Could Change To International Schedule Benefit PWHL?

The PWHL just completed its second season, and one of the many questions surrounding its future is how to combat the disjointed schedule caused by international play.

For example, the Boston Fleet had a six-game road trip that spanned 16 days, beginning at the end of December, that directly led to the club’s bye week. The team then returned for three games before the two-week break for the Rivalry Series. Not to mention the additional two-week break for the World Championships. It’s not hard to comprehend that gaining any type of momentum could be strained given the schedule.

The players and coaches never used the schedule as an excuse. However, PWHL vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford admitted there have been talks with the IIHF regarding when the women’s tournament is played compared to the men’s, which is after the NHL season.

“We’ve talked about that a lot over the course of this year, and we’ve had many discussions,” Hefford said during a virtual press conference before Game 1 of the Walter Cup Finals at TD Place in Ottawa. “I’d say very positive discussions with the (IIHF), various stakeholders, including other professional women’s leagues worldwide, and other federations.

“I think we all want to try to do what’s best for the women’s game, and now the landscape’s changed with the PWHL. Everything is different now in women’s hockey. I think there’s an acknowledgement that we can look at this differently and hopefully find a solution that’s in the best interests of the women, everyone involved, so the players, the leagues.”

Hefford continued: “We’ve always said we want our players to play internationally. It’s a huge honor to represent your country and compete in the Olympics and the World Championships. That’s not something we don’t want to have happen, but we can look at it in a way that we could optimize that opportunity for everyone.”

The PWHL had and exuberant amount of players competing internationally this past season and is more than likely expected to see more of the same next season, with the league shutting down for three weeks in February for the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, followed by another two weeks when the 2026 World Championships get underway in April.

The Fleet were plagued with injuries from international play during the 2024-25 campaign. Hannah Bilka was hurt during the Rivalry Series in February, and both Alina Müller and Aerin Frankel suffered injuries during the World Championships last month. Müller was unable to play for Boston in their final three games, and Frankel was sidelined for two before being cleared for the regular-season finale.

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