Sold out house, four goals – and tennis legend Billie Jean King: The newly founded women’s ice hockey league PWHL premiered on New Year’s Day.
The North American professional league officially started with the game Toronto against New York (0:4), with a total of six teams fighting for the championship title in the first season.
In addition to Toronto and New York, clubs from Boston, Minnesota, Montreal and Ottawa also belong to the new league. The German national goalkeeper Sandra Abstreiter is under contract with the team from Ontario. Ottawa starts against Montreal on Tuesday night.
Sold out hall
In front of 2,537 spectators in a sold-out crowd Mattamy Athletic Center In Toronto, King dropped the first puck before the encounter. The 80-year-old, a pioneer in the fight for equality and social justice, is an investor in PWHL.
Due to time constraints, the team names are only temporary for now. The six founding members of the PWHL, which has been pumped up with a lot of money, do not have their own logos or jerseys. The league follows the PHL, which US billionaire Mark Walter took over in the summer. The 64-year-old is, among other things, co-owner of the Chelsea FC and the baseball team Los Angeles Dodgers.
The PWHL regular season runs through early May. The first champion will then be searched for in the playoffs.