While the six teams in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) may not have names, they are changing the face of professional women’s hockey around the world.
Since 2007 three different leagues have tried to create a professional league for women to play in after college and in between Olympic years. First was the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) which operated as essentially a high-level adult league. Players had to pay to play and the only thing that separated the league from traditional adult hockey was the Olympic players on the ice. The league expanded and was eventually able to start paying players a small salary, but during this period a new league had begun. This league was called the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) and was founded with enough funding to pay players. Players started to leave the CWHL for this new league which hoped to become part of the NHL. In 2018 two large donors pulled funding from the CWHL and the league folded in 2019. In 2021 the NWHL changed its name to the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) but was still hoping to join the NHL. These hopes never came to fruition and players started to break away from the league to play exhibition games for the Professional Women’s Hockey Player Association. Without salaries they could live on or health insurance the PHF was losing players faster than they could recruit more. The league had reached a breaking point and in June 2023 a meeting was called where it was announced the PHF was over. Replacing the PHF was a new league called the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
Watching the tumult of women’s professional hockey, Dodgers co-owner Kimbra and Mark Walter decided to take action. The two bought and then dissolved the PHF and built the framework for a new league. The biggest difference with the new league is it is built to last. They are no longer waiting for help from the NHL, instead the league is made to stand on its own.
On Sept. 18, 2023, the first player was drafted into the league and since then the six teams have continued to make history. Numerous notable players are now competing in the league. USA Olympic team captain Hilary Knight plays for Boston while Canadian Olympic team captain Marie Philip-Poulin plays for Team Montreal. While Americans and Canadians make up the majority of players, countries such as Japan and the Czech Republic are also represented. These big name players are drawing more and more fans to games. The first ever PWHL game was played on Jan. 1 in front of a crowd of more than 2,500 in the Toronto Maple Leafs old arena. Since the very first puck drop by Billie Jean King the league has taken off, gaining attention from female and male hockey players everywhere.
In another historic moment, 12 of the best PWHL players participated in a 3 on 3 showcase as part of the NHL All-Star weekend. While women have competed in some of the events in the past, this was the first time there was an event solely dedicated to women. As the league continues to increase attendance every week, young girls are finally able to dream of getting to play in a league just for them.
