Opinion: Disjointed PWHL Schedule Leaves Massive Gaps And Missed Opportunities For Fan Growth

The PWHL officially dropped the puck on their second season November 30. Nine days later, the league stopped for a nine-day international break.

But it wasn't a nine-day break for all teams. For the Toronto Sceptres it was 11 days between games. For the Minnesota Frost, they had 12 days between games. For the Montreal Victoire, it was a full 14-day gap.

For two of those teams, Montreal and Boston, the break was immediately followed by another break for the holidays. Following Boston's first nine-day gap, the team entered immediately into 10-days between games for the holidays following their 3-2 win over Ottawa. It means the Fleet will have played only one game in an 18-day span in December.

For the Montreal Victoire it's worse. The Victoire will play only one game in a 21-day span in December. As for home games, the Boston Fleet will compete only once at the Tsongas Center in 44 days coming up, which will be followed by one home game in a separate 24-day span later in the season.

Then there's the case of the New York Sirens. Last year the Sirens, then PWHL New York, were last in the PWHL in attendance averaging 2,496. This season, hoping to build a more consistent fan base by playing out of one (instead of three) venue, the Prudential Center in New Jersey, the team has yet to hit home ice.

They'll do that December 18, their first home game 19 days after the season opened on November 30. It was an unfortunate absence given the early success New York has had, and the star power capturing media attention of first overall pick Sarah Fillier. But after that initial excitement, all momentum was lost with 10 days without a game leading up to their home opener.

The lower bowl at Newark's Prudential Center only opened 2/3 of seats, and many still remain. It's almost certain the opener will draw more than New York's average from last season, and the team looks like they'll remain above average through the New York. But it's hard not to wonder what could have been had excitement for New York's start been allowed to grow without a 10-day absence leading up to the Sirens' fresh start.

While the PWHL's schedule will get busy in January with 24% of the league's 90 game schedule taking place in the month, it doesn't mean all fans will have an abundance of home games. The PWHL's Takeover Tour games will be exciting moments for the growth of the league and potential expansion, but it also means less opportunities to build upon home crowds. It's unlikely the league sees this as an issue, as the neutral site games in Vancouver, Edmonton, Quebec City, Seattle, Denver, and Detroit all look as though they'll significantly surpass league attendance averages.

The early season gaps, however, are not the end.

More Breaks To Come

In February, teams will take another nine-day break for international play, and this time, it's likely that almost every European player in the PWHL will be heading overseas as the February break will not only give way to the final leg of USA and Canada's Rivalry Series, but also to a trio of Olympic Qualifiers in Germany, Sweden, and Japan. The Japan leg looks like it will be the least disruptive with France's Chloe Aurard as the main athlete for that event, unless Toronto's Hannah Miller returns to China's lineup. In the Swedish qualifier, Maja Nylen Persson (New York), Anna Kjellbin (Montreal), Lina Ljungblom (Montreal), and Emma Soderberg (Sweden) are likely to play for the hosts. At the German event, Sandra Abstreiter (Montreal) will almost certainly play for her nation, while Taylor Baker (New York) could suit up for Hungary, and Anna Meixner (Ottawa) and Theresa Schafzahl (Boston) for Austria.

Don't Forget The World Championships

The biggest stoppage in the PWHL season however, will come in April as the World Championships get underway in Czechia and China for PWHL players. This break will last 23 days for most, but will span to 25 days for the Toronto Sceptres and Minnesota Frost. When the league does return, there's only one week left in the regular season with crucial points on the line for playoff positioning, and perhaps the first overall pick in the 2025 PWHL Draft. The February and April breaks will be closely watched by PWHL teams hoping to avoid significant impacts to their rosters via injury.

While it's unclear what the future will hold for the PWHL's schedule, in particular the stops and starts of the league's first month, it is clear the disruption these ill-timed gaps in the season can have are significant. The league's schedule came incredibly late by professional standards, and the delays and gaps without a doubt have impacted attendance and fan engagement. It's an error the PWHL cannot afford to repeat in year three.