The PWHL has released its official 2024 regular-season schedule.
The inaugural season will consist of 72 games, with each of the league’s six teams — Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Boston, New York and Minnesota — competing 24 times.
It's here.
Introducing the schedule for our inaugural season! 🎉
📰 https://t.co/nSPo4ASskh pic.twitter.com/fpw2Qt0s6O
— PWHL (@thepwhlofficial) November 30, 2023
The first-ever PWHL game will be on Jan. 1 between Toronto and New York at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, Toronto’s home rink for the 2024 season. The game, with a 12:30 ET puck drop, will lead into the NHL’s coverage of the Winter Classic in Seattle. The five other home openers, announced on Tuesday, will be held over the first two weeks of the season.
GO DEEPER
PWHL reveals inaugural season's home openers, venues
“Our inaugural season schedule features games being played at exceptional venues, at a variety of times, across all seven days of the week — offering multiple options for our fans,” said Stan Kasten, PWHL advisory board member. “We are excited to drop the puck on New Year’s Day and launch a new era of professional women’s hockey.”
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According to the league’s news release, each team will play head-to-head a minimum of four times, including twice at home and twice on the road. Games will be played on all seven days of the week, but mostly on Saturdays (22) and Wednesdays (21). There will be international breaks in the schedule in February (no games from Feb. 5 to Feb. 13) and in April for the IIHF women’s world championships (no games from March 26 through April 17). Top players will also play in the PWHL three-on-three showcase on Feb. 1 during the first day of the NHL All-Star Weekend. Playoffs, per the release, will begin the week of May 6.
Some highlights of the schedule include:
- Saturday, Jan. 6: Minnesota home opener at Xcel Energy Center.
- Wednesday, Jan. 10: Montreal vs New York at UBS Arena.
- Saturday, Jan. 13: Boston at Montreal (first matchup between projected top two teams).
- Sunday, Feb. 3: Minnesota at Toronto leading into NHL All-Star Game.
- Monday, March 25: Boston at New York (last game before the world championship break).
- Thursday, April 18: Toronto at Boston (first game back after worlds).
- Sunday, May 5: Ottawa at Toronto (final game of the regular season).
The league also announced its venues for the 2024 season. New York and Minnesota will have home games at NHL arenas this season — with expected neutral site games at other NHL venues are to be determined. New York will play at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and UBS Arena, home of the New York Islanders. Minnesota will play at Xcel Energy Center in downtown Saint Paul, the home of the Minnesota Wild. Meanwhile, Montreal will split its games between the Verdun Auditorium and Place Bell in Laval, Quebec. Boston will play at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, in Lowell, Mass. And Ottawa will play at TD Place.
Season ticket memberships will be available for purchase the week of Dec. 4, the league said, with early access granted to fans who have placed ticket deposits. Single-game and group tickets will be made available in the coming weeks.
(Photo: R.J. Johnston / Toronto Star via Getty Images)
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