Entering year three, the PWHL continues to gain momentum in attendance, merchandise, and this season, in adding two new markets to the league. According to the PWHL, they remain ahead of schedule in most metrics, but the league also knows they remain in the early stages, and there remains room to grow.
Attendance growth set new records this year, and with two new teams will challenge those numbers again in 2025-26, but there are other items the league can address to help their product, visibility, marketability, and fan base growth.
Here's a look at five items the PWHL should make a priority this offseason.
1. Fix The League's Officiating Problems
Every sports league in the world sees fans complain about officiating. From umpires to referees, it's a common focus for the ire of fans. The PWHL however, seems to stand on their own in this category, as it goes beyond typical fan complaints, to legitimate issues, and more importantly, player confusion. Officiating, including many obvious missed calls and inconsistencies, has not only impacted the level of fan enjoyment and the quality of on-ice product, it has clearly impacted the outcome of games. No game should be decided by the error of officials, but it's becoming an all too common trend in the PWHL. Players themselves continue to report that after two seasons, they remain unclear on what is, and isn't a penalty in the league. It's not an environment that allows your product to flourish, and if you read and believe online critics, the level of inconsistency in PWHL officiating, from linespeople to referees, keeps some fans on the sidelines. The league needs to lean into training their officials, and should at some point hire a pool of officials who aren't bouncing between leagues, but rather are dedicated PWHL officials where they can focus on improving their own consistency within one set of rules and expectations. Similarly, the league needs to communicate expectations of calls, as it was obvious in the playoffs when the whistles went away despite obvious and blatant infractions altering the outcome of games.
As much as the on-ice consistency is crucial, fans made it clear they want to see more from the PWHL Player Safety Committee as well. The lack of accountability for repeat offenders, and lack of verbiage in the PWHL rule book related to illegal checks to the head and high sticking places the PWHL's player safety efforts related to head contact behind even the NHL, whose views on head contact are archaic. For their players, families, and fans, nothing could be more important than ensuring head contact remains out of the game, and repeat offenders are dealt with seeing increasing consequences.
2. Secure A National American Broadcasting Partner
The addition of two west coast markets should go a long way in this process. Not only can fans in the east now turn on their televisions to see a 7pm game (4pm in the west), they can now also watch 10pm games in the east (7pm in the west). It's huge for allowing networks to slot in games around existing commitments, and to extend the media day. The majority of weekday games in the PWHL this season started before the workday was even done out west. It was a barrier excluding massive markets of potential hockey fans that the league has wisely bridged. The addition of a Seattle and Vancouver combo could not have been more appropriate, and better selected, not only for the markets themselves, but for the expansion of the North American market in general. When the next round of expansion occurs, it would not be surprising to see yet another timezone targeted with markets like Denver and Edmonton filling the Mountain timezone. The PWHL made a bold move, but it's one that will pay dividends, likely to the tune of tens of millions in revenue, as soon as they can lock in a national broadcasting partner for the United States.
3. Fix The Disjointed Schedule
More than a month between home games. Stops and starts for international breaks. Changing game days and times with only a few days notice. Long midseason breaks for Worlds and Olympics. And a return from those events with only days remaining before playoffs. There's no doubt the gaps in schedule, the breaks, and the game times hindered attendance growth. Teams were unable to build momentum playing once, then stopping for a month, then returning to have another league-wide break. The issue of ensuring more weekend home games is another item for the league to address, and with the growth to market's like Vancouver, where the league will for the first time be a primary tenant in a venue will help. The freedom to schedule games any day the team likes in Vancouver is a massive advantage to building their fan base. If this remains a struggle for the league, they should tap Minnesota general manager Melissa Caruso for assistance as she was the main force behind the AHL's schedule, which is a 32 team league in two countries and multiple time zones. There's perhaps no more readily fixable, and pertinent item in helping the PWHL reach even more attendance growth and consistency than scheduling at this moment.
4. Continue To Grow Their Marketing For Existing Teams
When the New York Sirens held their end of year media availability, there were no local television or major New York newspapers in attendance. Outreach and forming positive media relations remains an ongoing process for the league. Similarly, if you ask fans of the New York Sirens or Boston Fleet if they've seen marketing for their teams on social media, or traditional pathways, for most it's an immediate 'no'. The PWHL continues to grow through word of mouth, national coverage, and organic social media content, but at some point, the PWHL will need to re-invest in helping certain markets, namely New York, get over the hump. New York has a massive potential fan base, including for women's sports, but getting people through the door for a first interaction with the league has proven difficult. The team certainly was hindered by the insecurity and bouncing between venues in year one, including venues located hours outside the city. Part of this might be expanding marketing and promotional efforts beyond the same dozen players the league trends toward, and showcasing the many unique people, players, and personalities this league has to offer. Expanding externally is crucial, but not at the expense of growing internally.
5. Put Out Public Facing Policy, Including Related To Gender Equity
Prior to launching the league, the PWHL promised a forthcoming gender equity and inclusion policy. Months later they said it was in the works. It appears the league does not see the importance in such a policy not only for their players, but for their diverse fan base. The league didn't say a peep on the International Day for Transgender Visibility despite the fact it was sandwiched between purported "Unity" games. The PWHL was the only major professional women's league in North America not to mark the day as the WNBA and NWSL both made public statements honoring the transgender community. The league however, was built with an openly transphobic member on the PWHPA's board, and struggled early with backlash over online transphobic posts from Minnesota Frost player Britta Curl-Salemme. The lack of policy at this point is a decision against inclusion and equity by the league. The fan base itself is what is holding equity in the PWHL accountable, and protecting the space they've come to love.
It's not the only publicly facing policy that is missing. The PWHL does not have publicly facing rules, policy, or bylaws for anything beyond the on-ice rulebook. This includes draft, expansion, free agency, agent certification, expansion, player eligibility and many other items that seemingly change on the fly. It's left fans, media, agents, and players seeking constant clarification, and at times allowed online speculation to run rampant, something the league certainly wants to avoid. Many of these items may exist in an updated version of the collective bargaining agreement, but the only existing copy of the CBA publicly available on the PWHLPA's website has not been updated since it was first ratified. That said, given the lack of transparency and understanding players and agents experience regularly, and at times even team staff, it's unlikely a new version of the CBA has been made available to many. The league needs publicly facing policy, by-laws, and rules that govern off ice dealings. The excuse here likely falls into the "single entity ownership" category that allows for these items to be controlled centrally, but seeking legitimacy also includes opening the doors on your operations so that fans, investors, media, and athletes can see what governs their careers and livelihoods.