The PWHL is running out of time, but time is the league's best friend. In time, the league will succeed and thrive.
Time is of the essence. Only time will tell. Time is not on your side. In the nick of time. Time heals all wounds. Each of these idioms could or has at some point described the PWHL. Time, however, is not something the PWHL has had in abundance, but time will be the league's best friend.
Acquiring the PHF on June 29, 2023, the PWHL set the ambitious goal of launching an entire league in six months. If we could turn back the hands of time, perhaps things would have happened differently, but Stan Kasten and the league's new ownership committed to getting the women on the ice this winter.
Regardless of the stumbles, the errors, the issues, and the anger from fans, there was no more important decision made than getting the athletes back on the ice, and it's because of that choice, that time has been such a limiting factor to what has been done.
The alternative, asking the 150 women who will be part of the PWHL this season, to miss an entire season in their career, could have been a death blow even if special events or showcases had been arranged.
Ready or not, the PWHL will hit the ice in January, and that's the most important item in the entire discussion. Women from the PWHPA, NCAA, PHF, USports, and Europe, will come together in the best league in the world. Will it have the best of everything in year one? Probably not. Will it have the best talent pool in the world? Absolutely.
Players will have jerseys, and they will compete for something real. Games will be televised, there will be sponsors, there will be tickets and fans, there will be arenas, most with brand new dressing rooms and facilities for players, and a foundation will be poured.
The alternative is unthinkable. To what extent the PWHL is able to deliver on the above will largely be limited by time, but this league is not being built for a single season, it's being built for permanency.
Despite the rushed feeling now, when the puck drops, there is still time to work on things. As Stan Kasten told media last week, the work will not end when the puck drops.
Women's hockey history has been fraught with leagues sinking. The WWHL, COWHL, NWHL, CWHL, NWHL again, PHF, and PWHPA.
Few believe this league will join that list, although it's natural for long time fans and media members to have anxiety or doubts given that past. Which is why time will continue to be an issue for the PWHL, but it will also be the league's best friend. As Kasten said, the best thing the PWHL can do now is "deliver." Whether it's immediately, in season, or next season, the league must and will deliver.
Time will prove the viability and stability of professional women's hockey. Time will also heal the wounds of players and fans. The feud between players is now officially over. There are certainly still the haves and have-nots, but in time, specifically in three years when the guaranteed contracts end, those divisions will begin to mend as well.
Looking at the faces of the players in training camps, time has already started working its magic. Smiling faces and rave reviews from across the league have been common place. Positivity in comments about facilities, coaches, team staff, and equipment has been the norm. And the players? They don't hate the generic team jerseys. And the fans? Well, they might not like the jerseys, but they love the players wearing them, and they'll love the calibre of hockey. Bad jerseys come and go, and these are far from bad, they're just not what fans envisioned. In time, those visions will be realized as well. After all, even the worst jerseys in hockey history (looking at you New York Islanders fisherman jersey) make retro comebacks, and become a piece of nostalgia for fans.
With time, jerseys won't matter, logos won't matter, team names won't matter, because eventually they'll be complete, and getting them right is better than getting them fast. When a new house is built, you don't put up the frame before you pour the foundation, and you don't hang the art before you finish the drywall. So yes, there might be a few blank walls, but as long as the foundation, and the wires running through those walls are done right, the rest can be decorated later.
The PWHL has received its fair share of critique, including from me, but from critique comes improvement. Media and fans will certainly continue to voice their concerns, provide feedback, and be critical if and when issues arise, but all leagues have problems. The founding meeting for the NHL occurred almost 105 years ago in November of 1917. If you look at the NHL today, whether it's the handling of the Chicago Blackhawks scandal, Pride jerseys, or the ongoing denial of CTE, not to mention many in game issues, the league is still making mistakes.
Looking at those issues, the PWHL has a chance to take steps to protect players' health in ways the NHL never did. Could players be paid more? Absolutely. Should agents be allowed to collect a fee for players in the league in order to advocate for their rights? Absolutely. Did the league drop the ball on the compassionate circumstances waiver? Sure. Could names and logos have been in the works since 2022 when Billie Jean King and Mark Walter came on board? Definitely. In the future, players will be paid more, the compassionate circumstances waiver will likely never be used again, the issue with agents can be rectified quickly, and there will absolutely be logos and names. Some fans will love them, others will hate them, but inevitably, fans will be fans, and they'll cheer for and support their team and players.
At PWHL training camps, players currently appear, and report being unaffected by many of the issues being raised. And in time, the hurt from a small group of PWHPA players' pot shots at the PHF, of fans losing beloved teams, and of the fallout that ensued from all of the above, will ease. Time will heal all wounds. Few will be thinking of those moments when Megan Keller passes a trophy to Alina Muller, or Marie-Philip Poulin hands off hardware to Kati Tabin. All former gaps will be gone as teams form, games are played, and the future unfolds.
By the time Nela Lopusanova and Chloe Primerano step into the league, they'll be surrounded by support, a professional infrastructure, growing media coverage, and a talent base that will grow deeper by the year.
It's an exciting time for women's hockey. These are the early days of a league that will succeed...that has to succeed. If you look at the Mark Walter Group's history, there aren't many failures listed. There aren't sinking ships in the harbor. And I wouldn't expect this to be the exception.
Time is running out, but fans and players have been waiting long enough. In time, this will be just another story of women's hockey players overcoming adversity to achieve the once unattainable.