia’s roster for the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship, April 3-14 in Utica, NY. The team, led by Ottawa head coach Carla MacLeod, will feature Minnesota’s Denisa Křížová, and a trio of Ottawa players including Kateřina Mrázová, Aneta Tejralová, and the newly acquired Tereza Vanišová. Czechia has won back-to-back bronze medals in the top division tournament.
NCAA WOMEN’S FROZEN FOUR AND TOP-THREE PATTY KAZMAIER FINALISTS
The 2024 NCAA Women’s Frozen Four field is set with future stars of the PWHL competing in the national semifinals to be played at Whittemore Center Arena in Durham, NH, on Friday, March 22. No. 1-ranked Ohio State will take on No. 4 Clarkson at 4:00 p.m. ET, followed by No. 2 Wisconsin against No. 3 Colgate at 7:30 p.m. ET. The championship game will be played on Sunday, March 24 at 4:00 p.m. ET. A total of 36 PWHL players are alumnae of the four competing programs, including 15 Badgers, 10 Golden Knights, eight Buckeyes and three Raiders. Across the league, 31 players have won a collective 50 NCAA titles. The winner of the 2024 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, which goes to the top player in NCAA Division I Women’s Ice Hockey, will be announced on Saturday, March 23, at 12:30 p.m. ET. The top-three finalists, announced Wednesday by the USA Hockey Foundation, are forwards Izzy Daniel (Cornell), Casey O’Brien (Wisconsin), and Kirsten Simms (Wisconsin). The past 10 recipients of the prestigious award are all currently competing in the PWHL.
CONCORDIA WINS 2024 U SPORTS TITLE, SANTERRE NAMED PLAYER OF THE YEAR
For the second time in three years, the Concordia University Stingers hoisted the Golden Path trophy, defeating the University of Toronto Varsity Blues 3-1 in the 2024 U SPORTS Women’s Hockey Championship in Saskatoon, SK. Tournament MVP and third-year Stingers’ forward Jessymaude Drapeau scored the game-winning goal. The Montréal Carabins secured the bronze medal with a 2-1 shootout victory over the Waterloo Warriors. On Wednesday night at the All-Canadian Awards Ceremony, Gabrielle Santerre of Bishop’s made history by winning both the Brodrick Trophy as player of the year in U SPORTS women’s hockey, as well as the award for rookie of the year. There are 11 U SPORTS alumnae on PWHL rosters, including six who have won a combined eight national titles. Brigitte Laganière (MTL) is the most recent champion, having helped Concordia win in 2022. The PWHL has five former Brodrick Trophy recipients, including New York’s Jade Downie-Landry (McGill, 2022), plus Montréal’s Alex Poznikoff (Alberta, 2019), Sarah Bujold (StFX, 2017), Mélodie Daoust (McGill, 2013), and Ann-Sophie Bettez (McGill, 2012).
FOUR STREAKS AND A SHOOTOUT
Toronto earned its 10th straight victory on Sunday with a 2-1 win over Montréal at Pittsburgh’s PPG Paints Arena. Their league-high streak is highlighted by eight regulation wins and three shutouts, with an overall goal differential of plus-21 — 33 goals scored and just 12 allowed. The league’s next-longest winning streak belongs to Minnesota at four games following their 5-1 victory against New York on Saturday. They’ve produced two shutouts in that span and have outscored opponents, 15-4. On the flipside of those streaks, New York has lost a season-high six straight and Montréal has dropped three in a row for the first time all season. With Boston’s 2-1 victory over Ottawa on Saturday at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena, all six PWHL teams have now competed in a shootout. Toronto is 2-0, Boston and Minnesota are 1-0, New York is 1-1, and both Montréal and Ottawa are 0-2 in shootouts this season. See all results here.
