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Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
PWHL Second Season Delivers Major Gains In Fans, Sales, And Reach
ST PAUL, MINNESOTA - MAY 26: Maddie Rooney #35 of the Minnesota Frost hoists the Walter Cup after ... More the Minnesota Frost defeated the Ottawa Charge 2-1 to win the Championship at Xcel Energy Center on May 26, 2025 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by) The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) has announced historic growth following the conclusion of its second season, citing major gains across attendance, merchandise sales, digital engagement, and corporate partnerships. With the addition of expansion teams and increased community engagement, the league has taken significant steps in scaling professional women's hockey in North America and globally. The 2024–25 PWHL season welcomed a total of 737,455 fans across 102 games, representing a 52.5% increase over the league's inaugural season attendance of 483,530 (85 games). Average attendance also rose 27%, from 5,689 to 7,230 spectators per game. Since its inception, the PWHL has drawn a cumulative 1,220,985 attendees over two seasons, underscoring growing interest in the sport. 'This season, fans from every U.S. state and every Canadian province and territory caught a PWHL game, a remarkable moment for professional women's hockey,' said Amy Scheer, PWHL Executive Vice President of Business Operations. TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 1: Fans hold signs before Toronto plays New York in their PWHL hockey game at ... More the Mattamy Athletic Centre on January 1, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by) The league's PWHL Takeover Tour™ brought nine neutral-site regular-season games to new markets, attracting 123,601 fans. A Vancouver game at Rogers Arena recorded a sellout crowd of 19,038, the fourth-largest single-game audience in PWHL history. In Detroit, 14,288 fans set a new U.S. record for PWHL game attendance at Little Caesars Arena, marking the moment the league surpassed one million cumulative fans. Merchandise sales reflected 100% year-over-year growth, driven by the launch of official team names and logos, and new branded collections, including collaborations with Barbie, Peace Collective, and lululemon. The league's partnership portfolio expanded by 50%, adding brands such as Ally, Bravado, EA Sports, Factor Meals, Intact Insurance, Midea, and SharkNinja to its growing roster of corporate supporters. TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 9: A fan's custom Toronto Sceptres shoes are seen before Game Two of the First ... More Round of the 2025 PWHL Playoffs between the Minnesota Frost and the Toronto Sceptres at Coca-Cola Coliseum on May 9, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by) Digital engagement surged, with social media interactions across platforms including X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube increasing by 68% from the first season. Live games were streamed in 106 countries, up from 88, and the redesigned website attracted more than 20 million views from users in over 150 countries. 'Season Two has been nothing short of historic,' said Jayna Hefford, PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. 'From our inaugural Takeover Tour to the announcement of new expansion teams in Seattle and Vancouver, the growth and energy around the league are undeniable.' Toronto Sceptres forward Natalie Spooner greets fans at the beginning of a Professional Women's ... More Hockey League game against the Boston Fleet at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, Canada, on February 14, 2025. Toronto prevails in the match by a 3-1 final score. (Photo by Mike Campbell/NurPhoto via Getty Images) The PWHL also deepened its connection to fans and players through Unity Games, which celebrated events such as Black History Month, Women's Empowerment Month, Pride, Indigenous Heritage, Mental Health Awareness, and Community Hockey Heroes. Each game featured custom artwork by community artists, and included special programming, in-game tributes, and collaborations with local and national organizations. These events showcased the league's commitment to representation, inclusion, and using the platform of professional sports to highlight diverse voices and causes. At the grassroots level, the league launched its first Fantasy Camp in Toronto in January, an immersive experience that allowed adult fans to train, compete, and engage with PWHL athletes and staff, providing a rare insider perspective on the life of a professional hockey player. In April, Minnesota hosted the inaugural PWHL Breakthrough Cup powered by PLAY Hockey, the league's first girls' hockey tournament. The event brought together teams of all ages and skill levels to compete, connect, and celebrate the game, reinforcing the PWHL's commitment to developing the next generation of female hockey playersand strengthening the sport's pipeline from youth to professional levels. As the PWHL prepares for its third season, including the introduction of expansion teams in Seattle and Vancouver, the league continues to lay the foundation for sustainable growth, increased visibility, and long-term success in professional women's sports.
