Matthews Knies, Joseph Woll, and Bobby McMann were all in attendance for Game 1 of the PWHL semi-finals between Toronto and Minnesota.
Although hockey fans in Toronto are still stinging over the Toronto Maple Leafs overtime loss to the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, a new kind of elation rose when PWHL Toronto hosted PWHL Minnesota in their first-ever playoff game on Wednesday.
In a best-of-five series between PWHL Toronto and Minnesota, a few familiar faces stood out among the crowd at Game 1. Toronto Maple Leafs players Matthew Knies, Joseph Woll, and Bobby McMann were among the 8,473 fans taking in the action. Seen through an image surfacing on X picturing Knies and Woll, the group attended familiar grounds at Coca-Cola Coliseum, the home of the AHL Toronto Marlies to watch PWHL Toronto cruise to a 4-0 victory.
Though they may be used to being on the ice themselves, last night they were content with enjoying the game from a different perspective. The group can be seen sitting in a press box, witnessing a historic moment for the PWHL and Toronto.
Despite McMann missing the entirety of the Maple Leafs’ postseason due to a lower-body injury, he was among the bright spots for the team this season. He proved to be a reliable depth scorer that the team missed in their sole playoff series against the Boston Bruins. Both Knies and Woll had a major impact in pushing the series to seven games, as the duo became key difference makers in the biggest moments.
Knies had three points in seven games highlighted by an overtime game-winner in Game 5, cementing his impact come April for the second year in a row. As for Woll, he simply stole Games 5 and 6 as he stood tall with a .86 goals against average and a .964 save percentage before suffering an injury late in Game 6. All three, when healthy, have an opportunistic upside for years to come.
Though the disappointment of the Maple Leafs’ playoff loss is still lingering in the minds of Toronto fans, a new chapter in Toronto hockey history has helped tamper the sorrow as we witness something special brewing in Women’s hockey. Game 2 of PWHL Toronto’s semi-final matchup against Minnesota goes live from Coca-Cola Coliseum on Friday at 7:00pm.
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