COYNE SCHOFIELD CRACKS TOP FIVE IN SCORING
Back-to-back multi-point performances and a three-game point streak have lifted Minnesota’s Kendall Coyne Schofield into a three-way tie for fifth in league scoring. The captain has 13 points, including six goals and seven assists in 18 games. New York’s Alex Carpenter (8G 10A) continues to lead the way with 18 points in 17 games, including nine points on special teams. Toronto’s Natalie Spooner (12G 5A) and Montréal’s Marie-Philip Poulin (8G 9A) are tied for second with 17 points each. Spooner is riding a four-game point streak, while Poulin has missed her team’s last two games due to injury. Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle (9G 7A) has 16 points, powered lately by seven points in a five-game streak. Ottawa’s Kateřina Mrázová (6G 7A) and New York’s Ella Shelton (4G 9A) are tied with Coyne Schofield with 13 points each. Mrázová had her six-game streak snapped on Saturday but scored in the shootout. Shelton is the league’s top scoring defender. See all points leaders here.
FIRST SHUTOUT, SIXTH WIN FOR HENSLEY
Minnesota’s Nicole Hensley stopped all 20 shots she faced in Wednesday’s 4-0 win against Boston. The shutout was her first of the season; paired with two by Maddie Rooney, the team’s total of three earns a share of the league lead with Toronto. Hensley lowered her goals-against-average to 1.79, which ranks third behind Rooney’s mark of 1.72 and Montréal’s Elaine Chuli at 1.34. Her save percentage of .935 is tied with New York’s Corinne Schroeder for second behind Chuli’s .958. Hensley also raised her win total to six, which ranks second behind Toronto’s Kristen Campbell – who has 12 victories, including 11 straight. See goaltender stats here.
FIRST PWHL GOALS
Two players scored their first career PWHL goals this past week, bringing the league’s total to 87 different goal scorers. The latest to record milestone markers includes veteran Kristin O’Neill (MTL) and first-year pro Claire Butorac (MIN). O’Neill, a member of Canada’s National Women’s Team, scored her first on Sunday in Pittsburgh in her 17th game of the season. Butorac, who graduated from Minnesota State University in 2023, scored in her 15th game with the goal counting as the insurance marker in her team’s win on Saturday.
TORONTO AND MINNESOTA TIED FOR FIRST
The two teams with the longest active winning streaks are tied for first in the standings. Toronto (9-3-0-5) and Minnesota (8-3-3-4) both have 33 points, with Toronto holding the tiebreaker by virtue of points percentage in fewer games. Montréal (7-3-3-5) ranks in third place with 30 points in 18 games. The race for the fourth and final playoff spot currently favours Boston (4-4-2-7) with 22 points, narrowly ahead of Ottawa (5-0-6-6) in fifth place with 21 points. New York (2-4-3-8) sits in sixth place with 17 points. See the full standings here.
THE WEEK AHEAD
There are 20 games remaining in the regular-season and five games on the schedule before the league pauses for the World Championship break. Boston visits Toronto for the third time and Ottawa makes its first trip to play New York on Wednesday night at Total Mortgage Arena. The fourth installment of the league’s all-Ontario rivalry takes place on Saturday afternoon when Ottawa hosts Toronto, and Montréal makes its third and final trip to Minnesota on Sunday afternoon. On Monday night, New York hosts Boston at UBS Arena.
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
7:00 p.m. ET – Boston at Toronto (Mattamy Athletic Centre)
Linear TV: TSN3, NESN, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Streaming: Women’s Sports Network, YouTube
7:00 p.m. ET – Ottawa at New York (Total Mortgage Arena)
Linear TV: MSG/MSGHD
Streaming: TSN+, YouTube
Saturday, March 23, 2024
3:30 p.m. ET – Toronto at Ottawa (The Arena at TD Place)
Linear TV: TSN1/5
Streaming: YouTube
Sunday, March 24, 2024
4:00 p.m. ET – Montréal at Minnesota (Xcel Energy Center)
Linear TV: Bally Sports North, Sportsnet ONE
Streaming: Sportsnet+, YouTube
French: ICI TOU.TV
Monday, March 25, 2024
7:00 p.m. ET – Boston at New York (UBS Arena)
Linear TV: MSGSNHD/Z1-Z2, NESN+, Bally Sports North
Streaming: CBC Gem, YouTube
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