Top two teams launch a new week on the heels of the one million fans milestone
NEW YORK AND TORONTO (March 18, 2025) – A closer look at highlights on and off the ice from around the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) with just 20 games remaining in the schedule.
MONTRÉAL MEETS BOSTON IN BATTLE OF TOP TWO TEAMS
It’s a battle between the league’s top two teams as Montréal (10-6-2-5) visits Boston (8-5-4-6) tonight to launch this week’s schedule. The Victoire sit atop the PWHL standings with 44 points – six ahead of the Fleet’s 38 points – following Boston’s team-record eight-game point streak. Eight of the 11 all-time meetings between the teams, including playoffs, has extended beyond regulation, with Montréal winning the last two in overtime. Tonight marks the Victoire’s first and only regular-season meeting at the Tsongas Center following Boston home games in Seattle and at Agganis Arena. Click here for full PWHL schedule and scores.
PWHL PLAYOFF PICTURE
Montréal can become the first team to clinch a playoff berth this week in two different scenarios. Firstly, two regulation wins against Boston and Toronto would bring the Victoire’s total to 50 points which would exceed New York’s maximum potential of 48 points and tie Minnesota’s maximum potential of 50. In that scenario, the Victoire would advance over the Frost by virtue of having more total wins in the league’s tiebreaking procedure (more total wins follows most regulation wins and most overtime wins in a tiebreaking scenario). Montréal’s alternative path to clinching this week is by capturing five points in two wins against the Fleet and Sceptres to bring their total to 49 points, combined with an Ottawa loss to New York in regulation on Saturday. In that scenario, the Charge’s maximum point potential would reduce to 48. Click here for full PWHL standings.
ONE MILLION FANS AND U.S. ATTENDANCE RECORD
The PWHL reached a historic milestone on Sunday night, surpassing one million fans in attendance since the league’s official launch on Jan. 1, 2024. The PWHL achieved the one millionth fan with a crowd of 14,288 during the Takeover Tour™ Detroit Presented by Ally at Little Caesars Arena. The game, won by New York 4-1 over Minnesota, also set a new U.S. attendance record for professional women’s hockey. To date, the PWHL’s total league attendance currently stands at 1,001,648 – a figure that includes last season’s total attendance mark of 483,530 (72 regular-season games and 13 playoff games) and 518,118 through the league’s first 70 games this season.
PWHL COMPLETES TRADE DEADLINE AND ROSTER FREEZE
The PWHL trade deadline passed on Thursday, followed by the roster freeze on Friday. Prior to the deadline, the sixth trade in league history and third deal of the season was completed between Montréal and Toronto with the Victoire acquiring forward Kaitlin Willoughby from the Sceptres in exchange for defender Anna Kjellbin. Ahead of the roster freeze, Ottawa signed goaltender Lucy Morgan from Minnesota’s Reserve Player list, New York signed defender Lauren Bernard from Toronto’s Reserve Player list, and the Sirens signed free agent Alexie Guay to the team’s Reserve Player list.
RECORD GOAL STREAK FOR FILLIER
New York rookie Sarah Fillier became the first player in PWHL history to score goals in five straight games when she tallied her tenth goal of the season on Sunday in Detroit. Her streak surpasses Montréal’s Laura Stacey who scored in four straight games this season, and both Jessie Eldridge (NY) and Brianne Jenner (OTT) who compiled four-game goal scoring streaks during the inaugural campaign. Fillier, who leads the league in scoring with 25 points (10G, 15A) in 23 games, has points in six straight contests for the second time this season and is one game shy of teammate Alex Carpenter who holds the record for longest point streak at seven games.
MILESTONE FOR MASCHMEYER
Ottawa’s Emerance Maschmeyer became the first goaltender in PWHL history to surpass 1,000 career saves (1,001) in regular-season action last Tuesday. Her 19 saves in the 3-2 win over Minnesota brought her season total to 453 in 18 appearances, combined with a league-high 548 saves in 23 games during the inaugural season. Earlier this season, Boston’s Aerin Frankel was the first to surpass 1,000 career saves with her 286 playoff stops included. Frankel’s regular season total currently stands at 975, followed by New York’s Corinne Schroeder (903), Montréal’s Ann-Renée Desbiens (888) and Toronto’s Kristen Campbell (876).
PWHL SURPASSES INAUGURAL SEASON SCORING
Last Wednesday night, the PWHL surpassed its inaugural season goal total with an overtime tally by New York’s Maja Nylén Persson in a 3-2 victory over Montréal. The goal was the 349th of the 2024-25 season (including nine goals attributed to shootout results) in the 68th game of the season. Results last season generated a total of 348 goals scored across 72 games – an average of 4.83 goals-per-game. Counting weekend results, this season has featured 361 goals in 70 games – an average of 5.16 per game. For more about PWHL scoring, check out an article by theScore’s Nick Faris titled ‘How the PWHL juiced scoring and excitement in Year 2’.
