HeyStamford.com Photo

 

By Scott Lowe - MYHockeyRankings.com

There was an excitement surrounding last week’s Professional Women’s Hockey League Preseason Evaluation Camp that was palpable. After months of planning and buildup, the camp was going to provide fans and media with a sense of the product the league would be putting on ice in January while also allowing coaches and general managers to steal a first glimpse of the teams they had assembled in real, competitive situations.

The camp also was intended to provide an opportunity for the league to test its game presentation in front of a live audience while also experimenting with some potential deviations from the National Hockey League rulebook the PWHL will be using as the basis for its first-year game rules.

The six founding teams, which had spent the previous three weeks evaluating players they had drafted, signed and might be signing in their training camps, were required to reduce their rosters to 27 players prior to the Dec. 3-7 event in Utica, N.Y. The three camp scrimmages for each team would allow coaches and GMs to make their final player evaluations and cut down to the league’s required 23 players prior to the Dec. 11 final-roster deadline.

Coaches and GMs also were able to watch players on other teams’ 27-player rosters who might be cut and made available during the PWHL’s Dec. 8-10 waiver period. That would allow clubs to add players its staff had seen in person to fill any holes that might have been exposed during the camp scrimmages. 

“Following three weeks of training camps in each of our individual markets, there is a lot of excitement for a centralized event where our teams can compete against each other before the regular season opens on Jan. 1,” Jayna Hefford, PWHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations, said prior to the camp. “Just as our teams will use the scrimmages to evaluate their rosters, the league will use this platform to experiment with various rule adaptations and in-game scenarios that may be considered for our season.”

After a whirlwind four-plus months that included a June announcement about plans for the new North American women’s professional hockey league, selection of host cities for the 2024 season, hiring of coaches and general managers, free-agent player signings, unveiling of a logo, the first player draft, introduction of team uniforms, a ticket-deposit drive, adoption of a modified NHL rulebook and an announcement that the officiating pool would be comprised of American Hockey League officials working in conjunction with top USA Hockey and Hockey Canada officials, activity actually ramped up even more in the days leading up to the evaluation camp.

Following the announcement that league’s teams would be gathering in Utica, the PWHL proceeded to inform us that its first season would open on Jan. 1 and also release the home venues for each team and the complete 72-game regular-season schedule. The camp actually provided league officials with an opportunity to take a deep breath, reflect and observe everything they had built in such a short period of time.

In a sense, it was the calm before the final storm.

There wasn’t much of a break, however as the storm clouds rolled in almost immediately following the camp’s conclusion with teams scramblinlg to sign players who had been released to fill their rosters in time for the Dec. 11 final deadline.

According to the league’s waiver rules, any players who were released from one team would be permitted to sign with another club. Any skater who declined a Standard Player Agreement during training camp would not be eligible to be claimed by another team off waivers. And any player who was drafted and chose not sign with a team or did not get claimed off waivers would return to her original team's protected list.

Early reports indicated that there was more player movement than expected, with some drafted players being released and signing with other teams. Final rosters must include 23 players signed to Standard Player Agreements, plus two who are on Reserve Player Contracts.

Ian Kennedy of The Hockey News reported that as many as 12 nations might be represented on PWHL rosters, with the majority of the players, of course, hailing from the United States and Canada

A collective-bargaining agreement that was ratified by the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) stipulates that player annual salaries will range from $35,000 to $80,000. Most contracts will be one or two years in duration, but each franchise is required to sign six players for three years at a salary of $80,000 per year. As of Monday, all 36 of those three-year deals had been awarded and signed.

Final rosters will be released this week, so in the meantime here is a recap of the scrimmages from the Utica camp.

  

Utica Camp Carousel

All nine scrimmages featured lineups of 18 skaters and two goaltenders. Three 20-minute periods were played followed by five-minute 3-on-3 overtime period and a five-player shootout regardless of the score through the end of regulation.

During each day of scrimmages, different rules were enforced for teams killing penalties. For the Dec. 4 games, all minor penalties were served for the full two minutes, even if a power play goal was scored. On Dec. 5, traditional penalty-killing rules were utilized, and on Dec. 5 teams killing penalties were not permitted to ice the puck. Any icing resulted in a defensive-zone faceoff with no change of personnel permitted.

In addition, the PWHL also experimented with teams having to make “long” line changes during the first and third periods instead of only during the middle frame.

The impact of the rule adaptations will be reviewed by league personnel prior to the final release of finalized playing rules to determine if any will be implemented for the 2024 season.

 

December 4 Games

Toronto 5, Boston 2 – Boston wins OT & Shootout

Blayre Turnbull scored the game's first three goals as Toronto beat Boston, 5-3, to open the PWHL preseason exhibition scrimmages

Sarah Nurse and Maggie Connors also scored for Toronto, while Kristen Campbell stopped 33 shots to earn the win in goal.

Sophie Shirley scored in regulation for Boston, while Jessica Digirolamo tallied in overtime. Boston then won a five-round shootout, 3-2.

Three Stars: Blayre Turnbull (TOR), Kristen Campbell (TOR), Sophia Shirley (BOS)

 

Minnesota 9, Ottawa 4 – Minnesota wins OT & Shootout

Minnesota defeated Ottawa, 7-4, in regulation time and also won the overtime session and shootout.

Eight-different Minnesota players scored non-shootout goals, with Sophia Kunin, Maggie Flaherty, Abby Boreen and Susanna Tapani recording multiple points.

Natalie Snodgrass, Mikyla Grant-Mentis, Kristin Della Rovere and Jincy Roese scored for Ottawa.

