Training camps are underway and the puck will drop soon on the inaugural Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) season.
The PWHL was founded on Aug. 29, 2023 after the new league bought out the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) in July 2023. It runs under the sole ownership of the Mark Walter Group and does not have a commissioner. The PWHL advisory board is made up of Billie Jean King, Stan Kasten, Ilana Kloss and Royce Cohen.
After agreeing with the newly formed Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) to begin play in 2024, the six-team league got down to business quickly with the first free agents signed Sept. 5 and the 2023 draft of 90 players over 15 rounds conducted Sept. 18.
“We literally were starting from a blank sheet of paper and so much has happened that it feels like it’s been 10 years, when it’s only been three months,” Kasten said on a conference call with reporters in early November, the day before camps opened.
Kasten admitted that there’s still plenty of work to be done before opening night and areas of trial and error are to be expected even once the season begins.
“To speed things up, that obviously cost us having everything being perfect on Day 1, so we had to make concessions, especially the long-lead items,” Kasten said.
Translation: the PWHL is still figuring some things out and will be rolling out further information as it becomes available.
That said, let’s examine what you need to know about the PWHL in 2024.
(NOTE: This page will be updated as pertinent information is revealed)
What are the Original Six PWHL franchises?
Of the Original Six PWHL franchises, three are in the United States (Boston, New York, Minnesota) and three in Canada (Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto). Team names have not been officially announced yet.
When does the 2024 season begin and how many games will each team play?
The 2024 inaugural PWHL season will begin January 1, 2024 when Toronto hosts New York on New Year’s Day at 12:30 p.m. ET.
The five other home openers were announced Nov. 28 and are as follows: Ottawa will host Montreal on Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. ET; Boston hosts Minnesota on Jan. 3 at 7 p.m. ET; New York hosts a rematch with Toronto on Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. ET; Minnesota hosts Montreal on Jan. 6 at 3:30 p.m. ET; Montreal hosts its home opener on Jan 13 against Boston at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Each team will play 24 regular-season games. The 72-game PWHL schedule concludes May 5, 2024. There’s a break in the schedule between March 25-April 18 for the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championship to be played in Utica, New York from April 4-14.
The PWHL playoffs begin the week of May 6.
Ensuing seasons will consist of more regular-season games and begin in November.
How many players are on each PWHL roster?
Each PWHL team can have 23 players on its roster and two reserve players, bringing the player pool to 25 per team. The deadline to submit the 23-player roster is Dec. 11.
Who are some of the biggest stars signed to play in the PWHL?
Some of the most recognizable names in the sport already have signed to play in the PWHL this season. Among them are: Hilary Knight and Alina Muller (Boston); Kendall Coyne Schofield and Lee Stecklein (Minnesota); Marie-Philip Poulin and Ann-Renee Desbiens (Montreal); Alex Carpenter and Abby Roque (New York); Brianne Jenner and Emerance Maschmeyer (Ottawa); Renata Fast and Sarah Nurse (Toronto).
How much do PWHL players get paid?
The minimum salary in the PWHL is $35,000 and no more than nine players can be paid the minimum on each team. Six players on each team must be paid a minimum of $80,000 per season. Reserve players will make no less than $15,000 per season.
There’s a monthly housing stipend, as well as bonuses in place for players who win league awards, are selected to play in the PWHL All-Star Game, reach the playoffs with their team and/or win the league championship.
Each team must have an average salary of $55,000 during the season.
Minimum salaries will go up by three percent each season of the PWHL collective bargaining agreement, which runs through the 2030-31 season.
What do uniforms look like for each PWHL team?
The PWHL released uniforms for its inaugural season in mid-November.
Will PWHL games be televised and/or streamed?
Kasten said that all games will be streamed and that television deals in the United States and Canada are being finalized.
What do we know about the six-week training camp for PWHL teams?
For the inaugural season, training camps will be six weeks, but in subsequent seasons camps will be 2-3 weeks in length.
“It’s six weeks this year and that was at request of our players,” Kasten said. “They wanted to be in their markets that much ahead of time so that they could start spreading the word, start promoting, start building their team camaraderie. My hat’s off to them because they really come into this with a spectacular attitude, one of real cooperation.”
Each team is allowed to bring between 28-35 players to training camp.
When and where is the PWHL preseason evaluation camp and fan fest?
The six PWHL teams will take part in a preseason evaluation camp from Dec. 3-7 at the Utica University Nexus Center in Utica, New York. Over the five days, there will be practices, scrimmages and information sessions for the teams.
“It’s a really unique opportunity. Not too many leagues have a chance to bring every team into one market,” PWHL vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford said. “Really important that our GMs and coaches get to evaluate players in games … to eventually complete their evaluations and complete their rosters.”
A Fan Fest, featuring giveaways, meet and greets with players, autograph sessions and a scrimmage between New York and Ottawa, will take place Tuesday, Dec. 5 beginning at 6:30 PM (ET).
Fans interested in attending must fill out an online form before the event.
Are PWHL players taking part in NHL All-Star Weekend?
Yes, they are. The PWHL 3-on-3 Showcase will take place at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Feb. 1 as part of the new NHL All-Star Thursday. Top PWHL players will be selected to participate in the 3-on-3 contest to help showcase the new league and further illuminate the collaborative relationship between the PWHL and NHL.
Will there be outdoor games, special events and/or PWHL games played in NHL arenas?
Kasten said that there will be special events taking place throughout this season, including a PWHL All-Star Game, but did not provide details. He did say that part of the reason why the 2024 schedule has yet to be released is because the league is firming up plans for neutral site games. There wasn’t confirmation about an outdoor game, similar to the Winter Classic in the NHL.
There will be games played in NHL arenas this season. Minnesota will play its home games at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, home of the Minnesota Wild; and New York will play split its home games at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, home of the New York Islanders, and Total Mortgage Arena, home of the American Hockey League’s Bridgeport Islanders, in Bridgeport, Conn.