PWHL opens 2nd season looking to build on 1st-year success with new faces, logos and expansion plans

TORONTO (AP) — Nothing will replace the special moments and many firsts — first game, first road trip, first win — Hilary Knight enjoyed during the PWHL’s inaugural season.

At 35, one of USA Hockey’s most accomplished female players remains awed by the leap the league made in being established in late June 2023, launching six months later and catching the wave of women’s sports growth in North America.

“I think it’s just the perfect timing to be able to be a woman in pro sports and be a part of the piece that continues to move the sport forward,” Knight said. “We’re part of the conversation now.”

Even being on the ice with her Boston teammates following a decisive Game 5 loss in the finals in May and watching Minnesota players raise the Walter Cup didn’t blemish Knight’s experience.

“Celebrating the first year for every team is critical because it was the inaugural season,” she said. “And now it really does feel like, ‘OK, let’s go.’”

Welcome to PWHL Season 2, which opens Saturday and features all six teams in action this weekend. There will be more games — 30 per team, up from 24 last year. There will be more talent, with an influx of both college graduates and European veterans.

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Each team has a logo and nickname after going without last year. And there’s already talk of expansion, with the privately financed and centrally controlled PWHL looking to add up to two franchises by next year.

“It’s hard to put into words, to be honest. Obviously, the first season exceeded all of our expectations,” vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford said. “We always believed. We had a vision for it. But to see it happen as quickly as it did was something that was pretty special.”

It’s Game On again for a league that has Toronto moving into a larger home, New York finally settling on a home after splitting games at three sites, and the PWHL expanding its reach with nine neutral-site games ranging from North Carolina to the Pacific Northwest.

In Minnesota, the Frost are coming off the highs of winning the title while attempting to get past a tumultuous offseason. General manager Natalie Darwitz was dismissed following a league-launched internal and external review that, in part, revealed an irreconcilable rift between her and coach Ken Klee.

“For me it’s just about getting our group back together,” Klee said. “We’re focusing on the future. Pro hockey, things happen, some unfortunate things and some things out of our control, and we’re just really looking forward and excited to get the season going.”

The Frost seek to draw on how they persevered by sneaking into the playoffs after losing their final five regular-season games. Minnesota then overcame a 2-0 deficit in its best-of-five semifinal series against Toronto.

It’s a collapse that still stings in Toronto, where the regular-season champion Sceptres failed to overcome losing league MVP Natalie Spooner to a knee injury that will keep her sidelined for the start of this year.

“She was a huge part of our success last season, but I think the biggest thing for us as we approach this season without her in the lineup is that everyone is aware that they’re not going to replace Natalie Spooner,” captain Blayre Turnbull said. “Everyone has an opportunity to step up and be the best player that they can be. And I think it’ll be a good test for our team.”

The Victoire are motivated after being beset by injuries that contributed to Montreal being swept by Boston in a semifinal series that had all three games decided in overtime, including a 2-1, three-OT loss in Game 2.

General manager Danièle Sauvageau placed an emphasis on adding speed and offense to a lineup led by Team Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin.

Among the newcomers are playmaking U.S. national team defenseman Cayla Barnes. Meantime, late-round 2023 draft pick Lina Ljungblom made the jump to North America after the 23-year-old finished third with 46 points (23 goals) in Sweden’s pro women’s league last season.

There’s increased expectations among the two non-playoff teams, Ottawa and New York.

New York had what’s considered the best draft class in June, starting with the No. 1 selection of Canadian star and Princeton grad Sarah Fillier. The Sirens also drafted Swedish defenseman Maja Persson and Finnish forward Noora Tulus in the second and third rounds, and Canadian university player Emmy Fecteau in the sixth.

The newcomers join a last-place team featuring a new coach in Colgate’s Greg Fargo, who is highly regarded for his up-tempo approach.

“It’s just been a completely different vibe and environment,” forward Abby Roque said. “As bad as last year was for us as a team, I think there’s a lot of stuff we can build on.”

The same goes in Ottawa, where the Charge were eliminated on the final day of a season in which they went 1-6 in games ending past regulation. The PWHL awards three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime/shootout victory, and one to OT/shootout losers.

The Charge added size by drafting Canadian national team forward Danielle Serdachny and Finnish defenseman Ronja Savolainen. Ottawa also drafted Northeastern goalie Gwyneth Philips to back up starter Emerance Maschmeyer, who appeared in all but one game last season.

“I think we learned sort of the hard way just how tight this league is,” captain Brianne Jenner said. “At the end of the day, earning a couple of extra of those points would have served us well. So we’ll make sure we’re well-prepared this year for it.”

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AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in St. Paul, Minnesota, contributed.

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AP Women’s Hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey