PWHL: Six Things You Need To Know

Teams and the league continue to make meaningful progress toward the historic launch of the PWHL in January. With 18 players currently assigned to teams either through the free agency period or draft, and dozens more having agreed to training camp invites, rosters are beginning to take shape. Off the ice, the league continues to hire in all roles, including teams filling out their coaching and scouting staffs. 

With all of the forward progress, a few speed bumps can be expected, and the league continues to work through them. As for the players, they also continue to learn about the contract situation, roster spots, and more. Here's a look at six things you need to know this week from the PWHL.

Ottawa definitely brought in a wide selection of skilled forward to help fill out their roster. The need to grab additional talent was was magnified by Audrey-Anne Veillette's offseason injury. Ottawa knew of her injury at the draft, which is probably why the team chose to wait until their final pick, 89th overall to grab the talented scorer. Veillette is likely to miss training camp, and depending on the path her recovery takes, could be out into the season. The invites of Mikyla Grant-Mentis, Natalie Snodgrass, Becca Gilmore, Fanni Gasparics, Akane Shiga, Rosalie Demers, Malia Schneider, and Liliane Perreault will be in fierce competition for at least four roster spots. Depending on how Ottawa approaches their roster breakdown whether they choose to carry 13 or 14 forward, a group of these eight forwards will either need to look at reserve spots.

It's believe each team will be able to designate two reserve players creating a league-wide pool of at least 12 players. Some players were given the option of becoming reserve players including Melodie Daoust, Claire Thompson, and Patti Marshall, for various reasons. Since these players are not currently eligible for a standard players agreement, it's uncertain if they'll be at training camps. It's also unclear if there's a loophole available for these players to become full time players in their desired markets once the season begins as the CBA clearly states "Teams may add a Reserve Player to their Roster through an SPA..." Those details will likely be clarified in league bylaws and other protocol as they're developed.

A standard player agreement (SPA) existed in the collective bargaining agreement published on the PWHLPA website, but apparently this is not the SPA that will be used in the PWHL this season. In other words, no one, including the 18 players announced by the league and their respective teams are officially signed to standard player agreements for this season. The 18 free agents signed letters of intent with the league as the SPA continues to be developed. The absence of free agent signings following the draft is likely a case of needing something to physically sign, as teams now hold the rights to players they drafted, minimizing the need to complete this immediately. There's a lot to figure out in launching a new league, and the PWHL is doing it at a sprint. All in good time, but when the SPAs are complete, we'll certainly see a wave of draft picks being signed, and the 18 free agents will formally put pen to paper on their SPAs. In the long run, it will be a blip on the radar as players formally sign and the puck drops.

The SPAs are certainly a focus at the moment. As are venues, logos, team names, training camp locations, regular season scheduling, as PWHL staff work around the clock to meet their deadlines. Similarly, teams have been hiring staff, from coaching to social media, to get their own markets covered. Within these moments, the PWHL continues to meet hurdles, and leap over them toward the finish line of league launch in January. With each franchise calling a major metropolitan market home, housing is a hurdle that has arisen. Some teams are looking into billet options, particularly during training camp and preseason action as teams and players are reporting difficulty finding housing locations fitting the preseason and in-season stipends. Along the lines of relocation of players, visas have been another issue for some players, specifically when a requirement is a concrete job offer, whether that be Canadians who were selected by American teams, or European players trying to stay in North America. That said, it's an issue all are aware of and will certainly be worked out in time for camps to open. 

Most predicted following Kirsten Campbell's selection as Toronto's lone goalie following the PWHL free agency and draft periods that the team would be the prime spot for most goaltenders heading into training camps. The list has drastically narrowed however. PWHPA alumni Shea Tilley, who many presumed would be a top candidate to join Toronto is not headed to the PWHL this season. The list of netminders headed elsewhere, including Cami Kronish, Lindsay Browning, Maddie Rooney, Lauren Bench, Lindsay Post, Kassidy Sauve, Rachel McQuigge, and Samantha Ridgewell also reduces the availability pool. Of course Toronto has already secured CJ Jackson and Amanda Makela, two highly capable players for training camp, but they'll also be in competition with Montreal for the final available netminders, unless Gina Kingsbury is happy with Jackson and/or Makela as the back up and third goalie. Marlène Boissonnault is likely the best available goaltender not currently confirmed to a training camp, along with netminders like Sydnee Scobee, Alice Philbert, and Erica Howe. And Alex Cavallini's future status also remains unknown. Any way you slice it, goaltending in Toronto is a topic to follow.

Presumably, when the small group of players currently playing in Europe on short term contracts, or season long contracts with exit clauses join their PWHL teams, a batch of roster spots will open in Europe. Czech stars Aneta Tejralova and Dominika Laskova who were selected by Ottawa and Montreal respectively will open a pair of blueline spots in the SDHL when they depart. Defensive positions are at a premium, but teams including Ottawa, Minnesota, New York, and Toronto could see themselves needing to shed a blueliner during camp, and undoubtedly there will be SDHL teams waiting to pounce. If Cami Kronish sticks in Boston, AIK will be on the lookout for another goaltender immediately, and the list of potential netminders is long. Minttu Tuominen is on a similar deal in Finland's Naisten Liiga, but as a Finnish player herself, she won't open a spot for another international player. The same could be said for Alina Muller in Switzerland. Katerina Mrazova signed a deal in Sweden's second division with Farjestad, which will be another location with a spot to fill when tryouts open in November.