North America’s new and long-awaited professional hockey league released its plans this week.
The long-awaited women’s professional hockey series PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League) announced on Tuesday about the new hockey league on its website.
The series starts in January and takes a break during the women’s World Championships in April. In the initial phase, however, many things are still open.
In North America, two professional series PHF and PWHPA operated last season, in which a total of 11 teams played. Only six teams play in the new series – three from Canada, three from the United States: Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and New York.
There is expected to be fierce competition for playing spots. It will be clear who will be able to play in the six teams in the near future. There can be 20 players in the team. The places are filled through the transfer window and the booking event.
Clubs are allowed to sign a contract with three players during the first ten days of September. A reservation event will be held on September 18th, for which willing players must register by September 3rd. Each club has 15 bookings available.
To Hovi, Tuomi and others too
The North American serial map was revolutionized in June when the billionaire by Mark Walter and tennis legend Billie Jean King investment companies bought PHF, where the contracts of players and coaches were annulled.
He was the first Finn to work as a head coach in the North American women’s professional ice hockey league at PHF Venla Court previously told that he too was left empty-handed when all the contracts of the coaches and players of the former series were terminated.
Defensive hero who played in the Metropolitan Riveters club coached by Hovi Minttu Tuominen33, told at the end of July that he intends to pursue a place in the new series.
– I decided to see if there is a place in the new league. I want to play one more year at the top level, so I don’t want to give up at this point, Tuominen said.
Tuominen signed a contract with Kiekko-Espoo last week, but he has an international clause in his contract, which enables a transfer if the PWHL shows interest in the Naisleijoni national team defender.
In addition to Hovi’s and Tuominen’s contract, Finnish players’ contracts were canceled in the summer Noora Rädyn, Anna Kilponen and Susanna Tapani contracts. Of those who played the PHF series in Buffalo Emma Nuutinen transferred to Kiekko-Espo as the head of girls’ hockey and Jenna Suokko to puck in Switzerland.
The NHL enables a new professional league for women
The NHL’s support for the new women’s professional league, the PWHL, has been key to getting the league so far and so quickly in its plans.
A member of the new ownership group By Stan Kasten the first call was to the director of PWHPA For Jayna Hefford and another call to the NHL commissioner For Gary Bettman. Since then, the groups have been in daily contact, resulting in a number of important collaborative plans.
The PWHL will start in six current NHL market areas. Some of the teams’ games are scheduled to be played in NHL arenas and some in non-NHL locations.
Although the NHL has offered support, according to Kasten, it does not mean that the big league will try to take the new women’s professional league completely under its wing at some point.
– The NHL has supported us fantastically since the first minute. They understand that this is our own league and we have to do this ourselves. But whenever we have had a question or need for something, NHL has been there to help us with advice and suggestions, owner group member Kasten boasts to The Hockey News.
Kasten believes that the NHL’s support is the key to both short-term and long-term league success. Cooperation with a successful NHL brand is a big plus point for the new women’s professional series.