2024–25 PWHL season
2nd season of the PWHL
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The 2024–25 PWHL season was the second season of operation of the Professional Women's Hockey League. All six teams received new names and logos: Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost, Montreal Victoire, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge, and Toronto Sceptres. The regular season began on November 30, 2024. The playoffs then began on May 7, 2025 and ended on May 26, with the Minnesota Frost winning their second consecutive Walter Cup after defeating the Ottawa Charge in four games for the title.
| 2024–25 PWHL season | |
|---|---|
| |
| League | Professional Women's Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | November 30, 2024 – May 3, 2025 |
| Games | 30 per team |
| Teams | 6 |
| TV partner(s) | CBC/Radio-Canada, TSN/RDS, Prime Video, NESN, FDSN North, MSG |
| 2024 Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Sarah Fillier |
| Picked by | New York Sirens |
| Regular season | |
| Season champions | Montreal Victoire |
| Season MVP | Marie-Philip Poulin (Montreal Victoire) |
| Top scorer | Hilary Knight (Boston Fleet) & Sarah Fillier (New York Sirens) (29) |
| Playoffs | |
| Playoffs MVP | Gwyneth Philips (Charge) |
| Walter Cup | |
| Champions | Minnesota Frost |
| Runners-up | Ottawa Charge |
League business
The 2024 PWHL Draft was held on June 10 in Saint Paul, Minnesota.[1]
On September 9, 2024, the PWHL revealed new names and logos for all six teams: Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost, Montreal Victoire, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge, and Toronto Sceptres.[2]
Front office changes
| Off–season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Previous general manager | New general manager | Notes |
| Minnesota Frost | Natalie Darwitz | Ken Klee* Melissa Caruso |
On June 7, 2024, one week after winning the league's inaugural championship and with only days before the draft, it was reported the general manager Natalie Darwitz would not return as general manager for the 2024–25 season. Darwitz was instead offered alternative options within the league.[3] Head coach Ken Klee served as acting general manager at the 2024 PWHL Draft with support from assistant coach Mira Jalosuo and team captain Kendall Coyne Schofield.[4][5] Caruso, most recently Vice President of Hockey Operations and Governance of the American Hockey League, was named general manager on September 3, 2024.[6] |
(*) Indicates interim
Coaching changes
| Off–season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Previous coach | New coach | Notes |
| New York Sirens | Howie Draper | Greg Fargo | On May 11, 2024, one week after their final game of the season, last-place New York announced that coach Howie Draper would not return as coach for the 2024–25 season. Howie would remain with the team as a Special Advisor to the scouting department, while also returning to his previous job as head coach of the Alberta Pandas.[7] Greg Fargo, most recently the head coach of the Colgate Raiders, was named as his replacement on June 7, 2024.[8][9] |
Arena changes
- The Montreal Victoire will play the majority of their home games at Place Bell. Montreal played four games at Place Bell the previous season, while Verdun Auditorium hosted the majority of their games; Verdun will continue to serve as the team's training facility.[10]
- The New York Sirens will play home games at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, outside of their home state. The team previously played at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut.[11]
- The Toronto Sceptres will play home games at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Toronto previously played their playoff home games at Coca-Cola Coliseum, while their regular season was primarily hosted at Mattamy Athletic Centre.[12]
Preseason
Preseason schedule
The PWHL preseason schedule was announced on October 1, 2024. Preseason was held in two camps in Toronto and Montreal, began on November 19, and concluded on November 22. Each camp hosted three teams. The Montreal camp was held at Verdun Auditorium and featured the Montreal Victoire, Boston Fleet, and Ottawa Charge. Meanwhile, the Toronto camp was held at the Ford Performance Centre and showcased the Toronto Sceptres, Minnesota Frost, and New York Sirens.[13]
All times in Eastern Time.
