The new Professional Women’s Hockey League will launch in January with teams in six North American cities.
Teams will be located in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, New York, Boston and Minnesota.
“Today, we look ahead to a phenomenal future for the PWHL,” the league’s senior vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford said. “We have never seen more excitement and demand for women’s sports, and through the launch of this league, the top women’s players in the world will have the opportunity to reach even greater heights.”
The PWHL is supported financially by Mark and Kimbra Walter, who own the Los Angeles Dodgers. Its Board of Directors includes women’s tennis legend Billie Jean King, sports executive Ilana Kloss, Los Angeles Dodgers president Stan Kasten and Dodgers senior vice president of business strategy Royce Cohen.
“On behalf of ownership and our board, I am honored to announce the official name of our new league and to unveil the blueprint for this historic inaugural season. And we are especially proud to be providing this new platform for elite women athletes,” Kasten said. “Our great game has the power to captivate and connect sports fans everywhere, and we are thrilled to plant roots in six of North America’s most passionate hockey markets.”
The league will hold a 10-day free agency period beginning Sept. 1. The inaugural PWHL Draft will be held Sept. 18.
Each team is allowed to have 20 players under contract when training camps open in November.
