2024-25 PWHL season

[BowWowWow]

The Frost have repeated as PWHL Walter Cup champions! They won game 4 in overtime 2-1, at home, on a goal by Liz Schepers, after Tereza Vanišová had tied up the game 1-1 in the 3rd. Rooney was in net for her 5th playoff win this year.

Philips was named Kloss Playoff MVP, with a .952 save percentage and 1.23 goals-against in the playoffs, topping all other goalies in the playoffs.

 

[Steamboat]

Over 11,000 in attendance.

 

[BowWowWow]

All three goals scored in game 4 came from passes from behind the goal line, for a shot in close to the net.

And in a sign of parity between the teams, all games in the Finals ended 2-1 in OT.

 

[Timothy A]

All three goals scored in game 4 came from passes from behind the goal line, for a shot in close to the net.

And in a sign of parity between the teams, all games in the Finals ended 2-1 in OT.

I wonder how the 2 team expansion will affect the parity.

The 4th place team beat the 3rd place team for the title. Interesting.

With 8 teams next year hopefully all 8 make the playoffs.

 

[ARM]

With 8 teams next year hopefully all 8 make the playoffs.

I'm trying to sort out whether or not that would be a good thing. Given seeding has meant nothing thus far, about the only value of the regular season has been to eliminate a couple of teams.

 

[Ditra]

I'm trying to sort out whether or not that would be a good thing. Given seeding has meant nothing thus far, about the only value of the regular season has been to eliminate a couple of teams.

It feels like current set up has a cost savings element to it. Best of five versus seven, lower seed has first two games and then travel to higher seed for remaining three. With the addition of west coast teams travel cost will go up next year. I wonder if they just keep it the same?

 

[ARM]

Best of five versus seven, lower seed has first two games and then travel to higher seed for remaining three.

When MLB first expanded beyond NL and AL teams meeting in the World Series with no other playoffs, that is what they tried. The problem was that the higher-seeded team could lose those first two games on the road and return home in an 0-2 hole. If it loses that game, then the lower seed had more home games. Even if the top finisher sweeps, then its fan base received fewer home games in that round. Your method makes sense mathematically. In practice with human factors, it didn't seem like much of an advantage.

 

[Timothy A]

It feels like current set up has a cost savings element to it. Best of five versus seven, lower seed has first two games and then travel to higher seed for remaining three. With the addition of west coast teams travel cost will go up next year. I wonder if they just keep it the same?

If this league is worried about cost, then they should just pack it up now.

I'm not a huge fan of all 8 getting into the playoffs, but I hate playoff byes more, so I'm in favor of it.

 

[Ditra]

If this league is worried about cost, then they should just pack it up now.

I'm not a huge fan of all 8 getting into the playoffs, but I hate playoff byes more, so I'm in favor of it.

The league caps teams at a $55k average salary and all teams in the league are owned by one entity. They are controlling costs in a number of ways to try and make this thing work.

 

[joecct]

Clark was on the 2018-19 championship team. So, she won one. Nurse, and Desbiens, however, never won one. (Also, Frost player Mellissa Channell never won one, on that 2016-17 team that "should have won".)

Nurse was also 0-0-0 in her 5 Frozen Four games, and, up to the Sceptres last playoff game, was scoreless in 8 Walter Cup games (she did pick up an assist in game 4).

 

[BowWowWow]

Nurse was also 0-0-0 in her 5 Frozen Four games, and, up to the Sceptres last playoff game, was scoreless in 8 Walter Cup games (she did pick up an assist in game 4).

It was sad as well to see Spooner and Nurse, TO's scoring leaders last season, drop off this season, at least partly because of injuries. Spooner missed 16 games, and Nurse 9. And Toronto's bad record in the playoffs continues.

 

[eastcoastgopher]

Still in the rumor stage at this point, but Jeff Marek said in his blog he wouldn't be surprised if the two expansion PWHL teams made their coaching hires from the college ranks, namely Matt Desrosiers for Vancouver and Dave Flint for Seattle.

