PWHL camps are underway. Teams continue hiring, the league continues hiring, and clubs are already dealing with injuries and players out for various reasons.
PWHL camps are underway. Teams continue hiring, the league continues hiring, and clubs are already dealing with injuries and players out for various reasons.
PWHL training camps are officially underway with players having completed physical testing, gone through medical exams, and each team stepped on the ice for their first practices.
Here's a look at what's happening around the league.
PWHL Continues Hiring For Various Roles
On a media call this week, PWHL advisory board member Stan Kasten stated the league now employs over 120 people, and they're continuing to hire. Each team should soon have media communications staff in place to help fans and media stay up to date with news and information about players, staff, and teams.
As well, the league this week posted six jobs looking for an Account Manager overseeing Ticket Sales, Service & Activation in each market.
Injuries Keep Key Players Off The Ice, Others Absent
Not every player took to the ice this week. Two of the most prominent players kept out of the start of camp were in PWHL Montreal where goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens and defender Erin Ambrose were both kept off the ice. Desbiens' injury caused her to miss the November stops of the Rivalry Series, while Ambrose suffered an undisclosed injury playing for Canada in the second game of the Rivalry Series.
In Toronto, Blayre Turnbull was held out of Toronto's first two practices as well, raising injury questions with one of Toronto's inaugural signings.
While not believed to be injury related, Natalie Spooner and Victoria Bach each missed one of Toronto's first two practices as well. According to The Score's Kyle Cushman, PWHL Toronto is aware Bach is not going to "be on the ice all the time right now."
In New York, Claire Thompson is set to join PWHL New York to skate, although she was not with the team fully this week. The Canadian star is expected to be a reserve for New York as she finishes medical school at New York University.
Excitement Abound Across The League
Speaking this week to players, agents, general managers, and coaches, the response to the opening of training camps has been overwhelmingly positive. While there is still a lot of work to do in almost every location, including constructing locker rooms, league schedules, and securing venues, the formation of teams is underway, and will be the most forward facing aspect of the PWHL's launch.
If the league can arrange ticket sales and marketing strategies in time for puck drop is one thing, but regardless of how many fans are in the stands, or how the games are broadcast, when people see the product on the ice, it will easily be the best league in women's hockey history.
Players at training camp have expressed their approval of what they were met with, stating that team staff were well prepared and there was a distinctly professional feel to the open of camp. It's a heartening response from many players who in recent months have been disheartened time and again.
In hockey, momentum is everything, and there's a distinct feeling momentum may be shifting as the league looks to turn the corner toward their final push before January.
Teams Fill Out Their Staffs
By now, PWHL teams across the league have completed their staffs, but fans continue to learn about those individuals.
As first reported by La Presse, PWHL New York continues to pull talent from Quebec to fill out their staff. A former professional hockey player herself, Katia Clément-Heydra is the new team services manager in New York, while Noémie Chartier-Lefrançois will be the athletic therapist for New York. PWHL New York also added Christophe Perreault as the club's director of recruitment and advanced statistics.
According to Radio Canada, alongside Kori Cheverie and Eric Houde, Montreal has also brought in Alexandre Tremblay, Olivier Michaud and Noémie Marin to their coaching staff. Marin was a three-time CWHL champion with Montreal and a two-time Patty Kazmaier finalist while playing for Minnesota-Duluth. She's spent the past nine seasons as head coach of John Abbott College.
Minnesota also added to their coaching staff announcing the hirings of skills coach Johnny Seibel and goaltending coach Brennan Poderzay this week.