PWHL ownership group member drops major hint on potential collaboration with NHL

The top female hockey players from around the globe are poised to exhibit their skills and talent as the inaugural season of the new Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) commences in January 2024.

The highly anticipated inaugural event of the PWHL will take place across six prominent cities in North America, namely, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, New York, Boston, and Minnesota.

The inception of the PWHL is a step in continuing to encourage and provide opportunities for females to take part in sports and enabling them to establish a prominent presence.

However, the league, being in its early stages, faced various challenges in establishing and attaining success in a short time frame. In this regard, the NHL emerged as an instrumental force in providing assistance, particularly in terms of market exposure and suitable venues to host games.

Following the announcement of the new women's league, the NHL expressed its support to the PWHL.

A board member of the PWHL, Stan Kasten expressed his deep gratitude to the NHL for providing unwavering support in its entirety and said:

"The {NHL] have been fantastically supportive of us from the first minute that I spoke with Gary Bettman right through today. All of their leadership has pitched in to help us."

He further added:

"They understand it's our league and we're going to have to do this on our own and make our own decisions," he said, "But whenever we have had a question or a need they have been right there to assist us to give us advice, to make suggestions."

Some more details about the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL)

The Professional Women's Hockey League will take over the Premier Hockey Federation after the LA Dodgers co-owner purchased the league's rights in June.

Tennis icon Billie Jean King along with Ilana Kloss, Stan Kasten, and Ryce Cohen will serve on the Board of Directors of the league.

Meanwhile, the Hockey Hall of Fame and the seven-time IIHF World Champion gold medalist with Canada, Jayna Hefford, will serve as the Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations.

The league will begin operations in January 2024, with six teams playing 24 games each. The games are going to be played in the NHL arenas and the non-NHL-PWHL markets. Information about team logos and venues will be announced at later dates.

The inaugural draft will take place on Sept.18, with the draft order determined by lottery. There will be 15 rounds of selection, and each team can have up to 20 players on their roster. The league will also hold training camps in November, two months before the league begins.