 

[Timothy A]

I was wondering about Muzzy and Frosty getting the new team coaching gigs.

 

[eastcoastgopher]

I was wondering about Muzzy and Frosty getting the new team coaching gigs.

I think as a Badger fan you'd want Frost to maintain his office at Ridder for the long haul.

 

[Timothy A]

I think as a Badger fan you'd want Frost to maintain his office at Ridder for the long haul.

I don't know, his team is pretty darn good. In terms of proven success, those 2 can't be ignored though.

 

[Ditra]

I don't know, his team is pretty darn good. In terms of proven success, those 2 can't be ignored though.

Pay cut.

 

[robertearle]

Pay cut.

That crossed my mind about Flint and Desrosiers.

Another factor could be college coaches who'd rather not have to deal with the wild west of NIL and the overall fallout of the "House" settlement, etc. But the job security at the college level has to be better.

"May you live in interesting times..."

 

[VTpucksouteast]

Protected lists: Thoughts?

Boston Fleet (3): Aerin Frankel (G), Megan Keller (D), Alina Müller (F)

Minnesota Frost (3): Kendall Coyne Schofield (F), Taylor Heise (F), Lee Stecklein (D)

Montréal Victoire (3): Ann-Renée Desbiens (G), Marie-Philip Poulin (F), Laura Stacey (F)

New York Sirens (3): Sarah Fillier (F), Ella Shelton (D), Micah Zandee-Hart (D)

Ottawa Charge (3): Emily Clark (F), Gwyneth Philips (G), Ronja Savolainen (D)

Toronto Sceptres (3): Renata Fast (D), Blayre Turnbull (F), Daryl Watts (F)

 

[VTpucksouteast]

Protected lists: Thoughts?

Boston Fleet (3): Aerin Frankel (G), Megan Keller (D), Alina Müller (F)

Minnesota Frost (3): Kendall Coyne Schofield (F), Taylor Heise (F), Lee Stecklein (D)

Montréal Victoire (3): Ann-Renée Desbiens (G), Marie-Philip Poulin (F), Laura Stacey (F)

New York Sirens (3): Sarah Fillier (F), Ella Shelton (D), Micah Zandee-Hart (D)

Ottawa Charge (3): Emily Clark (F), Gwyneth Philips (G), Ronja Savolainen (D)

Toronto Sceptres (3): Renata Fast (D), Blayre Turnbull (F), Daryl Watts (F)

Knight being unprotected is a little shocking to me, as well as Maltais and Carpenter.

Ashton Bell is the best non-Minnesota player available. Jacques should be the first overall pick from the Frost, and I wouldn't be shocked if her teammate Claire Thompson is right behind her.

 

[BowWowWow]

Protected lists: Thoughts?

Boston Fleet (3): Aerin Frankel (G), Megan Keller (D), Alina Müller (F)

Minnesota Frost (3): Kendall Coyne Schofield (F), Taylor Heise (F), Lee Stecklein (D)

Montréal Victoire (3): Ann-Renée Desbiens (G), Marie-Philip Poulin (F), Laura Stacey (F)

New York Sirens (3): Sarah Fillier (F), Ella Shelton (D), Micah Zandee-Hart (D)

Ottawa Charge (3): Emily Clark (F), Gwyneth Philips (G), Ronja Savolainen (D)

Toronto Sceptres (3): Renata Fast (D), Blayre Turnbull (F), Daryl Watts (F)

I am a little surprised Knight is not protected. But it does seem debatable whether she'll be signed by an expansion team, as they would have to match her salary in Boston on the 3rd year of her guaranteed 3-year deal. Müller was injured for some time early in the season, and this may be part of her stock rising despite not as much production during the season as several other forwards on Boston.

Savolainen seems like a defender that wasn't on the radar of folks making predictions about protected players. But she is solid and early in her career. There is a question of whether Maschmeyer will be picked up from Ottawa by an expansion team - or whether they will go with younger goaltenders or even be put off by her recent injury.