2025-26 PWHL season

[eastcoastgopher]

I don't watch much PWHL, but it seems like every time I do - I had the Boston vs Vancouver game on for a bit just now - there are multiple mentions of this player and that player being out injured, or having just returned from being out injured, etc etc.

Are there more injuries in the PWHL than in the NCAA, and is it a consequence of more checking being allowed? Or is it my imagination?

Olympics probably had more than a little to do with it.

 

[Still Eeyore]

You have could goalie that is specifically an shootout goalie. They hone their craft just to stop those. Sure they can play anytime as a back-up or 3rd string, but practice is all about stopping the shootouts.

The Dutch soccer team did this in the 2014 World Cup. You can't make a substitution specifically for the penalty kicks, but, after Jasper Cillessen played the first 199 minutes of their quarterfinal against Costa Rica, Tim Krul came in in the last minute of extra time. Krul saved two of five penalties (the shooter has far more advantage on a soccer penalty kick than on a hockey penalty shot) and the Dutch moved on, eventually losing in the final.

 

[Still Eeyore]

They could play at the Kohl Center once men's hockey & basketball was done, if the pwhl season goes that long. If it doesn't, there really wouldn't be window for them to do that with how much that building is used.

PWHL games have been drawing something like 18,000 when they put them in neutral cities, so I doubt Madison is on their radar.

 

[BuckyB]

Absolutely positively the result of the full on checking that is allowed to occur.
It’s not difficult to understand this would be and is occurring.
The PWHL officiating is not good. They have no idea what a penalty is game to game and so may blatant misses it’s almost as bad as watching a NCAA Women’s hockey game.

 

[robertearle]

PWHL games have been drawing something like 18,000 when they put them in neutral cities, so I doubt Madison is on their radar.

I'm not saying they'd fill it, but the Kohl Center has a capacity of something around 16,500 when set up for hockey.

 

[Arreis]

PWHL games have been drawing something like 18,000 when they put them in neutral cities, so I doubt Madison is on their radar.

They are using these tour games to prospect for the next expansion. Madison is not large enough population wise for what they are looking for in new markets.

 

[ARM]

Madison is not large enough population wise for what they are looking for in new markets.

But Chicago is. I could envision a schedule where a Chicago team might play a couple of games a season in Madison. It would be a good way to attract some new fans from Madison to venture to Chicago to watch some other games.

 

[Lindsay]

PWHL is making its national tv debut in the US. Detroit takeover game is on ION right now (305 on directv).

1-0 Sirens after one, leading the Victoire.

Both Kaltounkova and Poulin are injured

 

[BowWowWow]

PWHL is making its national tv debut in the US. Detroit takeover game is on ION right now (305 on directv).

1-0 Sirens after one, leading the Victoire.

Both Kaltounkova and Poulin are injured

The Sirens ended up losing 3-1 -- after they gave up 3 goals to the Victoire early in the 3rd, including 2 by Dubois and 1 by Stacey.

I only saw the 3rd period but thought that the Sirens looked disorganized then, especially in the first part of the period.

The injuries are frustrating and must be due partly to the Olympics but also to the body-checking. Several players for the Sirens alone, like O'Brien, have taken hard, messy hits recently and been out multiple games. Sirens forward Taylor Girard recently was injured, though not directly by a hit, and she's on LTIR.