Women’s hockey is back and their welcome back was to record viewership numbers.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has taken over after the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), formerly the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL), ceased operations in June of 2023. In August, the PWHL was announced.
On New Year’s Day the inaugural season for the PWHL debuted to record numbers. New York’s 4-0 win was seen by over 2.9 million viewers, with 1.113 million tuning in midway through the second period, according to the PWHL.
The viewership record for professional women’s hockey was thanks in part to the game being shown on CBC, Sportsnet and TSN — the top three broadcast networks in Canada. In the United States, the game could be viewed on YouTube or MSG Network for those in New York.
In comparison, the NWHL’s Isobel Cup semifinals and finals averaged 100,000 viewers on NBCSN. During that game at Toronto’s Mattamy Athletic Centre, Corinne Schroeder earned the first-ever shutout in front of a sold-out crowd of 2,537.
Within five days, another attendance record was created. There were 13,316 who watched in person Montreal at Minnesota.
Now all that’s left for the six teams — Toronto, New York, Montreal, Ottawa, Boston and Minnesota — is to create some logos and names.
Here are the remaining games in the PWHL’s inaugural 2024 season:
Saturday, January 13
1 pm – Ottawa at Toronto – Mattamy Athletic Centre
3:30 pm – Boston at Montreal – Verdun Auditorium
Sunday, January 14
4 – New York at Minnesota – Xcel Energy Center
Tuesday, January 16
7 – New York at Montreal – Place Bell
Wednesday, January 17
7 pm – Boston at Toronto – Mattamy Athletic Centre
7 pm – Minnesota at Ottawa – The Arena at TD Place
Saturday, January 20
12:30 pm – New York at Boston – Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell
8 pm – Toronto at Montreal – Verdun Auditorium
Tuesday, January 23
7 pm – Toronto at Ottawa – The Arena at TD Place
Wednesday, January 24
7 pm – Boston at Ottawa – The Arena at TD Place
8 pm – Montreal at Minnesota – Xcel Energy Center
Friday, January 26
7 pm – New York at Toronto – Mattamy Athletic Centre
Saturday, January 27
3:30 pm – Ottawa at Montreal – Place Bell
4 pm – Minnesota at Boston – Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell
Sunday, January 28
1 pm – Minnesota at New York – Total Mortgage Arena
NHL All-Star Thursday, February 1
6 pm – CANADIAN TIRE PWHL 3-ON-3 SHOWCASE™– Scotiabank Arena
Saturday, February 3
12 pm – Minnesota at Toronto – Mattamy Athletic Centre
Sunday, February 4
1 pm – New York at Ottawa – The Arena at TD Place
3:30 pm – Montreal at Boston – Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell
IIHF NATIONAL TEAM BREAK
Wednesday, February 14
7 pm – Toronto at Boston – Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell
8 pm – Ottawa at Minnesota – Xcel Energy Center
Friday, February 16
7 pm – Montreal at Toronto – Mattamy Athletic Centre
Saturday, February 17
2 pm – Minnesota at Ottawa – The Arena at TD Place
4 pm – New York at Boston – Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell
Sunday, February 18
1 pm – Minnesota at Montreal – Place Bell
Wednesday, February 28
7 pm – Ottawa at Boston – Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell
7 pm – Montreal at New York – UBS Arena
Friday, February 23
7 pm – New York at Toronto – Mattamy Athletic Centre
Saturday, February 24
2:30 pm – Ottawa at Montreal – Verdun Auditorium
Sunday, February 25
4 pm – Boston at Minnesota – Xcel Energy Center
Tuesday, February 27
Time TBA – Toronto at Minnesota – Venue TBA
Wednesday, February 28
7 pm – New York at Ottawa – The Arena at TD Place
Saturday, March 2
3:30 pm – Toronto at Ottawa – The Arena at TD Place
4 pm – Boston at Montreal – Verdun Auditorium
Sunday, March 3
12:30 pm – Minnesota at New York – UBS Arena
Tuesday, March 5
8 pm – Ottawa at Minnesota – Xcel Energy Center
Wednesday, March 6
7 pm – Boston at Toronto – Mattamy Athletic Centre
7 pm – Montreal at New York – Total Mortgage Arena
Friday, March 8
7 pm – Montreal at Toronto – Mattamy Athletic Centre
Sunday, March 10
3:30 pm – New York at Boston – Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell
4 pm – Ottawa at Montreal – Place Bell
Wednesday, March 13
8 pm – Boston at Minnesota – Xcel Energy Center
Saturday, March 16
3:30 pm – New York at Minnesota – Xcel Energy Center
Time TBA – Ottawa at Boston – Venue TBA
Time TBA – Toronto at Montreal – Venue TBA
Wednesday, March 20
7 pm – Boston at Toronto – Mattamy Athletic Centre
7 pm – Ottawa at New York – Total Mortgage Arena
Saturday, March 23
3:30 pm – Toronto at Ottawa – The Arena at TD Place
Sunday, March 24
4 pm – Montreal at Minnesota – Xcel Energy Center
Monday, March 25
7 pm – Boston at New York – UBS Arena
IIHF WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Thursday, April 18
7 pm – Toronto at Boston – Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell
Friday, April 19
7 pm – New York at Montreal – Verdun Auditorium
Saturday, April 20
Time TBA – Minnesota at Ottawa – The Arena at TD Place
Sunday, April 21
Time TBA – Toronto at Montreal – Verdun Auditorium
Time TBA – Boston at New York – Venue TBA
Wednesday, April 24
Time TBA – Boston at Ottawa – The Arena at TD Place
7 pm – Minnesota at Montreal – Verdun Auditorium
7 pm – Toronto at New York – Total Mortgage Arena
Saturday, April 27
Time TBA – Boston at Minnesota – Venue TBA
Time TBA – Montreal at Ottawa – The Arena at TD Place
Tuesday, April 30
Time TBA – Ottawa at New York – Venue TBA
Wednesday, May 1
7:30 – Minnesota at Toronto – Mattamy Athletic Centre
Saturday, May 4
3:30 pm – Montreal at Boston – Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell
Time TBA – Minnesota at New York – Venue TBA
Sunday, May 5
Time TBA – Ottawa at Toronto – Mattamy Athletic Centre
