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Although the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is only in its sophomore season, given the buzz it has already generated, one could assume it has been around much longer.
With recent expansion announcements and the playoffs approaching, the league's momentum is unmistakable. Co-hosts of the PWHL podcast 'Jocks in Jills', Tessa Bonhomme and Julia Tocheri, shared their insights with Sharisse Cohee of Sportskeeda on Thursday.
“I think it's fantastic,” Bonhomme said when asked about the growth of the league. “I think it speaks volumes to the success the league has had, not even through two seasons yet.”
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Bonhomme won gold with Hockey Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and has won multiple IIHF World Championships. After retiring from professional hockey, the former defender became a prominent broadcaster. She continued,
“I often feel like they talk about it like it's been around for 10 years, and it hasn't yet, and it's still managed to garner so much momentum and success.”
Tocheri, a native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, has become a groundbreaker in Canadian sports media. As the former co-host of TSN’s 'Leafs Lunch' she became one of only a few women in Canada to anchor an all-sports radio production.
League Expansion
On April 23, the PWHL announced its westward expansion to Vancouver, followed by a second addition—Seattle—just a week later.
The markets will be called PWHL Vancouver and PWHL Seattle until the official names are announced. The teams will play in the 2025-26 season, and the additions increase the number of teams in the league from six to eight.
“I think the fact that Vancouver and Seattle are the first two markets to join are fantastic. We got to go to Seattle for the Takeover Tour when it was there, and it was awesome. It's amazing,” Bonhomme said.
The PWHL’s Takeover Tour ran from Jan. 5 through March 29 and included nine neutral-site games throughout North America. All six teams competed in the tour, which included stops in Seattle, Vancouver, Denver, Quebec City, Edmonton, Buffalo (New York), Raleigh (North Carolina), Detroit, and St. Louis.
Bonhomme and Tocheri were in Seattle for the opening night, recording Jocks in Jills before the game. They spoke about the energy that they felt in the Emerald City.
“In that venue the people showed up and showed out for the game. It surprised me,” Bonhomme said. “I had no idea, and it was a nice way to have your eyes open.”
A crowd of 12,608 at Climate Pledge Arena witnessed the Boston Fleet rally to defeat the Montréal Victoire in a 3-2 shootout victory.
Tocheri also added that Seattle's inclusion in the PWHL means the team will share a home with trailblazer Jessica Campbell, the assistant coach of the Seattle Kraken. On the Kraken’s opening night, Oct. 8, Campbell debuted as the first woman in history to coach an NHL franchise.
“So, so much great news about Jessica Campbell this year,” Tocheri said. “And she’s created such a movement not just in Seattle, but people around the world are still amazed to see her behind the bench coaching an NHL game."
Bonhomme also discussed the success of the Takeover Tour and how it was instrumental in introducing the league to multiple fan bases.
“In Denver, they were chanting, ‘We want a team,’ and that was on them. No one else started that. Those were Denver hockey fans that started that.”
Denver played host to the third stop on the tour on Jan. 12. The crowd of 14,018 at Ball Arena made history, setting the record for the highest-ever attendance for a professional women’s hockey game in the United States at the time.
PWHL Playoff Picture
The last games of the 2024-25 regular season are Saturday, with a triple-header that will determine the final standings.
“The last games of the PWHL regular season are this weekend, and every single one means something, like, there is something on the line in every single one of those games,” Tocheri said.
Naturally, the Ontario native was most excited about the Ottawa—Toronto game because it resembled last year’s intense matchup.
“I'm most excited for Toronto [versus] Ottawa because they played the last day of last season as well, in the exact same scenario,” Tocheri explained. “Toronto was already in, and Ottawa needed a win to get into the postseason, and Ottawa did not get that win.”
The Ottawa Charge and New York Sirens did not qualify for the postseason last year.
“So, I'm pumped for the Battle of Ontario,” Tocheri exclaimed.
Bonhomme agreed with Tocheri but added that the second game of the triple-header has huge postseason implications. The contest between the Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost and the Boston Fleet will be a rematch of last year’s finals series.
“Minnesota is going to know what's happening in the Ottawa game, and they're one point behind Ottawa right now,” Bonhomme said. “And they're [Minnesota] playing a very tough Boston Fleet team that is so playoff ready, they're just built for the playoffs.”
Bonhomme was not too quick to count out the reigning Walter Cup champions, however. Commanded by veterans, including Captain Kendall Coyne Schofield, Bonhomme said she believes the team has what it takes to get the job done.
The Frost were able to keep their playoff hopes alive after shutting out host Ottawa 3-0 in a must-win game on Wednesday.
When asked if a potential dynasty may be on the horizon if Minnesota were to make it all the way, Tocheri admitted she would be intrigued, but she also said it’s time for a new champ.
“I'm a little bit intrigued by the idea of having a repeat champion, but I think I'm more intrigued by the idea of another legendary superstar in the game hoisting the Walter Cup this year,” Tocheri said. “We got to see Kendall Coyne do it last year. Maybe it's time to see Hilary Knight or Marie-Philip Poulin or Brianne Jenner hoist it above her head this season.”
The final game of the triple-header on Saturday is the New York Sirens versus the host Montréal Victoire.
A Special League
From the PWHL’s innovative rules and gameplay, such as the Jailbreak Goal and the use of a (3-2-1-0) point system, to the milestones and players it celebrates, the league has undoubtedly made a positive impact on women’s hockey, inclusion, and sports in general.
“I love the fact that they do things differently,” Bonhomme said. It's not just, OK, well, what are the men's leagues doing? It's like, no, this is our league. How do we want to do this?”
Bonhomme touched on one of her favorite moments from this season, which occurred on Tuesday, when Carly Jackson, a third-string goaltender for the Toronto Sceptres and the league’s only openly non-binary player, got their first PWHL start on Toronto’s Pride Night and was golden between the pipes.
Jackson made 25 saves through overtime and was picture-perfect in the shootout. They were named First Star of the Game after the 2-1 victory.
Tocheri added that one of the most special aspects of the PWHL is that everything, from conception to gameplay, is a celebration.
“It feels like a celebration,” Tocheri said. “This league exists because of the players that are in it. This league exists because Kendall Coyne got on the phone and called Billie Jean King and said, ‘how do we do this’?”
Olympic gold medalists Kendall Coyne Schofield and Sarah Nurse of the Toronto Sceptres were among the first to sign with the PWHL and helped negotiate the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
"This league exists because of the players. It's been a collective labor of love. The players made it happen,” Tocheri said. “Fans have been asking for this league for a long time.”
Now in its second season, Jocks in Jills continues to serve as a vibrant pulse-check on the PWHL, offering fans fresh insights twice a week. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday and are available on every major streaming platform.
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