CBC
27-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
With PWHL expansion looming, the defending champion Frost go out on top
Social Sharing For the second year in a row, it was Minnesota Frost captain Kendall Coyne Schofield hoisting the Walter Cup after her team won the championship. It was the player who played such a key role in the creation of the Professional Women's Hockey League who again led her team to the top of the mountain, through bumps and bruises and overtime galore. Just like last year, the team that squeaked into the playoffs as the final seed at the end of the season ended up on top. "It's hard to win back to back," Coyne Schofield told reporters on Monday after her team's win. "I'm just so proud of this group. When you look at the way we won, it takes everybody." A few things were different this year. For one, the Frost won this championship in front of a home crowd. More than 11,000 fans showed up to the Xcel Energy Center to watch the Frost defeat the Ottawa Charge 2-1 in overtime of Game 4. But the biggest distinction is that this felt like the last dance for a deep Minnesota team. WATCH | Frost captain Coyne Schofield lifts the Walter Cup: Frost captain Kendall Coyne Schofield hoists PWHL's Walter Cup 19 hours ago Duration 1:21 The second part is a reality every team across the league is facing: change is coming. As the celebrations continue in Minnesota, Frost general manager Melissa Caruso and her staff will need to start to decide who to protect in the upcoming expansion draft, which will help build new teams debuting in Seattle and Vancouver next season. Teams can only protect three players to start, and those protection lists are due next Tuesday at 12 p.m. ET. Once a team loses two players to expansion, a fourth player can be protected. It's a reality that wasn't lost on the Frost's players on Monday night. "This group's so special and it's sad to think that we'll never play together again," said goaltender Maddie Rooney, who is a free agent after this season. How the Frost won Like every other game in the Minnesota-Ottawa series, Game 4 required overtime. After Minnesota forward Kelly Pannek opened the scoring, the Charge's Tereza Vanišová scored her first playoff goal in the third period to tie the game. In overtime, fourth-line centre Liz Schepers was the hero for Minnesota for the second year in a row. Her line with rookies Katy Knoll and Klára Hymlárová was persistent throughout the series, and also earned the game winner in Game 3. Coyne Schofield described that line as Minnesota's best in the series "by far." " It just speaks to there was no role that was too big or too small," she said. It was Minnesota's depth, from the fourth line to the defenders, that ultimately helped them edge out Ottawa. But it was also the belief in the room, the kind of confidence that comes from having done this before, and having played and come out on top of big games. Even when it looked like the Frost might miss the playoffs or when the team dropped the first game of the final series to Ottawa, panic never set in. "The belief in ourselves and each other around the locker room was there all season despite some bumps in the road," said Rooney, who won all five games she started in the 2025 playoffs. "We never had a doubt." 'Unreal' goaltending performance Like Minnesota, Ottawa entered the stretch run of the regular season in a fight to make the playoffs. Things looked bleak in March when starting goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer was placed on long-term injured reserve. Enter Gwyneth Philips, the rookie goaltender who stepped into the starting role with ease. "She was unreal," Minnesota head coach Ken Klee said. "I thought in three out of the four games, if she doesn't play the way she played, then I don't think we go to overtime in any of them, to be honest with you." Philips finished her first playoff run with a 1.23 goals against average over more than 635 minutes of play. The performance earned her the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP award, even though her team didn't win the championship. The crowd in Minnesota chanted and cheered for Philips as she skated over to receive the award. WATCH | Charge goaltender Philips claims Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP award: Charge goaltender Gwyneth Philips claims Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP award 18 hours ago Duration 1:08 Philips told reporters after the game that she didn't hear the chants. The trophy she really wanted was the Walter Cup. "Right now, the individual award is superseded by the team loss," the goaltender said. "We were so close and we really wanted that. My accomplishments are attributed to the players in front of me. Maybe tomorrow it'll be nicer. But I really wanted that win." Beyond Philips, Ottawa found a top defence pairing of Ashton Bell and Jocelyne Larocque that could do a bit of everything, and a tough-to-play against top line of Gabbie Hughes, Emily Clark and Mannon McMahon. Ultimately, the team couldn't score more than Minnesota, falling one goal short three games in a row. If there's one area of missed opportunity, it's likely on the power play. Ottawa scored just once on 19 advantages throughout the postseason. Sitting