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Pre-season camp
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Regular season
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montreal Victoire (Y) | 30 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 77 | 67 | +10 | 53 | Playoffs |
| 2 | Toronto Sceptres (X) | 30 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 73 | 73 | 0 | 48 | |
| 3 | Ottawa Charge (X) | 30 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 71 | 80 | −9 | 44[a] | |
| 4 | Minnesota Frost (X) | 30 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 85 | 76 | +9 | 44[a] | |
| 5 | Boston Fleet (E) | 30 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 75 | 76 | −1 | 44[a] | |
| 6 | New York Sirens (E) | 30 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 71 | 80 | −9 | 37 |
(E) Eliminated; (X) Clinched playoff berth; (Y) Clinched first place
Notes:
- Regulation wins: Ottawa 12, Minnesota 10, Boston 9
Schedule
The regular season schedule was announced on October 15, 2024. The season began on November 30, 2024, and ended on May 3, 2025, with each team playing 30 games; six games against every opponent. The season also featured nine neutral site games across North America, called the PWHL Takeover Tour.[14][15][16]
All times in Eastern Time.[17]
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December
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January
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February
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March
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April
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May
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Statistics
Scoring leaders
The following players led the league in regular season points at the conclusion of the season.
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | +/– | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilary Knight | Boston | 30 | 15 | 14 | 29 | 0 | 12 |
| Sarah Fillier | New York | 30 | 13 | 16 | 29 | +10 | 35 |
| Daryl Watts | Toronto | 30 | 12 | 15 | 27 | −2 | 12 |
| Marie-Philip Poulin | Montreal | 30 | 19 | 7 | 26 | +17 | 21 |
| Kendall Coyne Schofield | Minnesota | 30 | 12 | 12 | 24 | +12 | 4 |
| Hannah Miller | Toronto | 29 | 10 | 14 | 24 | +14 | 8 |
| Jessie Eldridge | New York | 30 | 9 | 15 | 24 | 0 | 18 |
| Tereza Vanišová | Ottawa | 30 | 15 | 7 | 22 | −2 | 38 |
| Laura Stacey | Montreal | 27 | 11 | 11 | 22 | +12 | 6 |
| Taylor Heise | Minnesota | 29 | 8 | 14 | 22 | +1 | 6 |
| Sophie Jaques | Minnesota | 25 | 7 | 15 | 22 | +12 | 10 |
| Renata Fast | Toronto | 30 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 0 | 36 |
Leading goaltenders
The following goaltenders led the league in regular season goals against average at the conclusion of the season.
Minimum 600 minutes played
| Player | Team | GP | TOI | W | L | OTL | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ann-Renée Desbiens | Montreal | 21 | 1228:17 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 38 | 0 | .932 | 1.86 |
| Maddie Rooney | Minnesota | 19 | 1129:12 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 39 | 2 | .907 | 2.07 |
| Gwyneth Philips | Ottawa | 15 | 794:31 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 28 | 2 | .919 | 2.11 |
| Kristen Campbell | Toronto | 21 | 1227:46 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 46 | 0 | .910 | 2.25 |
| Aerin Frankel | Boston | 23 | 1342:18 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 51 | 1 | .921 | 2.28 |
Attendance
| Home team | Home games | Average attendance | Total attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | 14 | 9,059 | 126,830 |
| Montreal | 14 | 9,013 | 126,182 |
| Ottawa | 14 | 6,888 | 96,431 |
| Minnesota | 13 | 6,524 | 84,813 |
| Boston | 13 | 4,587 | 59,625 |
| New York | 13 | 2,764 | 35,933 |
| Neutral sites | 9 | 13,733 | 123,601 |
| League | 90 | 7,245 | 644,839 |
Supplemental discipline
Suspensions
Fines
| Date of incident | Offender | Team | Offense | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 29, 2025 | Tereza Vanišová | Ottawa Charge | Boarding against Taylor Girard.[26][27] | $500.00 |
| February 6, 2025 | Marie-Philip Poulin | Montreal Victoire | Charging against Jade Downie-Landry.[28][29] | $250.00 |
| February 15, 2025 | Marie-Philip Poulin | Montreal Victoire | Roughing against Emmy Fecteau.[30][31] | $500.00 |
| Dara Greig | Montreal Victoire | Boarding against Allyson Simpson.[30][31] | $250.00 | |
| February 25, 2025 | Hannah Brandt | Boston Fleet | Cross-check to the head against Brooke Hobson.[32] | $250.00 |
| March 4, 2025 | Kristin O'Neill | Montreal Victoire | High-sticking against Emily Brown.[33] | $250.00 |
| March 11, 2025 | Renata Fast | Toronto Sceptres | Cross-check to the head against Kendall Coyne Schofield.[22] | $250.00 |
| March 29, 2025 | Erin Ambrose | Montreal Victoire | Cross-check to the shoulders and head against Denisa Křížová.[23] | $250.00 |
| Total: | $2,500.00 | |||
Playoffs
Bracket
In each round, teams compete in a best-of-five series following a 2–2–1 format. The team with home ice advantage plays at home for games one and two (and game five, if necessary), and the other team is at home for games three and four. The top four teams make the playoffs.
