A new PWHL season is rapidly approaching and fan excitement is again growing. Here’s a look at five items PWHL fans should be excited for this season.
1. New Stars Hit The Ice
This season an influx of talent will join the PWHL. The first significant wave of European players including Noora Tulus, Daniela Pejsova, Maja Nylen Persson, Ronja Savolainen, Anna Meixner, Klara Hymlarova, Lina Ljungblom, Noemi Neubauerova, Anna Kjellbin, and Ilona Markova are all on their way. Similarly, new North American national team stars will bolster PWHL teams. While the league was filled with stars last season, it will again receive a considerable boost from players like Sarah Fillier, Hanna Bilka, Danielle Serdachny, Claire Thompson, Julia Gosling, and Cayla Barnes, who were all first round picks in the 2024 PWHL Draft.
2. New Identities To Cheer For
Go Charge Go! Let’s Go Frost! There are team names to cheer for, and don’t be surprised to see a Fleet of fans headed to Boston, and a plethora of homemade Sceptres in Toronto. With merchandise already out and jerseys promised soon, the generic year one jerseys are now collectors items and the branded jerseys with new logos and names will become the new norm. Last year fans created their own identities, and many of those, like New York’s pizza rats will certainly persist. But with names and logos available, it will be exciting to see what new cheers, rituals, and creations come from fans.
3. Bigger Venues
Mattamy in Toronto was a good start, but the Coca-Cola Coliseum is an ideal fit. The same goes for Verdun Auditorium, but the Montreal Victoire will be better supported at Place Bell. As for New York, the chance to play a full season at the Prudential Center in New Jersey, and perhaps more importantly, avoid Connecticut at all costs, should have their fan base excited to welcome more into the fold. The league has also promised more neutral site games this season, which could be an opportunity for more fans to get a live look at the league in other venues. With the league’s chances to venues, the opportunity for continued growth has been supported, and fans will be able to invite others to the party.
4. More Games
One thing is for certain, 24 games isn’t enough for a professional hockey league, even in a six team league. A 30 game schedule still feels small, but it means every team will get another look at each other, fans will have more to look forward to, and the league will have the opportunity to become more profitable. Fans would likely enjoy seeing the number of games swell to 36, but another increase might need to wait for expansion. Either way, more games is exciting because it means more opportunities to cheer.
5. A Better On Ice Product
The PWHL had plenty to fix in their first season, but one thing the league continuously said, and was echoed by fans, is that the on ice product was a smashing hit. This season, that product will be fast, more skilled, and harder hitting. The PWHL Draft brought 42 new names to the league, and others will likely slip in as free agents. When it’s all said and done, the calibre of every shift of action on the ice will be higher. There will be far more line matching, and far fewer mismatches in talent this time around. Every team now features deeper rosters with exciting offensive talents throughout. If fans thought they were seeing best on best last season, this year will be best on better.
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