between two devastated players after the game, Ottawa head coach Carla MacLeod said she was proud of her players for giving it all they had. "The space was so limited in this series for both teams that everybody was doing their darnedest to try to score a goal and negate a goal," she said. "This isn't on one player's shoulders or one moment's shoulders. This was actually just the reflection of two great teams playing incredibly good hockey." The PWHL expansion draft: Explained 5 days ago Duration 0:55 CBC Sports' Karissa Donkin runs through the rules of the PWHL's expansion draft, explaining how new clubs in Seattle and Vancouver will fill their roster. Like Minnesota, tough decisions are coming in Ottawa. It's unlikely the team will be able to protect both Philips and Maschmeyer. Protecting one goaltender also means just two spots left for the likes of captain Brianne Jenner, Clark, Larocque, Bell and last year's second-overall pick, Danielle Serdachny. The last few minutes in the dressing room with this team, knowing they won't be back in full together again, was the hardest part, Jenner said. "This was a special group. We went through a lot this season. Showed a lot of resiliency." Change on the horizon While every team has tough decisions to make, some of the hardest ones might be coming in Minnesota. Protecting star forward Taylor Heise, who was last year's playoff MVP, would mean exposing one of the team's three foundational signings: Coyne Schofield, Pannek or Lee Stecklein. On the blue line, likely only one of Stecklein, Sophie Jaques Claire Thompson can make the initial protection list. Stecklein is a big part of the team's identity and leadership, and is one of the best defensive defenders in the world. Jaques and Thompson, meanwhile, boast offensive ability and hockey IQ, and both earned nominations for defender of the year. Klee has been able to cycle between Rooney and Nicole Hensley throughout the last two seasons, opting to go with whoever has the hot hand. That may be a thing of the past. Rooney is a free agent, while Hensley could be a target for an expansion team, should she not be protected. With a roster reset on the way, and the league growing to eight teams from six, winning the Walter Cup is only going to become harder to do. Minnesota is the only team that gets to properly celebrate the end of the original six era, with one last championship together.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
St. Paul businesses call sinkhole timing a small blessing
The Minnesota Wild were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Play-offs on May 1, and a giant sinkhole opened up on West Seventh Street — a block away from the Xcel Energy Center — exactly one week later. Coincidence? Yes. Still, some businessowners are calling the timing a small blessing. No one wants a gaping hole running some 35 feet into the ground to open in front of their business. But if it had to happen, better that it take place in the post-season lull after professional hockey has let out and before the height of the summer concert season. At the Downtowner Woodfire Grill, there's been 'no impact on our business,' said general manager Patrick Johnson, shortly after Tuesday's lunch rush. 'It's been busy.' That sentiment was shared by a driver for Domino's pizza, a server at Tom Reid's Hockey City Pub and other frontline staff at West Seventh Street businesses. Private contractors under the supervision of St. Paul Public Works will spend up to two months repairing the man-sized sink hole that opened on the evening of May 8, forcing ongoing partial road closures between Chestnut and Walnut streets. Officials with the Xcel Energy Center said their day-to-day operations and events are not impacted by the sinkhole. They reminded fans attending Wednesday's Minnesota Frost game that they need to plan ahead due to road closures connected with the sinkhole. General traffic is being detoured between Kellogg Boulevard and Grand Avenue, though West Seventh in that stretch remains open for local business access, with one lane open in each direction. Sidewalks are unaffected. 'We don't want through-traffic there,' said Lisa Hiebert, spokesperson for St. Paul Public Works, on Tuesday. 'This is why we're saying local business access only.' Otherwise, there have been no direct water or sewer impacts reported by businesses, according to the city. City crews are examining whether water may have loosened and weakened the earth in the affected area. 'It's a good argument for why we need to reconstruct roads,' Hiebert said. 'What we can say is a lot of time, sinkholes are caused by voids caused by water, but it's still a little early to say what it was and what it wasn't. Sources of water can come from many places.' Filling the hole will be no simple patch job. Contractors will have to dig more than 30 feet through sandstone and limestone, assess damages and then rebuild the sanitary sewer tunnel. The work, which began Monday, will involve installing new utility connections for surrounding businesses, building out a new shaft to the surface and then replacing the road surface, without damaging a 20-inch water main. To ensure worker safety, crews will install temporary supports for the depth of the project. 'Nobody ever wants things like this to happen, but this is a good example of how quickly the city and the agencies came together to limit impacts to businesses in the surrounding area,' Hiebert said. 'The businesses, everybody was really great to work with.' Giant sinkhole on West Seventh Street will require digging down 30 feet Public media outlets MPR and TPT brace for federal funding cuts Thirty-five-foot sinkhole shuts down part of West 7th Street St. Paul, MN Wild trim Xcel Center's state request from $400M to $50M Minnesota loosens distance exemption on state employee return to office order
