How The Rivalry Series Could Impact The PWHL

The Rivalry Series is an annual showcase for Team Canada and Team USA as they attempt to solidify their national teams. With the PWHL in the mix, how will the two entities impact one another?

Canada and USA are set to face off in another seven game instalment of the Rivalry Series. In recent years, the Rivalry Series has been used by both women's hockey superpowers to help select their national teams for the World Championships.

Last year, Canada used only the Rivalry Series, while USA combined the Series and a pre-tournament training camp.

With the launch of the PWHL however, the impact and importance of the Rivalry Series is likely to change, and the Series itself will impact, and could be impacted by, the new league.

What Is The Impact On Scheduling?

The opening two games of the Rivalry Series in Tempe, Arizona and Los Angeles, California are scheduled for the days directly leading up to the opening of PWHL training camps on November 15.

The more pertinent dates to look at for the Rivalry Series however, are the games scheduled for the week of February 7, 9, and 11. Removing more than 40 players from their PWHL teams for an entire week could signal this is league's "In-Season Break" as defined in the collective bargaining agreement. It would be hard to imagine 40 of the league's players fitting in practices and games wth the PWHL in between national team games on a Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday of that week, with travel between Regina, Saskatoon, and St. Paul included. With the NHL All-Star game on February 3, an event rumored as a target for PWHL collaboration, it could mean a heavily impacted game schedule in February. The league will need to take another break from April 4 to April 14 to allow for the IIHF women's World Championship in Utica, New York.

Head To Head Evaluation Finally Possible

With the exception of players invited from the NCAA, head to head competition in the PWHL will certainly factor into roster selection for future Rivalry Series games. To a point, that already existed in the PWHPA, but it was impossible to assess the talent base in the PHF versus the PWHPA, coupled with young talent, and using only a single game opportunity for those players wasn't enough. Now, Canada and USA will have season long opportunities to assess the top North American players in head-to-head competition in the PWHL. Could this allow for past national team members like Victoria Bach and Loren Gabel, or newcomers like Elizabeth Giguere, Corinne Schroeder, and Sophie Jaques to crack team Canada? Will Grace Zumwinkle, Jesse Compher, and Hannah Brandt accomplish the same on the American side? Or will someone farther off the radar emerge as a candidate? When the NHL was involved in Olympic competition, rosters often included players who were riding a hot wave during that season, not just the veteran stars who were well established. It's almost a certainty players performing well in the PWHL will earn added looks in the Rivalry Series, and if either nation ignores sleeper players who steal the show in the PWHL, they may be forced to look for the silver lining at Worlds in more ways than one.

The Series Is Now A Scouting Opportunity

The men's World Championships is often a time where top teenage prospects have an opportunity to play alongside NHL and European professional players, showing how their skills and physical maturity match up. With the PWHL launching their inaugural campaign, top NCAA prospects who compete in the Rivalry Series will have a unique opportunity to compete against the best North American professionals with the benefit of being scouted. Last season Canada brought Ashton Bell, Megan Carter, Sarah Fillier, Julia Gosling, and Danielle Serdachny to December Rivalry Series games. Bell was a second round draft pick of PWHL Ottawa, while the other four remain in the NCAA and will be candidates for invitations this season. USA brought Lacey Eden, Grace Zumwinkle, Jesse Compher, Tessa Janecke, Hannah Bilka, Taylor Heise, Rory Guilday, Abbey Murphy, Cayla Barnes, Caroline Harvey, Haley Winn, Maureen Murphy, Riley Brengman, Kelsey King, and Gabby Rosenthal to the Rivalry Series in November and December, with Heise, Zumwinkle, Compher, and Murphy all hearing their names called at the PWHL Draft. Whomever is invited this year will get a unique opportunity to be scouted for coming Drafts.

Could Injuries Impact Future Involvement?

In a perfect world, no one playing in the Rivalry Series will be injured. But it's bound to happen whether it's this year, next, or in the future. How the PWHL responds to that could potentially define future in-season involvement in the Series. The concern over injuries, insurance, and contractual obligations has been a concern at the NHL level for international play, but given the evolution of women's hockey which has centred  around international competition, there is different value placed on representing your country in North American women's hockey compared to men's among pros. While injury at the Rivalry Series itself could be one concern, if the Series schedules itself in PWHL breaks, the opportunity to rest and recoup in what will become an increasingly grueling calendar for professional women's hockey players will be another point to consider. We've seen NHL players skip all-star festivities to rest and recoup. As the PWHL gains footing and the importance of the league's playoff standings and personal performances impacting contracts grows, so too could considerations about Rivalry Series participation.

Opportunity For Growth

In terms of promoting the PWHL, the Rivalry Series games in November and December could be the best opportunity to grow and highlight the inaugural season of the PWHL before the puck drops.

With national television coverage, the Rivalry Series games this season will not only be filled with discussion of the national teams, but also where those players are headed to compete for this winter in the PWHL. In particular, the Ontario based games and the February game in Minnesota are incredible opportunities to build fan bases for Minnesota, Ottawa, and Toronto teams.