Here’s hoping that it can.
There’s been talk that the NHL could be the beneficiary of Team USA ending a 46-year gold medal drought in the recently completed Olympics in Italy. The hope is that the win will attract more fans to men’s pro hockey as the league enters the final stretch of the regular season.
If that’s reasonable thinking (and I believe it is), then the rationale should apply to the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) as well. After all, the USA Women’s team won Gold in Italy, too.
Yes, I know there’s a difference. The NHL is a major pro league that has been around since 1917, the second oldest among America’s four major sports leagues (MLB, 1903; NFL, 1920; and NBA, 1949). In contrast, the PWHL has only been around since 2023 and includes a limited number of franchises (eight), split evenly between the U.S. (Boston, New York, Minnesota, Seattle) and Canada (Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver). The Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes were added as expansion teams this season.
I covered women’s hockey when the then-Metropolitan Riveters played their games at the American Dream Meadowlands ice rink. They were one of the four charter franchises of the National Women’s Hockey League (established in 2015), later known as the Premier Hockey Federation (established in 2021).
Sarah Fillier of the NY Sirens (photo courtesy Daily Faceoff)
But here’s the thing: I was impressed with the product on the ice. The players could skate, score, and hit, and from my vantage point, it was no different from watching men’s hockey. If anything, today’s PWHL players and play are even better than their forerunners.
Beyond the excitement of rooting for your club of choice, the league has excellent players that fans can gravitate toward. Take my home team, the New York Sirens. Standout players include vets Sarah Fillier and Casey O’Brien, as well as rookie standout Kristyna Kaltounkova.
Hillary Knight (photo courtesy FOX News)
Another example is Team USA captain Hilary Knight, who suits up with the Seattle Torrent. This season, Knight is capping off a Hall of Fame career, and it’s the last chance for fans to see her play.
As far as team rosters go, you can’t find a better set of players than those who play for the two-time champs, Minnesota Frost, the favorite to three-peat in ’25-26. The Frost features Taylor Heise, Grace Zumwinkle, Lee Stecklein, Kelly Pannek, Abbey Murphy, and Kendall Coyne-Schofield, who played roles in Team USA’s gold medal-winning performance.
With more girls playing hockey around the world, we’ll see more talent seeking to play at the pro level, which is key to PWHL’s sustainability and growth.
It took a long time for the WNBA to find its footing, and now it has. Yes, Caitlin Clark deserves credit for the league’s success, but the foundation was laid by players like Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings, Brittney Griner, A’ja Wilson, and Lisa Leslie.
Here’s the thing about sports. Fans are tantalized with talent. Gender doesn’t matter. The PWHL has plenty of that, and it will only get better in the years to come, just as the WNBA did.
Here’s hoping that the PWHL can follow the same path.
Instagram post, NBC Today Show
