Behind a string of stellar performances, PWHL standouts Marie-Philip Poulin (Montréal), Corinne Schroeder (New York), and Sidney Morin (Boston) emerged as Monday's Stars of the Week.
After scoring two goals — including the superhero-style game-winner — in Wednesday's sold-out Takeover Tour win, Victoire captain Poulin registered an assist in front a record-breaking Denver crowd on Sunday to claim a three-point week.
Saturday belonged to Fleet defender Morin, who recorded a career-high five shots and notched both goals in Boston's 2-1 overtime win over Ottawa, doubling her single-goal scoring record last season.
The puck stops with Sirens goalie Corinne Schroeder
Sirens goaltender Schroeder made PWHL history on Sunday, becoming the first-ever goalie to record back-to-back regular-season shutouts.
New York's 1-0 victory over Toronto also made a mark, becoming the PWHL's first-ever scoreless game in regulation before New York's Jessie Eldridge found the back of the net in overtime.
Schroeder, who tops the league in average goals against (1.86) while sharing the lead in wins (5) and save percentage (0.935), hasn't conceded a goal in over 156 minutes of play.
"I think Schroeder has been our number one goalie for a long time," said Sirens coach Greg Fargo after the game. "She's been demonstrating the level of her play since day one, but there's a calmness to her game and a competitiveness that we really like right now."
How to watch PWHL games this week
While teams jockey for points one-third of the way through the PWHL's second season, individual athletes are separating themselves from the pack by tearing up the stat sheet.
The PWHL's stars are back on the ice in midweek action. First, the Toronto Sceptres visit the Ottawa Charge on Tuesday at 7 PM ET.
Then, Schroeder will try to add a third shutout to her record-setting goaltending streak when the New York Sirens host the league-leading Minnesota Frost at 7 PM ET on Wednesday.
Both games will stream live on YouTube.
This weekend saw the PWHL's second season hit the ground running with new rules, overtime upsets, and a bevy of goals punctuating opening-day wins for Toronto, Montreal, and New York.
With an elongated 2024/25 schedule including a Takeover Tour hitting nine non-market cities, the second-year league aims to harness and build on last season's momentum while eyeing 2025/26 expansion.
New PWHL 'No Escape' rule means more goals
Part of capitalizing on last year's success is an effort to increase excitement via more goals on this season's ice. To do so, the league debuted its "No Escape Rule" over the weekend, which bars players from being subbed off in the first penalty-kill face-off.
By keeping defensive specialists on the bench during early power-play moments, the PWHL is addressing the fact that defense ruled the day last season.
Though too early to properly assess, the weekend's trio of opening matchups served six power-play goals on 19 attempts, fully doubling last season’s efficiency rate.
Sceptres start second PWHL season with Boston beatdown
Toronto and Boston kicked off 2024/25 play, with Fleet captain Hilary Knight registering the league's first goal of the season three minutes into the Saturday afternoon game. Unfortunately, that would be Boston's only tally, as last season's regular-season champs took control to best the Fleet 3-1.
The Sceptres did so without the league's leading scorer, 2023/24 Billie Jean King MVP winner Natalie Spooner, who is still working back from knee surgery following her postseason injury last May.
In her stead, Sarah Nurse notched Toronto's equalizer, with Emma Maltais sending in the eventual game-winner late in the first period. Hannah Miller's power-play goal in the game's waning minutes cushioned the Sceptres' offense-heavy victory.
Overtime takes center ice to open PWHL season
The weekend's other two games needed additional time to decide a winner, with Saturday night's tilt culminating in Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin registering the game-winner in a shootout victory over the Ottawa Charge.
Still locked in a 3-3 tie following a scoreless overtime, Poulin's fifth-round penalty goal broke the stalemate to give the Victoire its first-ever shootout win in franchise history.
"To get that first win, it feels good to be at home, getting to have that shootout win," the 33-year-old star known as "Captain Clutch" noted after the game. "We just gotta keep going and don't take it for granted."
Notably, Ottawa goalie Emerance Maschmeyer made a massive season-opening statement in the loss, saving 42 of the 45 shots she faced to put the league's offensive lines on notice.
The biggest upset of the weekend went to New York, who defeated inaugural champions Minnesota 4-3 in overtime on Sunday. After conceding a bullet from Frost forward and 2023/24 Rookie of the Year Grace Zumwinkle 21 seconds into the game — the fastest goal in PWHL history — the Sirens kept answering to end regulation in a 3-3 tie.
With their own blink-or-you'll-miss-it moment, New York clinched the win 19 seconds into overtime, when rookie Sarah Fillier, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft, found veteran star Alex Carpenter, who buried the game-winning goal.