Maggie Flaherty tallied at 3:02 of overtime for Minnesota. Nicole Hensley and Amanda Leveille split time in goal and combined to make 24 saves for Minnesota.

Three Stars: Susanna Tapani (OTT), Kelly Pannek (OTT), Jincy Roese (MIN)

 

New York 4, Montreal 1 – New York wins OT & Shootout

In the final game of Day 1, New York defeated Montreal, 3-0, in regulation time and won the overtime session on Jessie Eldridge's goal 28 seconds into the extra frame.

Eldridge concluded the evening with two goals and an assist, with Emma Woods and Alex Carpenter also adding single goals and Elizabeth Giguere dishing out a pair of assists. Abigail Levy earned the win in goal with 24 saves.

Three Stars: Abigail Levy (NY), Jessie Eldridge (NY), Elizabeth Giguere (NY)

 

December 5 Games

Minnesota 5, Toronto 5 – Toronto wins Shootout

PWHL No. 1 overall draft pick Taylor Heise scored twice as Minnesota defeated Toronto on Day 2 of the league’s preseason scrimmages in Utica.

The final score was listed at 5-5, but Minnesota finished regulation ahead by a 5-4 margin before Toronto won a shootout.

Grace Zumwinkle, Lee Stecklein, and Denisa Krizova had the other goals for Minnesota. Rebecca Leslie had the first two goals of the game, while Victoria Bach and Jocelyne Lacrocque also tallied for Toronto.

Emma Maltais and Jess Jones scored for Toronto in the shootout, while all five Minnesota shooters failed to score.

Erica Howe made 29 saves for Toronto. Lauren Bench and Maddie Rooney combined to stop 43 shots for Minnesota, with Rooney picking up the win.

Three Stars: Taylor Heise (MIN), Lee Stecklein (MIN), Rebecca Leslie (TOR)

 

Montreal 3, Boston 2 – Boston wins Shootout

Montreal led, 3-1, after regulation on goals from Ann-Sophie Bettez, Dominika Laskova and Jillian Dempsey.

Megan Keller scored in regulation for Boston, which outscored Montreal, 3-1, in the shootout. Ann-Renee Desbiens turned aside 25 of the 26 shots she faced to earn the victory in net for Montreal. Emma Soderberg made 36 saves for Boston. 

 

New York 2, Ottawa 1 – New York Wins Shootout

New York defeated Ottawa, 2-1, after a five-round shootout.

The teams were tied 1-1 through regulation, with Lexie Adzija scoring for Ottawa and Alex Carpenter notching New York’s goal. New York’s Corinne Schroeder finished the game with 40 saves, while Emerance Maschmeyer stopped 23 shots for Ottawa.

Elizabeh Giguere and Chloe Aurand netted shootout goals for the victors. 

Three Stars: Corinne Schroeder (NY), Emerance Maschmeyer (OTT), Lexie Adzija (OTT)

  

December 7 Games

New York 7, Toronto 4 – New York wins OT & Shootout

Emma Woods had a hat trick as New York beat Toronto on the final day of PWHL preseason scrimmages.

New York finished regulation ahead, 5-4, in a preview of the league's upcoming Jan. 1 regular-season opener and added goals in overtime and a shootout. Jesse Eldridge scored the game-winner with six seconds remaining in regulation, while Savannah Norcross also scored for New York.

Renata Fast scored twice for Toronto, with Maggie Connors and Rebecca Leslie adding first-period goals.

Jaime Bourbonnais scored in overtime for New York, which went on to win an eight-round shootout, 2-1.

Lindsey Post made 37 saves for New York, and Kristen Campbell stopped 18 shots for Toronto.

Three Stars: Emma Woods (NY), Renata Fast (TOR), Jessie Eldridge (NY)

 

Minnesota 4, Montreal 3

Kelly Pannek scored twice as Minnesota edged Montreal 4-3, with Abby Boreen and Liz Schepers also scoring for Minnesota.

Team Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin had a goal and an assist for Montreal, while Brigitte Laganière and Tereza Vanisova also scored.

Minnesota’s Amanda Leveille made 33 saves to earn the win over Marlene Boissonnault, who stopped 31 shots.

This game concluded after regulation play with no overtime or shootout.

Three Stars: Lee Stecklein (MIN), Marie-Philip Poulin (MON), Sophia Kunin (MIN)

 

Boston 3, Ottawa 2 – Ottawa wins Shootout

Loren Gabel had a goal and an assist as Boston defeated Ottawa 3-1. Hannah Brandt also scored for Boston, while Savannah Harmon had Ottawa's goal.

The teams played a scoreless overtime, and Ottawa won the ensuing shootout 2-1.

Boston’s Aerin Frankel earned the win in goal with 31 saves to outduel Rachel McQuigge (25 saves).

Three Stars: Loren Gabel (BOS), Megan Keller (BOS), Jincy Roese (OTT)

 

History in the Making

The first game in league history will be a New Year’s Day 12:30 p.m. EST tilt between host Toronto and New York at Mattamy Athletic Centre in downtown Toronto. Five league openers will take place during the first six days of 2024. The venues utilized for the opening games are among the primary venues that will host PWHL contests throughout the inaugural season.

The full season consists of 72 games, with each of the league’s teams competing a 24-game slate. 

CLICK HERE for the 2024 full PWHL schedule

 

Fans can stay connected to the PWHL and register for email updates at thepwhl.com.

Follow the PWHL on all social-media platforms: @thepwhlofficial 

Also follow all six PWHL team social-media accounts: @pwhl_boston, @pwhl_minnesota, @pwhl_montreal, @pwhl_newyork, @pwhl_ottawa, and @pwhl_toronto.