Injuries are going to impact some teams at the preseason camp, while there were some interesting revelations from the PWHL's schedule release. Here's what we're hearing this week.
The first round of cuts have finished, and PWHL teams are now prepared to face-off against each other heading into the league's centralized Preseason Camp in Utica, New York,
With the full schedule announced, the league is now closer than ever to launching. Here's some things we're hearing and seeing around the league this week.
Injuries Plaguing Camps
There are a few injuries that continue to impact PWHL teams and training camps. In New York, Micah Zandee-Hart remains out and could reportedly miss the season opener, and potentially the opening weeks of the inaugural season. She's joined on the sideline by Madison Packer, who is much closer to return as she continues to heal from an injury in an intrasquad scrimmage. Unlike Zandee-Hart, it sounds as though Packer will be ready for the season. In Montreal, Erin Ambrose remains out, and her absence from Canada's Rivalry Series roster shows that she's still weeks, if not longer, away from return.
So it's New York after all?
Like a picture of two spidermans pointing at one another, people have been trying to figure out who the real PWHL New York is for months. Is it a team playing out of Bridgeport, Connecticut, or is it a team playing on Long Island, New York. The answer? Both. Even when the league announced their official venues this season, no mention of regular home games at UBS Arena, home of the NHL's New York Islanders was mentioned causing even more confusion when the schedule was finally released. For some fans, it provides easier access to the team in New York City, and hope that the New York name had meaning all along. Along with the four regular season games at UBS, three of New York's final four games have no time or date attached. The uncertainly? It's easy to see that the location and time of those games will depend on the New York Islanders' playoff hopes. PWHL New York's unfinalized home games are on April 21, April 30, and May 4. The NHL regular season schedule ends April 18, with the Islanders' ending their season the day prior at UBS against Pittsburgh. If the PWHL is in fact waiting for the Islanders, scheduling of those games may not occur for months.
All Hands On Deck
Many fans were pleasantly surprised to see 30 staff listed on the PWHL's website. Among those staff were several former players including former Canadian national team netminder Genevieve Lacasse who serves as the league's Manager of Corporate Sponsorships and Sales. Lacasse, who played in the PWHPA last year retired prior to the draft to take a job with the league. Another former player is Chelsea Purcell who spent three seasons in the CWHL from 2011 to 2014. Purcell is the league's Senior Director of Partnerships. Another former CWHL and PWHPA athlete is Alexis Miller, the league's Director of Player Experience. Miller won a U-18 World Championship gold with Canada before captaining Boston University and playing two seasons of pro. This week in Utica, New York, it's expected that nearly all of the PWHL's staff will be on hand to work on finalizing game day operations and other aspects of league logistics.
Goodbye Back-To-Backs
In the PHF last season, teams would generally travel for a road game series, playing on back-to-back nights before returning home to reduce travel costs. Looking at the PWHL schedule, that won't be happening. Teams will play a more varied schedule each week, with games on every night of the week as Jayna Hefford told media in November. The promise stayed true thanks to a lone Thursday night game on April 18 in Lowell between Boston and Toronto.
Who makes the cut?
It will be interesting to see how the PWHL's preseason camp plays out in Utica. Speaking to league general managers, not every PWHL team will be looking to add players in the second waiver window. Many feel confident with the players they have and the culture they're forming in camp, although the opportunity to see players in game situations could change everything. While teams will give players an equal shot throughout the week, one game will be telling, Tuesday's PWHL Fan Fest game. The only game open to the public will feature Ottawa against New York, and it's expected both teams will field a stronger lineup that night, which could tip the hand of fans as to who has the edge for roster spots on those teams.