In January 2023, the inaugural season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) began with its first official game, marking the arrival of a new chapter in women’s sports.
According to the PWHL’s website, they market themselves as a “first-of-its-kind women’s hockey league” aiming to “bring together the best players in the world.”
The PWHL is owned by Mark Walter, who is a part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also has ownership stakes in the Los Angeles Lakers and Premier League’s Chelsea Football Club.
“Mark Walter is one of the most prominent sport owners in the world,” said PWHL hockey operations senior vice-president Jayna Hefford. “He knows professionalism, he knows excellence. He comes with the capital that’s required, which is a big thing.”
The league currently has six teams located in Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa, and Toronto. Potential nicknames for the franchises were registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in October 2023, those being Boston Wicked, Minnesota Superior, Montreal Echo, New York Sound, Ottawa Alert, and Toronto Torch. Fans criticized these names for lacking a clear connection to the area the franchises were based in, something that the men’s professional league, the National Hockey League, has with their teams. Due to time constraints, the PWHL decided that the teams would sport generic jerseys with the team’s location on them, with each team wearing a different color. Fans praised the color choices but were disappointed by the “generic” look of the jerseys.
There have been many iterations of women’s hockey leagues in the past, including the Canadian-based National Women’s Hockey League, which eventually became the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, and the U.S.-based NWHL which became the Premier Hockey Federation. Of all its predecessors, the PWHL is estimated to have the best chance at success.
“We have never seen more excitement and demand for women’s sports, and through the launch of this league, the top women’s players in the world will have the opportunity to reach even greater heights,” Hefford said.
PWHL games are aired nationally on TSN, Sportsnet, and CBC in Canada. They can also be streamed via the league’s official YouTube channel.
