NHL teams interested in purchasing franchises, general manager search nearing completion, new hirings happening.
While the public facing side of the new professional women's hockey league has remained relatively silent, behind the scenes, a flurry of activity is underway.
In fact, league staff and ownership have been working at a feverish pace, and the floodgates will soon open in terms of next steps and league logistics.
Here's what we're hearing this week:
More NHL 'Involvement' To Come?
Involvement could mean a variety of things, from marketing to collaborative events, which are all likely to continue between the NHL and women's hockey as it did in the era of the PWHPA and PHF.
What's to come however, could look markedly different as NHL franchise ownership groups have started to show interest in not just partnering, but purchasing franchises in the new professional women's hockey league.
When market locations are announced, speculation on this front will certainly grow, but it's a sign of the continued belief that this new league will be a success both in terms of the on-ice product, and financially.
At the league level, communication between the NHL and new pro league continues, and has been overwhelmingly positive according to multiple sources.
GM Interviews Set To Begin
Interviews for the six general manager positions to guide the teams within the new league are set to begin Monday.
This week, many candidates received email communication stating their applications were unsuccessful, while another group received notification they'll begin the interview process next week.
The application process is being handled by Bloom Sports Partners, and is overseen by former PWHPA lead Jayna Hefford, who has taken a hockey operations job with the new league.
New and Rumored Hirings
The news that Brian Burke, the long time NHL general manager, team president, and league employee is set to take on a leadership role with the players' union for the new professional women's hockey league was met with positive response Friday when The Hockey News broke the story.
Burke has been considered an advocate for women's hockey, and is a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, and also brings years of experience working with the NHL and professional hockey.
The other hiring that was made public this week was the hiring of Burton Lee as the league's new Director of Game Operations and Fan Experience within the Hockey Operations Department. Lee joins the league bringing experience working with the OHL's Peterborough Petes and CFL's Toronto Argonauts.
What about the players?
Conversations between player representatives and ownership continue as the league progresses toward the proposed launch in January 2024.
While little information has surfaced to date regarding player assignments to teams, the process for evaluation and selection, and any possible draft, it's likely we're about to see that change.
When the Mark Walter Group acquired the PHF, they set a 30-60 day target to distribute information regarding key logistical items, and those timelines remain intact. Expect the silence to end within the next two weeks as that deadline nears.