How to watch the PWHL this week
The PWHL will be all over the ice this week prior to their mid-December international break for the Euro Hockey Tour.
In the three midweek bouts, Toronto will take aim at hosts Ottawa at 7 PM ET on Tuesday, with live coverage on the PWHL's YouTube channel.
The puck will also drop on both of Wednesday's matchups at 7 PM ET, when Minnesota will visit Boston as each battles for a season-first win while overtime victors New York and Montreal face-off to remain undefeated. Both games will stream live on YouTube, with additional regional coverage for their respective matchups on NESN in Boston and MSG Network in New York.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has its first-ever draft pick, with Taylor Heise going to Minnesota with the first overall pick.
Draft order was determined via lottery, with the Minnesota franchise receiving the first pick. The full first-round selections were as follows:
- Minnesota – Taylor Heise, F, United States
- Toronto – Jocelyne Larocque, D, Canada
- Boston – Alina Müller, F, Switzerland
- New York – Ella Shelton, D, Canada
- Ottawa – Savannah Harmon, D, United States
- Montreal – Erin Ambrose, D, Canada
A total of 268 players are eligible and have declared for the draft, with many believing that NCAA standout Heise would be the first overall pick. A Minnesota native who played for the Golden Gophers and was co-captain her senior year, it seems almost scripted for her to begin her professional career at home under the leadership of Minnesota legend and PWHL general manager Natalie Darwitz, who was her coach at Minnesota.
“I’ve played in front of my Minnesota fans here for gosh, 15 years,” Heise told MPR News of the possibility of being drafted first overall to Minnesota. “Minnesota has the best fans in the nation. It’s the state of hockey for a reason. So it would mean a lot.”
And while Darwitz wouldn’t name names, she told the Associated Press that she already had a good idea of who she was going to select with the No. 1 overall pick.
Heise is the winner of the 2022 Patty Kazmaier Award, which goes to the top player in women’s college hockey. She also stars for Team USA, helping them to gold at women’s world championships in April.
“Minnesota is my home. Everyone that I love is there and it’s the state of hockey,” Heise said on the broadcast. “I’m just really honored I am going to be able to play and be able to show the little girls that anything is possible if you keep working hard.”
While players aren’t automatically signed to teams as a result of the draft, Heise’s signing is all but a given. Teams will retain the rights of drafted players for two years. Players can then re-enter the draft, but they are only allowed to do so once.
“Trailblazing is bold. It’s brave, and it can be very scary,” PWHL co-founder Billie Jean King said Monday before announcing Heise as the first PWHL pick. “It’s not about a single moment. It’s about a movement. Finally giving women professional hockey players the structure, the support and the platform they deserve. That hockey deserves.”
As the draft continues, Just Women’s Sports takes a look at who’s already signed with teams during the free agency period.
Minnesota
Heise rounds out what was a stout free agency period for Minnesota and Darwitz, which featured two of the team’s three signings hailing from the state. Kendall Coyne Schofield was the lone outsider, and even then she’s from Illinois. The USA Hockey star was joined by Kelly Pannek and Lee Stecklein, who both also captained the University of Minnesota.
Montreal
Having the final pick of the first round in the draft meant that Montreal and general manager Danielle Savageau needed to make a splash elsewhere, and they did. They signed Marie-Philip Poulin, arguably the top player in the women’s game and captain of Team Canada. She’ll be joined by Laura Stacey, whose versatility is overshadowed by Team Canada’s star power. In net, the team will have Ann-Renée Desbiens, automatically making them a contender in this league.
Boston
Boston and general manager Danielle Marmer have the most balanced signings of any team, starting hot with Team USA captain and reigning world champion Hilary Knight at forward. Megan Keller, a three-time Patty Kazmaier Award finalist at Boston College, backs her up on defense, while Northeastern star, 2021 Patty Kazmaier Award winner and world champion Aerin Frankel will star in net for the Boston team. There’s a lot riding on this team, as Boston were three-time champions and two-time reigning champions in the PHF.
New York
Pascal Daoust brought the present and future to New York with his signings, bringing in young star Abby Roque while adding decorated veteran Alex Carpenter to help guide Roque. Carpenter has a wealth of professional experience, and had nine points at the world championships this year en route to winning a gold medal with Team USA. Team Canada defender Mica Zandee-Hart is the heart of the defense, and the lone player to not sign with a team in her home country as a native of British Columbia.
Toronto
Gina Kingsbury started her tenure as general manager by signing a pair of star forwards in Sarah Nurse and Blayre Turnbull. She also added Renata Fast, one of just four defenders signed in the initial free agency period.
Ottawa
Three Team Canada veterans joined general manager Michael Hirshfeld’s squad in free agency: forwards Emily Clark and Brianne Jenner and goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer.