NEW YORK AND TORONTO – A closer look at on- and off-ice highlights from around the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) heading into the holiday break.
100TH PWHL GAME TO BE PLAYED DEC. 27
When the puck drops between Boston and Toronto on Friday night following the holiday break it will be the 100th game in PWHL history. The 99 games played thus far reflect 72 during the inaugural regular season, 13 in the playoffs, and 14 in the 2024-25 campaign. Total attendance through all 99 PWHL games is 569,367 – an average of 5,751 per game. This season’s attendance through 14 games is 85,837 – an average of 6,131 per game.
FROST STAY IN FIRST PLACE IN PWHL STANDINGS
The Minnesota Frost (3-1-1-0) sit alone atop the overall standings with 12 points. They extended their winning streak to four straight games with a 5-2 victory at home against the Ottawa Charge on Thursday, followed by a 4-3 shootout win on the road against the New York Sirens on Sunday in a battle for first place. The reigning PWHL champions, who are a perfect 3-for-3 all-time in shootouts, have scored a league-high 20 goals, and are the only team in the league without a regulation loss this season. Despite the loss to the Frost, the Sirens (2-1-1-1) stay in second place with nine points, having earned four points in two games last week, including a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Sceptres on Wednesday at Prudential Center in the team’s home opener. Click here to see PWHL standings.
MONTRÉAL AND BOSTON CARRY WIN STREAKS INTO THE BREAK
The Montréal Victoire (1-2-0-1) have won two straight games following a 4-3 overtime road victory on Saturday against the Sceptres. The win was Montréal’s first against Toronto in six all-time meetings and featured an OT goal by Laura Stacey along with a highlight-reel goal by Abby Boreen that made the SportsCenter Top-10. The Boston Fleet (2-0-0-2) also enter the holiday break with a two-game winning streak following a 3-2 victory at home against Ottawa last Tuesday. The second consecutive win matches the team’s longest regular-season win streak, which they achieved five times during the inaugural season. Ottawa (1-0-1-3) and Toronto (1-0-1-3) are on three and four-game losing streaks respectively. Click here to see PWHL scores and schedule.
LOVE AND SUPPORT FOR ERICA HOWE
The Sceptres, Victoire, and all fans in attendance on Saturday at Coca-Cola Coliseum showed that some things are bigger than the game. Toronto alumna Erica Howe, who retired from professional hockey in the offseason and was diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer, addressed the crowd and was embraced by members of both teams before a group photo on the ice. The Cancer Awareness Game raised more than $20,000 and over 500 ‘Howie’ toques were sold by the Mississauga Fire Department to support fundraising initiatives – surpassing the goal of $27,000 on Howe’s Hockey Fights Cancer assist page. The game also featured a bra toss where, together with PWHL partner Bravado Designs, $60,000 worth of bras have been donated to women in shelters across Toronto.
THOMPSON TIES SINGLE-GAME POINTS RECORD
Minnesota defender Claire Thompson became just the second player in PWHL history to record a four-point performance, with a goal and three assists in Thursday’s 5-2 win over Ottawa. The third overall pick in the 2024 draft equaled the performance by Montréal defender Erin Ambrose (4A) on April 18 in a 4-3 victory against Minnesota.
LEAGUE LEADERS
Thompson (1G, 6A) leads all defenders in scoring and is tied for the overall lead with New York forwards Alex Carpenter (4G, 3A) and Sarah Fillier (2G, 5A), each with seven points in five games. Thompson leads all players with six assists, Carpenter’s four goals are the most in the PWHL, and Fillier, the Sirens’ first overall pick in the 2024 draft, is the league’s top scoring rookie. Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield (3G, 3A) and the Frost’s 2023 first overall pick, Taylor Heise (1G, 5A), round out the top-5 with six points in five games. In goal, Montréal netminder Elaine Chuli (2-0-0) and Minnesota’s Maddie Rooney (3-0-0) remain undefeated and carry league-best goals-against-averages of 2.00. Boston’s Aerin Frankel leads the league with a .934 save percentage. Click here for player stats.
SCORING STREAKS
Carpenter has recorded a point in all five games for the Sirens and is one of three players to carry a season-opening point streak. Toronto defender Renata Fast (5A) has five points in five games for the Sceptres and Boston captain Hilary Knight (2G, 2A) has four points in the Fleet’s first four games. Heise (1G, 5A) holds the next longest active streak with six points recorded over four straight games. Carpenter was one of five players who recorded a six-game point streak during the inaugural season along with Ottawa’s Emily Clark and Kateřina Mrázová, and Toronto’s Natalie Spooner and Blayre Turnbull.
FIRST CAREER PWHL GOALS
Eight players recorded their first PWHL goals this past week, including Montréal rookie Lina Ljungblom, who became the first player from Sweden to score a goal in the PWHL. The 23-year-old from Skövde was the final pick in the inaugural draft. Five players selected in the 2024 draft also scored for the first time in the PWHL including Thompson, New York third rounder Noora Tulus and sixth rounder Emmy Fecteau, Ottawa sixth rounder Anna Meixner, and Boston sixth round pick Shay Maloney. Sirens veteran defender Micah Zandee-Hart scored her first goal in her 23rd career game and Charge veteran forward Shiann Darkangelo scored her first goal in her 28th game. So far this season, there have been 54 different goal scorers across the PWHL, including 13 rookies.
TRIO OF ROOKIE GOALTENDERS MAKE PWHL DEBUTS
All three goaltenders selected in the 2024 PWHL Draft got their first taste of professional action last week. Ottawa third round pick Gwyneth Philips stopped 35 shots on Thursday and, despite the 5-2 loss, set a PWHL record for most saves in a first career game. The 35 saves were matched on Saturday by Toronto seventh rounder Raygan Kirk in a 4-3 overtime loss to Montréal. Kirk made her debut in Toronto’s previous game, on Wednesday in New York, where she stopped all nine shots against in third period relief. Sirens fifth rounder Kayle Osborne also made her debut in relief, entering Sunday’s game in the second period and proceeded to stop 18 of 19 shots in a 4-3 shootout loss to Minnesota.
FROST VISIT MINNESOTA GOVERNOR
The Frost were honored to visit Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s residence with the Walter Cup to celebrate the inaugural season’s championship. Governor Walz made a special proclamation declaring Wednesday, December 18, 2024 as ‘Minnesota Frost Day’ in recognition of the team and their impact across the State of Hockey. Click here to watch highlights.
BEST FASHION STATEMENT
The PWHL received a Sports Business Journal Year-End Award for Best Fashion Statement for PWHL and Molson’s “See My Name” campaign. The key initiative occurred on International Women’s Day for a game between Toronto and Montréal that featured the players’ nameplates on their jerseys below the numbers to ensure they wouldn’t be covered up by players’ long hair. Molson placed its own logo above the numbers, where it would be partially obstructed by players’ hair. Click here to read more from SBJ.
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE
The PWHL schedule resumes with three games after Christmas, beginning Friday night when Toronto hosts Boston at 7:00 p.m. ET at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Up next, Minnesota hosts Montréal on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. ET at Xcel Energy Center, followed by New York hosting Ottawa at Prudential Center on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. ET. All three games are part of the PWHL’s Unity Game calendar, recognizing Community Heroes in Toronto and Minnesota and Mental Health Awareness in New York.
Friday, December 27, 2024
7:00 p.m. ET – Boston Fleet at Toronto Sceptres (Coca-Cola Coliseum)
TSN 3, NESN+
Saturday, December 28, 2024
2:00 p.m. ET – Montréal Victoire at Minnesota Frost (Xcel Energy Center)
FanDuel Sports Network North, CBC, ICI TÉLÉ and ICI TOU.TV
Sunday, December 29, 2024
1:00 p.m. ET – Ottawa Charge at New York Sirens (Prudential Center)
MSG/MSGHD, TSN 2