The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) will conduct “PWHL Takeover Weekend” March 16-17, playing three games in NHL venues across the two days. The announcement is made in partnership with the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins, with a schedule that includes PWHL Ottawa and PWHL Boston to play at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, March 16, at 6:00 p.m. ET, and PWHL Toronto and PWHL Montréal to play at PPG Paints Arena on Sunday, March 17, at 12:30 p.m. ET. PWHL New York and PWHL Minnesota will play at Xcel Energy Center, home of the Minnesota Wild, on Saturday March 16 at 3:30 p.m. ET, announced as part of the league’s regular-season schedule launch.
“Bringing these games to three outstanding venues during Women’s History Month will create an unforgettable highlight of this inaugural PWHL season,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations. “For fans attending these games and players who are competing on the ice, this will be a great celebration of the advancement and opportunity for women and hockey everywhere.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with the PWHL, and to welcome Boston and Ottawa to Little Caesars Arena on March 16,” said Ryan Gustafson, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment. “It’s been exciting to see the early success of the PWHL, and we’re honored for the opportunity to put on a great event for our fans and support growing the game of hockey for young women.”
“We are thrilled to host the PWHL in Pittsburgh to celebrate the continued growth of women’s professional hockey,” said Kevin Acklin, Penguins President of Business Operations. “The entire Penguins organization is committed to championing the growth of our game, and we are excited to host the Montréal and Toronto women’s clubs in March at PPG Paints Arena to showcase their elite talents in front of our Penguins fan base.”
Tickets for Toronto-Montréal at PPG Paints Arena will go on sale to the public on February 9 at 2:00 p.m. ET and will be available via Ticketmaster. Tickets for Ottawa-Boston at Little Caesars Arena go on sale on February 13 at 4:00 p.m. ET via Ticketmaster. Fans can sign up online for the PWHL e-newsletter for priority access. Tickets for New York-Minnesota are on sale now.
On February 17, 2019, Little Caesars Arena hosted the third game of the inaugural Rivalry Series between the Canadian National Women’s Team and the U.S. National Women’s Team. Ten players from that game will return as members of the PWHL including Boston’s Hannah Brandt, Hilary Knight, Gigi Marvin, Sidney Morin, and Amanda Pelkey, who all competed as members of Team USA. Ottawa’s Savannah Harmon and Hayley Scamurra were also on Team USA, and Brianne Jenner, Emerance Maschmeyer, and Jamie Lee Rattray suited up for Canada. Jenner scored the winning goal in the 2-0 victory with a crowd of 9,048 in attendance. Of local interest, PWHL Boston’s Shiann Darkangelo (Brighton), Taylor Girard (Macomb), and Megan Keller (Farmington) are all Michigan natives.
On March 12, 2022, PPG Paints Arena hosted the “Rivalry Rematch” game, organized by the PWHPA in partnership with the Penguins, featuring members of the U.S. and Canadian National Women’s Teams following the Beijing Olympics. A total of 32 PWHL players were in the game, including Montréal’s Erin Ambrose, Mélodie Daoust, Ann-Renée Desbiens, Marie-Philip Poulin, and Laura Stacey, who all won 2022 Olympic gold with Canada. Toronto players who competed were Canadian Olympic gold medalists Kristen Campbell, Renata Fast, Jocelyne Larocque, Sarah Nurse, Natalie Spooner, and Blayre Turnbull. A total of 5,410 fans were in attendance to take in the action, with Team Canada defeating Team USA 3-2 on an overtime goal by Poulin. Last season, the Penguins partnered with the PWHPA and PHF to host events at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Prior to the PWHL season, Montréal head coach Kori Cheverie served as a guest coach for Penguins development camp and training camp.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprised of six teams in Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa, and Toronto, each with rosters featuring the best women’s hockey players in the world. Visit thepwhl.com to purchase tickets and merchandise, and subscribe to the PWHL e-newsletter to receive the latest league updates. Follow the league on all social media platforms @thepwhlofficial plus all six team accounts @pwhl_boston, @pwhl_minnesota, @pwhl_montreal, @pwhl_newyork, @pwhl_ottawa, and @pwhl_toronto.
