On January 1, the league’s first game will be played between New York and Toronto.
TORONTO— Season openers for the Professional Women’s Hockey League have been set, and players have begun sending invitations to friends and family.
On Tuesday, the PWHL released the schedule for its six teams’ first games. The Montreal club will play its first game on Jan. 2 at Ottawa’s TD Place, the day after the league’s first game in Toronto, which will be hosted by New York at Mattamy Athletic Centre.
“It was a topic of conversation during our drills after practice,” Montreal defender Erin Ambrose said. “It was exciting to start camp, and now we have a date.” I’ve already informed my family members that they will have to travel to Ottawa for this historic first match.”
Montreal will also play in Minnesota’s home opener on Jan. 13 at 3:30 p.m. at Verdun Auditorium against Boston.
“To have the opportunity to play in front of our fans, to start in front of parents, families and friends and to be able to show what we can give to the city, it’s important for us,” Ann-Renée Desbiens, the goalkeeper, said. “It’s becoming more and more concrete.”
According to the PWHL, the facilities hosting the teams’ home openers will be among the primary venues for each team.
“Giving our athletes the opportunity to step onto the ice to compete in front of our passionate fans has been the driving force of our efforts, and it’s going to be an exciting reality on New Year’s Day,” Stan Kasten, a board member of the PWHL, said. “It’s time for the best women’s hockey players in the world to lift our game to greater heights.”
The home opener for Toronto will take place at 12:30 p.m. and will serve as a warm-up for the NHL Winter Classic.
The rest of each team’s 24-game regular-season schedule will be announced later, with the schedule expected to run into early May, followed by a yet-to-be-announced playoff format. The PWHL will likely take a break to allow its national team players to compete in the women’s world championships, which will be held in Utica, New York, from April 3-14.
Since its formation in late June with the financial backing of Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and the support of tennis legend Billie Jean King, the league has been moving quickly. This month, teams began training camp.
As of Wednesday, teams must reduce the number of players in their respective camps to 27. As a result, Montreal general manager Danièle Sauvageau will have to cut four players.
The cut players will then be placed on waivers for four days, during which time other teams can contact them if they want to offer them a contract.
The six teams will also play preseason games in Utica from December 3 to 7. The next wave of cut players will be subject to another round of waivers.
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Coach Kori Cheverie has the task of assembling a cohesive group for the start of the season, in addition to evaluating the players present at camp.
The majority of the players have never played together before and come from diverse backgrounds, including American universities, Canadian and American national teams, and even Europe.
“We want a competitive environment, but we also want the players to build relationships,” Cheverie said. “We can’t wait until we’ve chosen the team to work on team cohesion.” It is therefore critical that we work as if we are already a complete team, despite the fact that players are being evaluated.”
The team will go on a retreat outside of Montreal for a few days to bond with one another. Even the players admitted on Tuesday that they had no idea what the team had in store for them.
“It will be super nice to just be the girls together,” defender Maude Poulin-Labelle said. “It’ll help us get closer because we don’t know each other very well.” We’ve only known each other for about ten days. But it will also involve spending time together away from the ice, getting to know the different personalities of the girls. It should be a pleasant experience.”
PWHL home openers
- Jan. 1: Toronto vs. New York, Mattamy Athletic Centre, Toronto (2,600 seats)
- Jan. 2: Ottawa vs. Montreal, TD Place, Ottawa (10,000 seats)
- Jan. 3: Boston vs. Minnesota, Tsongas Center, Lowell, Mass. (6,500 seats)
- Jan. 5: New York vs. Toronto, Total Mortgage Arena, Bridgeport, Conn. (10,000 seats)
- Jan. 6: Minnesota vs. Montreal, Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minn. (17,954 seats)
- Jan. 13: Montreal vs. Boston, Verdun Auditorium, Montreal (4,100 seats)
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