THE Professional Women’s Hockey League is expanding for its second ever season.
If you’ve visited Solent Sports News before then you probably know about or have at least some interests in sport.
So it’s likely you’ve heard of the NHL, right?
But have you heard of the PWHL?
Has it been shown on the screens of your favourite sports bar?
Have you ever seen a sports fan try to style one of the teams’ oversized jerseys?
The Professional Women’s Hockey League is about to enter its second ever season, with games commencing on November 30th.
The league announced this week that it is expanding their schedule from a 24 to a 30-game season, following the success of the inaugural competition last year.
Teams will now face each other six times as part of the new schedule.
The PWHL attracted huge attention last season which resulted in teams moving to bigger venues – the Sceptres have gone from playing in a 3850 capacity to 8140 at the Coca-Cola Coliseum.
They also sold out the Coliseum during last season’s playoff matches.
There are 14 games on the schedule however without a listed venue, as the league hopes to attain larger or neutral venues.
Despite still being in its infancy, the PWHL has been celebrated for its inclusivity and attractive appeal.
A small but significant change was made to player kit in that their names appear at the bottom of their shirts instead of across the shoulder blades.
PWHL sponsor Molson put their logo at the top of the jerseys so that the players’ names could be seen, as the majority of players have long hair that covers the top half of their backs.
Like most women’s team sports, an online community of passion and humour soon grew.
See below for yourself:
You may have seen a poll published earlier today on @SolentSportNews and the consensus seems to be that the PWHL is yet to make itself known in the UK.
The Women’s National Ice Hockey League also consists of six teams, however it is not fully professional.
By comparison, Milton Keynes Falcons for example play in just a 2200 seated capacity venue – Planet Ice Milton Keynes.
Ice hockey is not a traditional UK sport, but the rapid acceleration of the PWHL’s popularity could soon sail across the Atlantic.
Match-day One: November 30th
Boston Fleet vs Toronto Sceptres
Montréal Victoire vs Ottawa Charge
Minnesota Frost vs New York Sirens
