From a primetime debut on Hockey Night in Canada to a heated provincial rivalry, the expansion franchise navigates a high-stakes trio of games to kick off their season.
PWHL Hamilton won't be easing into its inaugural season.
The expansion franchise will play its first three regular-season games in three very different settings, each carrying its own significance: a historic Hockey Night in Canada broadcast against the defending Walter Cup champions, the Toronto Sceptres' home opener, and finally the first PWHL regular-season game in Hamilton.
It begins Dec. 5 at Place Bell against the Montreal Victoire, where Hamilton will provide the opposition as the defending champions raise their Walter Cup banner.
That alone would make for a memorable first game in franchise history.
But the night will also mark a first for women's hockey in Canada, with the game becoming the first PWHL contest broadcast under the Hockey Night in Canada banner.
CBC will carry eight PWHL games in primetime on Saturday nights this season, beginning with Hamilton's debut in Montreal.
For Hamilton forward Brianne Jenner, the significance of that first game reaches back to her own childhood.
"To play on Hockey Night in Canada, that's what you dream about growing up," Jenner told CBC Sports. "You didn't think it was a possibility and now all of a sudden it is."
Hamilton will also be walking directly into a celebration for the league's reigning champions. Montreal captured the Walter Cup last season and will raise its championship banner before facing the PWHL's newest Ontario franchise.
Three nights later the team will introduce themselves to their nearest neighbors.
Hamilton travels to Coca-Cola Coliseum on Dec. 8 for the Toronto Sceptres' home opener, giving the two southern Ontario teams their first regular-season meeting.
The proximity of the two markets creates an obvious opportunity for a rivalry to develop between the franchises, and the league won't have to wait long to see what that looks like on the ice. Toronto and Hamilton are also scheduled to meet during the preseason on Nov. 23 at Morgan Firestone Arena. By Dec. 8, they'll already be familiar with one another.
Then, after opening with two significant games on the road, Hamilton finally gets its own night.
The franchise will play its inaugural home game Dec. 13 at TD Coliseum against the Ottawa Charge.
It will be the first opportunity for Hamilton fans to see their new team play a regular-season PWHL game at home and the culmination of an opening stretch that gets the team going in a hurry.
There's another connection in the matchup as well. Jenner spent the first three seasons of the PWHL with Ottawa before joining Hamilton through expansion, meaning her first regular-season game in Hamilton will come against her former team.
Jenner told CBC that being part of that process is something she doesn't take lightly.
"To be a part of building the culture, the team, the fan base in Hamilton is just a privilege," she said. "I feel really excited to be bringing the best in women's hockey to a city that really deserves it."
There will be plenty of time after that for Hamilton's first season to settle into the rhythms of a regular schedule. But three games in December will be a start to remember.
