PWHL Continues Momentum with Three New Primary Venues, Brand-New Jerseys, Additional Corporate Partners, and Takeover Tour with Nine Neutral-Site Games
League of 159 players to Showcase 22 International Players Along with 48 Rookies Set to Make Their Debut
NEW YORK and TORONTO (November 29, 2024) – After a record-breaking inaugural season, the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is set to drop the puck for Season Two Tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 30 with exciting new developments and continued momentum.
The league will see all six teams debut brand-new jerseys and team identities, play at three new primary venues, and launch the PWHL Takeover Tour featuring nine neutral-site games. Additionally, with new corporate partners, the PWHL is expanding its reach both on and off the ice, along with continuing to offer fans everywhere a way to watch.
Overall, the PWHL’s 2024-25 season will feature 90 total games, with six teams playing 30 regular-season games each, marking a new era for women’s professional hockey. The full schedule can be found HERE.
PWHL 2024-25 Opening Weekend & Live Games:
The 2024-25 season puck drops Tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 30 with an action-packed opening weekend. The Toronto Sceptres will host the Boston Fleet at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto at 2:00 p.m. ET while the Ottawa Charge takes on the Montréal Victoire at 5:00 p.m. ET at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec. To close out the weekend, the New York Sirens will head to St. Paul, Minnesota to face the reigning champion Minnesota Frost, who will raise a banner to commemorate their inaugural Walter Cup title at Xcel Energy Center at 6:00 p.m. ET. All broadcast details can be found HERE.
PWHL Features Top Players Around the World:
Opening weekend rosters list 159 players representing nine different countries including Canada (75), the United States (62), Czechia (9), Sweden (5), Finland (3), Austria (2), France (1), Germany (1), and Switzerland (1). The 22 international players, up from 14 in the inaugural season, continues to elevate the league’s global presence. Additionally, the league will feature a fresh wave of talent with 48 new players including 34 who are turning pro from collegiate programs led by No. 1 draft pick Sarah Fillier of the New York Sirens.
Rule Innovations and Key Dates:
Earlier this month, new and updated rules and key dates were unveiled. The PWHL became the first professional hockey league to implement a major penalty and game misconduct as a default penalty for all illegal checks to the head that occur during play. Additionally, the new No Escape rule requires players on a team that take a penalty, which leads to penalty time on the clock, to remain on the ice until after the face-off that resumes action.
Leaguewide New Uniforms, Team Identities, and Season Two Campaign:
Earlier this month, the PWHL also unveiled its highly anticipated uniform designs for the six teams in partnership with Bauer, and this season, for the first time ever, fans will see these new jerseys and each team’s fresh identities in action in a landmark moment for the league.
The league also introduced its brand campaign “Here’s to the Bold” for Season Two, featuring a host of league veterans and rising stars. The campaign aims to elevate the players, showcasing their presence, impact and star power.
PWHL Takeover Tour and New Venues:
As the PWHL continues to expand its footprint, the league launched the PWHL Takeover Tour™—a series of nine neutral-site regular-season games across North America, with stops in Buffalo, Denver, Detroit, Edmonton, Québec City, Raleigh, St. Louis, Seattle, and Vancouver. This initiative will see all six teams participating, bringing the league’s world-class talent to new markets and further solidifying its place in the professional sports landscape.
Along with the Takeover Tour, this season three teams are moving to new primary venues, further elevating the fan experience. The New York Sirens will now call Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, their home rink. The Montréal Victoire will take the ice at Place Bell in Laval, Québec, while the Toronto Sceptres will play at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto after both teams sold-out all their home playoff games at the venues.
PWHL Media House and Jocks in Jills:
With the goal of amplifying women’s hockey stories, the PWHL launched PWHL Media House –– a new media venture designed to expand the conversation around the sport and highlight women’s hockey players of all generations like never before. As part of this initiative, the league has acquired the Jocks in Jills podcast and brought co-hosts Tessa Bonhomme and Julia Tocheri in-house to play an integral role in the growth of the new media venture.
Corporate Partnerships Expand:
The PWHL continues to add corporate partners to its list of nearly 50 corporate partners across league and teams. Earlier this month, the league announced a multi-year partnership with Electronic Arts Inc., which will bring the players and teams into EA SPORTS™ NHL® 25. Earlier this week, the league announced Intact Insurance as its fifth Founding Partner.
Redesigned Website Presence including PWHL Shop:
The PWHL revamped its digital presence with the introduction of a redesigned website at thepwhl.com that features new team websites for fans to stay updated with the latest content. A redesigned shop.thepwhl.com provides fans an improved experience to shop for league and team gear.
“This is a significant moment for the league,” said Amy Scheer, PWHL Senior Vice President of Business Operations. “Season Two opens an exciting new chapter for the PWHL as we build on the success of our inaugural year. With new jerseys hitting the ice, three new primary venues in play, the launch of our Takeover Tour across North America, and more broadcast partners, the league is expanding its reach and delivering more opportunities for fans to connect with our incredible players and the game we love.”
“We spent the offseason focused on making enhancements that further highlight the unparalleled skill and speed of our athletes,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations. “With innovative rules, an increase in international talent, and expanded venues, Season Two marks an extraordinary step forward for the PWHL. We’re eager for even more fans to experience the competitiveness, passion, and energy that define this league.”
About the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL)
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprised of six teams in Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa, and Toronto, each with rosters featuring the best women’s hockey players in the world. Launched on Jan. 1, 2024, the PWHL has broken multiple attendance records and holds the worldwide all-time record for a women’s hockey game. In 2024, the PWHL was recognized by Sports Business Journal as the Sports Breakthrough of the Year and received the top position in the first-ever Canadian edition of the Harris Poll, which ranks companies’ reputations. 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.
PWHL, the PWHL Logo, and PWHL team names and logos are trademarks of the PWHL. © PWHL 2024. All Rights Reserved.