In the first round, by virtue of finishing first in the regular season standings, the Montreal Victoire chose to play the Ottawa Charge, the third-place team. This selection meant that the second-place Toronto Sceptres would be the home team against the fourth-place Minnesota Frost.
| Semi-finals | PWHL Finals | |||||||||||
| May 7–14, Coca-Cola Coliseum and Xcel Energy Center | ||||||||||||
| Toronto Sceptres | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3* | ||||||||
| May 20–26 TD Place Arena and Xcel Energy Center | ||||||||||||
| Minnesota Frost | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4* | ||||||||
| Minnesota Frost | 1* | 2* | 2*** | 2* | ||||||||
| May 8–16, Place Bell and TD Place Arena | ||||||||||||
| Ottawa Charge | 2* | 1* | 1*** | 1* | ||||||||
| Montreal Victoire | 2 | 3**** | 0 | 1 | ||||||||
| Ottawa Charge | 3 | 2**** | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
- * - Denotes overtime period(s)
PWHL awards
On June 25, 2025, the PWHL announced the 2025 award winners.[34]
All-Star teams
| Position | First Team | Second Team | All-Rookie |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | Sarah Fillier (New York) | Kendall Coyne Schofield (Minnesota) | Britta Curl-Salemme (Minnesota) |
| Hilary Knight (Boston) | Tereza Vanisova (Ottawa) | Sarah Fillier (New York) | |
| Marie-Philip Poulin (Montreal) | Daryl Watts (Toronto) | Jennifer Gardiner (Montreal) | |
| D | Renata Fast (Toronto) | Ella Shelton (Toronto) | Cayla Barnes (Montreal) |
| Sophie Jacques (Minnesota) | Claire Thompson (Minnesota) | Anna Wilgren (Montreal) | |
| G | Ann-Renee Desbiens (Montreal) | Aerin Frankel (Boston) | Gwyneth Philips (Ottawa) |
Transactions
Draft
The 2024 PWHL Draft was held on June 10, 2024.
Free agency
| Date | Player | New team | Previous team |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 21, 2024[44] | Daryl Watts | Toronto | Ottawa |
| June 21, 2024[45] | Emma Woods | Toronto | New York |
| June 24, 2024[46] | Rebecca Leslie | Ottawa | Toronto |
| June 25, 2024[47] | Alexa Vasko | Ottawa | Toronto |
| July 9, 2024[48] | Emma Greco | Boston | Minnesota |
Imports
| Date | Player | New team | Previous team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 10, 2024[49] | Lina Ljungblom | Montreal | MoDo Hockey | SDHL |
| June 25, 2024[50] | Logan Angers | Ottawa | Quinnipiac Bobcats | ECAC |
| November 29, 2024[51] | Klára Peslarová | Boston Fleet | Brynas IF | SDHL |
| November 29, 2024[52] | Rylind MacKinnon | Toronto Sceptres | UBC Thunderbirds | CWUAA |
| December 22, 2024[53] | Charlotte Akervik | Minnesota Frost | Minnesota State Mavericks | WCHA |
Trades
| June 10, 2024 | To Boston 2nd-rd pick – 2024 PWHL Draft (# 7 – Daniela Pejšová) 7th-rd pick – 2024 PWHL Draft (# 37 – Ilona Markova) |
To New York 2nd-rd pick – 2024 PWHL Draft (# 10 – Maja Nylén Persson) 3rd-rd pick – 2024 PWHL Draft (# 16 – Allyson Simpson) 5th-rd pick – 2024 PWHL Draft (# 28 – Kayle Osborne) |
[54] |
| December 30, 2024 | To Ottawa Charge Victoria Bach Jocelyne Larocque |
To Toronto Sceptres Hayley Scamurra Savannah Harmon |
[55][56][57] |
| January 21, 2025 | To Boston Jill Saulnier |
To New York Taylor Girard |
[58] |
| March 13, 2025 | To Montreal Victoire Kaitlin Willoughby |
To Toronto Sceptres Anna Kjellbin |
[59] |
Retirement
| Date | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| June 16, 2024[60] | Becca Gilmore | Ottawa |
| June 17, 2024[61] | Sophia Kunin | Minnesota |
| June 20, 2024[62] | Erica Howe | Toronto |
| July 24, 2024[63] | Brigitte Laganière | Montreal |
| July 25, 2024[64] | Amanda Leveille | Minnesota |
| August 11, 2024[65] | Taylor Wenczkowski | Boston |
| October 7, 2024[66] | Gigi Marvin | Boston |
| October 8, 2024[67] | Jess Jones | Toronto |
| October 9, 2024[68] | Lauriane Rougeau | Toronto |
| October 11, 2024[69] | Ann-Sophie Bettez | Montreal |
| Emma Buckles | Ottawa | |
| Abby Cook | Boston | |
| Sammy Davis | Ottawa | |
| Rosalie Demers | Ottawa | |
| Kaleigh Fratkin | Montreal | |
| Fanni Garát-Gasparics | Ottawa | |
| Victoria Howran | Ottawa | |
| Emma Keenan | Toronto | |
| Sarah Lefort | Montreal | |
| Leah Lum | Montreal | |
| Lauren MacInnis | Ottawa | |
| Nikki Nightengale | Minnesota | |
| Carley Olivier | New York | |
| Lindsey Post | New York | |
| Alex Poznikoff | Montreal | |
| Brooke Stacey | Montreal | |
| November 23, 2024[70] | Madison Packer | New York |
Broadcast rights
Canada
English
Beginning with the 2024–25 season, 57 of the 90 games in the regular season, as well as one of the two semi-final series and the PWHL Finals, were broadcast in Canada by TSN. In addition, 17 Saturday afternoon games were broadcast by the CBC. All Tuesday Night games were streamed on Prime Video, as well as one of the two semi-final series.[71]
French
During the regular-season, only Montreal Victoire games were broadcast in French. TSN's sister network RDS broadcast 18 of the Victoire's 30 regular-season games, with most Saturday games broadcast on CBC's sister network Radio-Canada and Tuesday games on Prime Video. Playoff coverage matched that of English Canada, with one semi-final series broadcast on Prime Video and the other, as well as the final series, on RDS.[71]
United States
National
All games were streamed on YouTube and the league's own website.[72] For the playoffs, the PWHL reached agreements with FanDuel Sports Network, Gray Media, Scripps Sports and the Sinclair Broadcast Group to expand its distribution of games.[a][73]
Local
In New England, Boston Fleet games were broadcast on NESN. In the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area, Minnesota Frost games were broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network North. In the New York metropolitan area, New York Sirens games were broadcast on MSG Network.[72]
International
Outside of Canada, all games were streamed on YouTube and the league's own website. Viewers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia could watch via Nova Sport.[72]
Notes
- Games will specifically air on FanDuel Sports Network SoCal, FanDuel Sports Network Southwest, Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network, Peachtree Sports Network, Palmetto Sports & Entertainment Network, Rock Entertainment Sports Network, Tennessee Valley Sports & Entertainment Network, Matrix Midwest, The Wax, KCRG-DT2, WHDT, WFTX-DT3, KUPX-TV, KCDO-TV, KMCC, KIVI-DT2, KSAW-DT2, and KUNS-TV.