PWHL Rumblings: Eerily Quiet As Trade Deadline Approaches, New Jersey, Worlds, and More

Trade deadline? PWHL to New Jersey? World Championship news? More international players in the PWHL draft? Here's what we're hearing and seeing from across the league this week.

The PWHL Trade Deadline and roster deadline are here, and the league is sitting on the precipice of their longest break of the season with the IIHF World Championships approaching. Here's what we're seeing and hearing from across the PWHL this week.

Speaking to general managers across the PWHL, unless something materializes out of necessity in the next 24 hours, it's been eerily void of discussion and quiet related to potential trades. One GM used that exact phrase, "eerily quiet." Another said the combination of no picks and salary rules, makes the absence of trades, or at least a flurry of trades a likelihood. Feedback from other GMs including "nothing going on" and "minimal." With the Gold Plan in place, and every team still in the playoff hunt, it could be an eerily quiet trade deadline.

A PWHL contact confirmed this week that the PWHL is in the final stages of booking a game for PWHL New York to host at least one of their final games, which are still listed as too be determined for location, at the New Jersey Devils' home rink, the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. After a record low attendance at the team's last game in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the league is continuing to examine alternative locations in the area, including the 16,514 Prudential Center. Built in 2007, the facility is still newer than many in the PWHL and NHL, and could prove to be a future home site for PWHL New York. Currently the NHL's Devils are the long professional primary tenant of the arena. 

While players across the globe continue in the PWHL regular season, NCAA and USports playoffs, and SDHL playoffs in Europe, Team China arrived three weeks early to Utica on Tuesday this week. They'll begin practicing and training at the Utica facility in preparation for their first appearance in the IIHF's top division. Only two years ago they were competing in the Division IB tournament and have since experienced a rapid rise. That ascension, however, was powered primarily by dual passport players like PWHL Toronto's Hannah Miller, PWHL Montreal's Leah Lum, and NCAA players including Tia Chan, Anna Segedi, Camryn Wong, and Kasunda Betinol. This year however, as they enter the division where these players propelled them to, China has chosen to not allow dual passport players to play. They'll field a team exclusively comprised of players from the Chinese Women's League.

The PWHL featured players from 13 nations this season, and if the players declaring for the PWHL Draft have anything to say about it, that number will grow next season. Norway's Mathea Fischer, who plays in the SDHL is expected to declare, and she'll likely be joined in that declaration by fellow Norwegians Emma Bergesen and Ena Nystrom. Another SDHL player declaring is the Netherlands' Kayleigh Hamers. Hamers is a strong skating defender who cool be an under the radar addition to benefit a PWHL blueline. The other international addition to the PWHL next season could be Italy's Nadia Mattivi who captained Boston University this season and is draft eligible. 

One team enduring significant injury worries is PWHL Montreal. Not only do they have more short term injuries being dealt with by Marie-Philip Poulin, Ann-Sophie Bettez, and Gabrielle David, the team also has long term injuries to key players Dominika Laskova and Kennedy Marchment. More than a month after her injury, Dominika Laskova remains on crutches at PWHL Montreal practices and games. She was left off Czechia's World Championship roster meaning they expect her injury to last another month at least. Kennedy Marchment is believed to require, or already undergone surgery for an upper body injury, and remains in a sling. The injuries are certainly what prompted PWHL Montreal to add Mikyla Grant-Mentis to their roster as a reserve.