PWHL Mailbag Part 1: Expansion, Mascots, Trade Talk, & More

In Part 1 of this week's PWHL Mailbag, we answer your questions on expansion, independent ownership, trades, team mascots and more.

This week's PWHL Mailbag is a big one, as fans seemed to have more questions than answers this time around. In fact it was so big, we split it in two with part two coming tomorrow. 

From expansion, to arenas, mascots, to trades, here's a look at some of your questions. Come back tomorrow for more!

Will PWHL be getting Mascots?! Like Gritty!

The short answer from the league on this was "no." I've seen this discussion play out many times online, and whether it's a Queen Bee or a Trash Panda in Toronto, or an Elsa-like Ice Queen in Minnesota, or the fabled Pizza Rat in New York, fans have debated this topic. For the forseeable future however, it's not on the PWHL's radar according to the league. it's not that the league wouldn't like to do this, but right now with expansion, Takeover Tours, and the continued efforts to lay a sustainable foundation for professional women's hockey, the league is already working overtime to ensure the success of the PWHL, and they're focusing on prioritizing efforts on current projects.

Any chance of the Fleet playing in an arena closer to Boston next year?

100%. PWHL Advisory Board member Stan Kasten has stated from the very beginning that the league would be continuously monitoring each market and each venue and would adapt as needed. We saw it this year in Montreal with the permanent move from Verdun to Place Bell. We also saw it in Toronto with the jump from Mattamy to Coca-Cola Coliseum, and in New York with the move to the Prudential Center in Newark, a venue that was not in any way in the plans to start year one. If you look at what the league did in New York, they tested Prudential late in the season. This year, the league recently announced a pair of March games for the Boston Fleet to be played at the 6,150 seat Agganis Arena...in Boston. Lowell has proven a significant barrier for fans, and finding any way to minimize that would be a win for the league and franchise. 

What caused the Girard/Saulnier trade? Any more moves coming?

Taylor Girard and Jill Saulnier are both players capable of contributing in this league, but the start to this year has not gone well for either. They both provide a veteran presence, but it was obvious both needed a new opportunity. Girard had some noticeable moments in her most recent outing with New York, and Saulnier hit a season high in time on ice in her most recent with Boston. From what I've gathered, Saulnier requested a trade, and eventually a partner came up. I'd be shocked if there aren't more moves being considered right now. The Toronto Sceptres still need to make a move when Natalie Spooner returns and it will be a cascading one as they'll not only need to move a player to reserve, but they'll also need to fully release a reserve player...unless, they can make a deal before. The problem is Toronto can't take in another player, so it would be a trade for the rights to a non-rostered player, or it would need to be a two for one. Toronto's entire fourth line of Maggie Connors, Noemi Neubauerova, and Kaitlin Willoughby could be on the block, and there will certainly be teams who would look that group. It would also not be surprising to see New York get back into the market, this time with more need in mind than necessity, and it would not be surprising to see Boston as their trade-mate again. Boston will have too many defenders if/when Hadley Hartmetz returns, and New York needs defensive depth in their 6/7 role. New York has a select group of forwards who could be worth a role of the dice for Boston as well. The other team to watch is Montreal. With Dominika Laskova skating again, there's a chance we could see her return for the final stretch of the season, which would necessitate some kind of roster shift. Right now it would be more likely to see Montreal deploy Laskova as a forward, so take what you may from that.

What is the PWHL saying on the future of private ownership and timing for that, especially for the expansion teams?

This is a single entity ownership league, and there is no plan to change that just yet. While the model has a plethora of obvious issues, particularly for players who are currently trapped in a restrictive CBA that was not even voted on by the vast majority of workers in this league for six more years, the league is not considering selling teams any time soon. Independent ownership would benefit the players, but right now, the PWHL's singular focus is establishing a lasting foundation. The league, in many ways, should be looked at as more of an entertainment business, rather than a traditional league. When they expand this year, it's an investment toward a future payout. The Mark Walter Group will certainly evaluate whether they can make more money running teams as a singular business, or by selling franchises for $50+ million each in a few years to see a return on investment. If the value is in operating teams, we might not see independent owners for many years. Whatever happens will be a decision based on making money for the current owners, not one made with the benefit of players or the growth of the sport itself in mind per say. There's no guarantee it ever happens, but if it does, we're at least a few years away as ownership waits to maximize their profit on a significant initial investment. When it does happen, it's unlikely the league, nor incoming owners, will want to do it piecemeal. New owners will want equal say in the league, which would require a full sell off. That's a move that is easier said than done, so any type of move toward that is a process that will be difficult to keep private, and could take weeks, or it could take years. Whenever it does happen, the league will need a commission, and a new governance format.

Is there a timeline to hear about expansion?

Here's the response from the PWHL on this question that has been asked thousands of times by fans on social media and at games. There is "No specific timeline to share right now regarding expansion. There are a lot of markets that we are looking at with great opportunities to offer. We are using several data points to evaluate proposals and if there are markets that meet all criteria and it makes smart business sense, then we’ll move forward with them for the 2025-26 season."

One key word from that response is "if." While many believe two teams are definitely coming in time for next season, there are no guarantees. The league isn't going to rush a decision of this magnitude. For year one, many decisions were rushed out of necessity. Now that the league has time, they'll take as much as needed to get this right. Expansion will come, but it might be one team this year, two teams, or no teams until the following year.