Expansion, growing U.S. attendance top list of challenges for PWHL in year 2

As the calendar turned to 2024, all eyes were on how the Professional Women's Hockey League would establish itself in the sports marketplace.

In the league's first week, the conversation centred around firsts and milestones, as attendance smashed expectations.

But this New Year's Eve, most of the conversation was about a blockbuster trade between two Ontario rivals. Fans debated who won the trade, why both teams moved on from veteran defenders, and how it could change the look of their teams. 

It was a reminder that any player can be traded at any time, something that's still a new concept in professional women's hockey. But it was also a sign of how far professional women's hockey has come in just 12 months.

"This probably showcases that this league is a professional league, and that every GM and organization will be always looking at trying to upgrade their performance in whatever way they think they can," Toronto Sceptres GM Gina Kingsbury said the day after the trade.

"It kind of solidifies the professionalism of our league."

Twelve months into the PWHL, there's no denying the league has been a success, particularly in Canada. The biggest illustration of that came on April 20, 2024, when a crowd of 21,105 showed up to watch Montreal take on Toronto at the Bell Centre, setting a new world record for the most-attended women's hockey game. The tickets sold out online within minutes.

When Jayna Hefford worked on behalf of the players to make the argument for creating and funding this league, the Hockey Hall of Famer did a ton of research on the appetite for women's professional hockey. She never doubted the demand.

The Minnesota Frost will host the New York Sirens on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. You can watch the game live on CBC TV, CBC Gem and CBCSports.ca.

But the speed of the PWHL's success surprised Hefford, who is the league's senior vice president of hockey operations.

"It just all happened way faster than we could have even hoped," she said.

While the first year went well, Hefford knows the work to grow the league's fan base has just begun.

"We aren't where we want to be and there's a lot more work to do," Hefford said. "But to see how quickly people responded and have built this community around the league and the players has been pretty awesome."

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