Glance at Each Team’s Sophomore Season
Following an inaugural season without nicknames—resulting in jerseys with similar diagonal wordmark patterns—the six teams of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) are set to welcome their second season with brand-new names and logos.
The new identities are one of several novel aspects of the upcoming PWHL season, coinciding with increasing talent and spectator interest. The central change is a revamped 90-game schedule in which each team will play 30 games, an increase from the previous slate of 24; teams will face off against each other six times.
On the fans’ side, the 2024-2025 season saw significant attendance for women’s hockey matches; almost 400,000 spectators attended games throughout the regular season, with a game between Toronto and Montreal at the latter’s Bell Centre drawing a record 21,105 fans. Some PWHL teams have taken note, moving into larger arenas to accommodate growing numbers.
Boston Fleet
The PWHL Final runners-up will set sail for the first time as the Boston Fleet, their new name reflecting the city’s rich maritime heritage. Among the personalities the team will be relying on are its points leaders, Swiss forward Alina Müller and American defender Megan Keller, as well as leadership from the likes of Jamie Lee Rattray, Hannah Brandt, and captain Hilary Knight. They’ll be further supported by a strong performance between the pipes: goaltender Aerin Frankel is coming off a stellar playoff performance, posting a 1.45 goals-against-average across a league-leading 581 minutes in net.
While the team has talent at all positions, last season’s stats highlight some shortcomings. Boston finished their inaugural season with 50 goals total, the lowest of all teams, and none of their players were among the top 12 in points.
As they take to the ice at the University of Massachusetts’s Tsongas Center next month, the Boston Fleet will be looking to improve their offensive output to achieve greater success in the coming months.
Minnesota Frost
Continuing play at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, the newly minted Minnesota Frost will enter the PWHL’s sophomore season as the defending Walter Cup champions. Since winning their title, however, the club has seen notable shuffles in personnel. Changes particularly affected the front office and coaching staff, notably the departure of general manager Natalie Darwitz, leading to some concerns among the fanbase. Regardless, the club, which has since added AHL Vice President Melissa Caruso as their new GM, remains determined to defend their title.
Some notable names returning for season two include captain Kendall Coyne Schofield, 2023 first overall draft pick, and playoff MVP Taylor Heise, team points leader and PWHL rookie of the year Grace Zumwinkle, and goaltenders Nicole Hensley and Maddie Rooney. Bolstering the lineup is Canadian defender Claire Thompson and forwards Britta Curl and Klára Hymlarová, all selected at the 2024 draft last June.
With a slate of both established talent and up-and-coming stars, the Frost will aim to replicate their initial success as they take to the ice next month.
Montreal Victoire
After their 2023-2024 campaign ended in three straight overtime losses to Boston, the Victoire—named for Montreal’s history of sporting championships—hoped to make it past the first round and into Walter Cup contention. Leading the way is captain and veteran forward Marie-Philip Poulin, whose 23 points in 21 games last season made her the second-most productive points-per-game scorer in the league.
Poulin anchors a team that includes the likes of Laura Stacey and PWHL defender of the year Erin Ambrose, the team’s second- and third-highest scorers. The offseason has also seen Victoire augment its roster through signings and draft picks, including first-round selection Cayla Barnes, who could be a solid presence on the blue line. In front of the net, Ann-Renée Desbiens is set to return as number one goaltender—backed up by Elaine Chuli, a solid netminder through eight games in the 2023-2024 season.
As they establish their new primary home at Laval’s Bell Place, the Victoire is hoping for a better finish this year—one that will allow them to live up to their name.
New York Sirens
After finishing last in their first season, the New York Sirens hope to climb the rankings when the puck drops this coming November. One name the club hopes to be a major presence is star forward Sarah Fillier, whom the team drafted first overall this past June. Fillier—a Princeton alumnus who has won an Olympic gold and three World Championships with Team Canada—remains unsigned as negotiations for her deal continue. Nevertheless, the club is optimistic that Fillier will sign in time for the start of the season.
In addition, the team recently saw a change in personnel behind the bench, welcoming Greg Fargo as their new head coach. Fargo will oversee a locker room that boasts names such as American forward Alex Carpenter and Canadian defender Ella Shelton—New York’s points leaders last season, and goaltender Corinne Schroeder, whose 2023-2024 save percentage of .930 was the highest among goalies that faced at least 300 shots on net.
Moving across state lines to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey—home of the NHL’s Devils—the Sirens hope that a coaching change and fresh talent will accompany their quest for newfound success.
Ottawa Charge
The Ottawa Charge are looking to finish their second season with a first-ever appearance in the playoffs, having missed last year’s postseason by only three points. One key issue that the team will need to address is goaltending, as last season’s overall save percentage of .915 was the lowest in the league. The Charge boosted their goaltending pool this offseason by signing Winnipeg-born netminder Logan Angers, who is wrapping up a six-year NCAA stint with Quinnipiac University. Angers’s 2023-2024 NCAA campaign was a successful one, going 24-11-1 and posting a 1.88 GAA and .934 save percentage. The team is optimistic that she will be a welcome presence between the pipes.
Angers is one of several new additions to the club, which also includes Ottawa native Rebecca Leslie and top draft picks Danielle Serdachny and Ronja Savolainen. They will join a roster that includes notable personalities such as Emily Clark, Kateřina Mrázová, and captain and points leader Brianne Jenner.
With a new name inspired by the Canadian capital’s motto, “Advance—Ottawa—En Avant,” the Charge will return to TD Place for their home games in 2024-2025, hoping to finish the season with a trip to the playoffs.
Toronto Sceptres
The Sceptres—so named to reflect Toronto’s regal history—will aim to build upon their regular season success in front of a larger crowd as they make the Coca-Cola Coliseum their new full-time home. The Coliseum, which is also home to the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies, was the backdrop for the PWHL club’s home playoff games. The Coliseum welcomed sold-out crowds of over 8,500 fans.
Toronto finished their first regular season with a record-setting 47-point campaign, led by MVP Natalie Spooner and her league-leading 20 goals and seven assists. However—during their playoff series against Minnesota—Spooner suffered a season-ending injury that dealt a blow to Toronto’s playoff hopes, as the team soon fell to eventual champions Minnesota in a reverse sweep. Now, Spooner’s return to the lineup is poised be a major boost to the Sceptres, whose roster already includes marquee talent in Sarah Nurse, Emma Maltais, and PWHL goaltender of the year Kristen Campbell. By maintaining their performance standards from last season and safeguarding their stars’ health, the team could be in a better position for a shot at the new, elusive title.
After an inaugural season that set new records in women’s hockey, the PWHL is ready to take the game to new heights when the season begins on November 30.