Five Things To Watch In The PWHL This Week

With PWHL teams finding their rhythm, there's plenty to watch both on and off the ice this week across the league. Here's five storylines worth following.

Pick a PWHL team or player and there's likely a storyline to follow. As the PWHL enters week three of existence, here's five storylines to follow.

After two weeks of PWHL play, few would have predicted the long list of goalless stars. The list includes Hilary Knight, Blayre Turnbull, Emily Clark, Elizabeth Giguere, Brianne Jenner, Loren Gabel, Becca Gilmore, Sophie Jaques, Jillian Dempsey, Brittany Howard, Renata Fast, Jocelyne Larocque, Jesse Compher, Jaime Bourbonnais, Alina Muller, Jincy Roese, Kristen O'Neill, Chloe Aurard, Jamie Lee Rattray, Susanna Tapani, and Maureen Murphy. That list will certainly shrink this week, and for whomever it doesn't, the goal scoring drought conversation will quickly begin.

According to PWHL board member Stan Kasten, merchandise is on the way. Not just a re-stock of the existing products, but new designs from a new vendor, including the sweaters and attire players have been wearing that many fans wanted. Kasten projected the merchandise would be available this week. In the meantime, it's clear the original vendor and merchandise offering sold well, but wasn't exactly what fans wanted. While some are excited for new options, others are still waiting for the merchandise they purchased prior to puck drop this year to arrive.

Home openers are done. Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal sold out their openers, while Minnesota set a new women's professional hockey world record. Some questioned what attendance would be like following those openers, a question Minnesota answered Sunday with a crowd of 7,951 to watch Minny play New York. The two top drawing teams to date Minnesota and Ottawa will play Wednesday in Ottawa. Ottawa who drew over 8,300 fans for their opener should be upwards of 7000 again for game two. The real watch will occur in Boston and New York's next home games as they are the locations many anticipate will have more work to do in building an in-person fan base.

When you're two weeks into an inaugural season, it seems ridiculous to talk about all-star selections, but the NHL All-Star Thursday which will feature 3-on-3 competition among PWHL stars is only two weeks away. The league selected a group of well-known national team players who may not all be "all-stars" early on but in terms of showcasing the league and to the men's hockey world, the league went safe. If this is a harbinger for February's frigid Rivalry Series, we may see more of the same, but for the first time ever, USA and Canada will have PWHL performances to consider. Could we finally see Corinne Schroeder play a game for Canada, and has Jessie Eldridge played her way back in? What about Lexie Adzija, Mikyla Grant-Mentis, Daryl Watts, Brooke Hobson and others? On the American side will Grace Zumwinkle, Maureen Murphy, or Paeytn Levis draw in for a look? Will USA bring in Kali Flanagan or Jincy Roese? And as important, who has played themselves out of the conversation?

The IIHF U-18 World Championships ended Sunday with USA winning gold, Czechia silver, and Canada bronze. On display was a wave of talent including Chloe Primerano, Caitlin Kraemer, Adela Sapovalivova, Maggie Scannell, and Nela Lopusanova. Those names worked their way into public consciousness in PWHL broadcasts, and in conversations in dressing rooms as the league's North American and international players watched with interest. For the first time, the U-18 World Championship opened with athletes knowing the route to pro hockey. At the NCAA level, the top 28 goaltenders were named to a watch list. While most of the PWHL's goaltending positions are under wraps next year, there will be teams looking to add to their crease depth. Similarly, the Patty Kazmaier Award is beginning to come into focus. This year's PWHL Draft was based on a number of factors. The 2024 draft will perhaps be even more important given the skill available, and the opportunity to address needs which are already becoming clear.