A single league will bring with it a deeper fan experience, from gaming to fantasy leagues, hockey cards, to betting, it's all possible.

With the launch of a single pro league, opportunities for enriched fan experiences are about to explode. This week, Cheryl Pounder was named the new play-by-play voice of EA Sports' NHL 24. It was an exciting moment to finally have a woman's voice calling the game, which includes international hockey for women. But as the new professional women's league continues to prepare for their inaugural season, it also signals a moment of opportunity 

Video Games / ESports

EA Sports has shown growth the last few seasons in terms of including women. Not only can you play as the top women in the world from IIHF national teams, but Team Canada forward Sarah Nurse found herself on the cover of EA Sports NHL 23 alongside Anaheim Ducks star Trevor Zegras. When the new league forms, it seems a logical next step to have the best women's players in the world features not only on national teams "in the game," but also representing the cities of Montreal and Toronto, or Boston and Minnesota, or any other location that might gain a new professional women's hockey league franchise in the future. Soon, gamers will be able to guide their city and team to an Esports title in live competition, or in the comfort of their living room amongst friends. The move to make Cheryl Pounder the voice of all EA Sports NHL 24 action is also monumental in terms of normalizing women in hockey and sports media.

Fantasy Leagues

There have been iterations of fantasy leagues, or old fashioned hockey pools for women's hockey before, but with a league set up featuring all of the best players in North America and many Europeans joining, the excitement of being an armchair general manager, and competing against other fans will rapidly grow. Who wouldn't want to trade Hilary Knight for Marie-Philip Poulin, or bet on a big season from Alina Muller versus Taylor Heise. Magazines and websites including The Hockey News put out yearly specials on fantasy hockey, and regularly create content for fantasy fans. Women's hockey fans have been asking for this for years, and with all resources in one pool, it's coming.

Hockey Cards

Seeing the excitement fans of the PHF had for the Upper Deck set slated to be released this Fall, it was evident that the market for women's hockey cards is strong. The same could be said for special edition cards from Upper Deck and Tim Hortons featuring Canadian national team players. The opportunity for fans to own a piece of history from the inaugural season of the new professional women's league showing veteran national team stars, PHF all-stars, and NCAA graduates all in their new uniforms, will create demand. 

Betting

The ethical debate of sports betting will continue beyond this discussion, but with any new professional sports league, the interest in wagering on games from a fan perspective will grow. The recent women's World Cup of Soccer saw a surge in international sports betting for women's sports, all creating an opportune moment for women's hockey to seize the momentum.