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Burnsville Firefighter Adam Finseth's name being added at national memorial
Burnsville Firefighter-Paramedic Adam Finseth, who was killed in the line of duty last year, is being memorialized at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial this weekend. Members of the Burnsville Fire Department and families left Friday to go to the memorial in Emmitsburg, Md. Finseth's name will be unveiled, along with 69 other firefighters who died in 2024 and another 70 in previous years. Finseth and Burnsville Police Officers Paul Emstrand and Matt Ruge were ambushed and shot during a standoff in Burnsville on Feb. 18, 2024. Finseth, 40, was a SWAT medic, a husband and a father of two. 'Adam served his community with great pride and professionalism,' said Burnsville Fire Chief BJ Jungmann in a Friday statement. 'He cared about his fellow first responders and was selfless, dedicated, and an incredible member of our department. We will never forget him, and we will hold his family in our hearts forever.' Jungmann is leading a contingent of more than 60 firefighters and family members that will take part in a candlelight vigil starting 6:30 p.m. CST Saturday, and a memorial service that starts 9 a.m. CST Sunday. They will be livestreamed at The travel was made possible 'thanks to the generosity of hundreds of individual donors,' the city said in a Friday press release. Burnsville's fire stations will be aglow in red lights over the weekend in tribute to Finseth. Jill Sobule, singer-songwriter known for 'I Kissed a Girl,' dies in Woodbury fire Singer Jill Sobule dies in Woodbury house fire St. Paul police plan to encrypt dispatches, as have Minneapolis, other agencies Apostle Supper Club across from the Xcel Energy Center to close Slow down and look up: Extra law enforcement on MN roads starting Thursday
CBS News
01-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
St. Paul, Wild scale back Xcel Energy Center complex renovations, slash state funding request
The Minnesota Wild and city of St. Paul have scaled back their plans to renovate the Xcel Energy Center complex and slashed their state funding request to the Legislature. They were initially pursuing a $770 million renovation project, which included the Saint Paul RiverCentre and Roy Wilkins Auditorium in addition to Xcel. They had hoped about half of the funding — $394 million — would come from a state General Fund appropriations bond, which needs approval by lawmakers. But on Thursday, a joint announcement said the city and team have "narrowed the immediate scope" of the project to focus only on the Xcel Energy Center, bringing the cost down to $488 million. "City and local partners" will provide $200 million, the announcement said, and the Wild will cover the remaining $238 million, plus any additional costs that arise. Now they are seeking $50 million from the state, a drastic reduction from the initial $394 million request. "This project will create hundreds of jobs and generate millions in economic growth, while securing this publicly owned tourist destination for decades to come," St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said. "With these goals more urgent than ever, this is exactly the kind of public infrastructure investment our state needs right now." The state's funding "would help expand the Xcel Energy Center's north wall along 5th Street to improve the northeast entrance security area, increase ADA accessibility, reduce congestion in corridors and update restroom plumbing," according to officials. The team and city will likely seek additional funding for the other facilities in future years, the announcement said. "Since 2000, the Xcel Energy Center has been the economic engine of downtown Saint Paul, and we're excited for the opportunity to build on this success," Wild owner Craig Leipold said. "Saint Paul is uniquely positioned to become a gleaming example nationwide of forward-thinking revitalization. The Wild is committed to our home in the capital of the state of hockey, and we're proud to invest in the future of Saint Paul." In March, key lawmakers on the capital investment committee were skeptical of approving a borrowing measure to finance the proposed renovations at a time when there are other infrastructure needs across the state and the budget outlook is bleak. Minnesota is staring down a $6 billion deficit in the future if lawmakers don't make tough decisions this year about the next two-year spending plan. The Wild last month announced a search for a new naming rights partner for the Xcel Energy Center. The team expects to announce the new name before the next NHL season, which starts in October.