SERDACHNY AND DANIEL JOIN NHL NOW
A pair of PWHL rookies were recent guests on the NHL Network’s NHL Now program taking part in special ‘Players Only’ interviews. Ottawa’s Danielle Serdachny joined Brian Boyle and Kevin Weekes on Thursday to discuss her first season with the Charge and winning gold with Canada at the 2024 Women’s Worlds. Click here to watch. Then on Monday, Toronto’s Izzy Daniel joined Boyle and Jason Demers to discuss the transition from Cornell to the PWHL and when she decided she wanted to play college hockey. Click here to watch.
WOMEN’S FROZEN FOUR FIELD IS SET
The 2025 National Collegiate Women’s Ice Hockey championship will be decided this weekend during the Women’s Frozen Four at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis. The field features the top four ranked teams who will compete in Friday’s semifinals including Wisconsin (1) against Minnesota (4) and Ohio State (2) against Cornell (3). The winners will meet in Sunday’s championship. There are 45 current PWHL players who graduated from the four competing programs led by the Buckeyes (15), followed by the Badgers (14), Gophers (10) and Big Red (6). A total of 33 current PWHL players have won an NCAA National Championship, including seven players from the 2024 Buckeyes. Click here for more.
PATTY KAZMAIER MEMORIAL AWARD TOP THREE FINALISTS
The top three finalists for the 2025 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award were announced last Wednesday by the USA Hockey Foundation and include a trio from the University of Wisconsin: Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey and Casey O’Brien. This marks the second time that all three finalists hail from the same school (2013, University of Minnesota). The winner will be announced on Saturday at the Women’s Frozen Four. Each of the last 11 award recipients are current PWHL players, including Izzy Daniel (Toronto/Cornell), Sophie Jaques (Minnesota/Ohio State), Taylor Heise (Minnesota/Minnesota), Aerin Frankel (Boston/Northeastern), Élizabeth Giguère (New York/Clarkson), Loren Gabel (Boston/Clarkson), Daryl Watts (Toronto/Boston College), Ann-Renée Desbiens (Montréal/Wisconsin), Kendall Coyne Schofield (Minnesota/Northeastern), Alex Carpenter (New York/Boston College) and Jamie Lee Rattray (Boston/Clarkson). Click here for more.
U SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP SET
U SPORTS announced the seeding on Sunday for the 2025 championship, which runs from Thursday to Sunday at the Woolwich Memorial Centre in Elmira, ON. The complete field, in seeding order, is as follows: Alberta Pandas (1), Toronto Varsity Blues (2), Bishop’s Gaiters (3), STFX X-Women (4), Concordia Stingers (5), UBC Thunderbirds (6), UNB (7), Waterloo Warriors (8). The PWHL has seven current players with U SPORTS experience, including New York rookie Emmy Fecteau who won two national championships with Concordia in 2022 and 2024. Click here for more.
FRÖLUNDA CROWNED SDHL CHAMPIONS
Frölunda HC captured their first SDHL title following a 3-2 victory over Luleå Hockey on Sunday to complete the three-game series sweep. The final game was played before a crowd of 8,442 fans – the largest ever for a women’s hockey game in Sweden. Sydney Brodt, who played for PWHL Minnesota last season, had nine points in 11 playoff games for the champions. The result ends Luleå’s run of six straight titles – a streak helped in part by current PWHL players Kjellbin (TOR), Daniela Pejšová (BOS), Ronja Savolainen (OTT) and Noora Tulus (NY) who competed for the SDHL club prior to their selection in the 2024 PWHL Draft.
LEAGUE LEADERS
Seven players have hit the 20-point plateau so far this season, up from six during the inaugural season. Fillier leads the way with 25 points (10G, 15A), followed by Boston captain Hilary Knight with 24 points (12G, 12A) and Toronto’s Hannah Miller with 23 points (10G, 13A). Coyne Schofield (10G, 11A) and Watts (6G, 15A) are tied with 21 points each, and Eldridge (8G, 12A) and Sceptres defender Renata Fast (5G, 15A) are tied with 20 points each. Montréal captain Marie-Philip Poulin leads the league with 14 goals. In goal, Desbiens leads the league in wins (13), goals-against-average (1.79) and save percentage (.933) following a streak of 14 straight games allowing two or fewer goals against. Click to see PWHL stats.
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE
Four games are on this week’s schedule, beginning tonight with Montréal and Boston at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell. On Wednesday night, Toronto hosts New York for their Indigenous Heritage Unity Game at Coca-Cola Coliseum at 7 p.m. ET. The weekend features a pair of noon eastern puck drops, including the Sirens and Charge at Prudential Center on Saturday, and the Victoire and Sceptres at Place Bell on Sunday.
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
7 p.m. ET – Montréal Victoire at Boston Fleet (The Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell)
NESN, Prime Video (Canada)
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
7 p.m. ET – New York Sirens at Toronto Sceptres (Coca-Cola Coliseum)
MSGSNHD/Z1/Z2, TSN 4/5
Saturday, March 22, 2025
12 p.m. ET – Ottawa Charge at New York Sirens (Prudential Center)
MSGSNHD/Z1, CBC Gem
Sunday, March 23, 2025
12 p.m. ET – Toronto Sceptres at Montréal Victoire (Place Bell)
TSN 4, RDS
All PWHL games will be streamed on the league’s YouTube Channel and at thepwhl.com, and are available to watch worldwide outside of Canada, and in Czechia and Slovakia where games are available via Nova Sport.