(Reuters) – The United States based National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) said on Wednesday it was adding a first Canadian franchise with an expansion team in Toronto next season.
Despite the passion for hockey in Canada the country has been without a women’s professional league since the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) ceased operation last May, leaving many of the world’s best players nowhere to play.
The yet to be named Toronto franchise becomes the NWHL’s sixth team.
The franchise will have an all-women ownership group led by Johanna Neilson Boynton, a former captain of the Harvard’s women’s hockey team, while Margaret “Digit” Murphy, the longtime Brown university coach, will serve as president and Tyler Tumminia chair person.
“We aspire to build a perennial Isobel Cup contender for Toronto,” said Boynton, in a statement on the league website. “This will be an organization with strong fan, community and corporate support, outstanding coaching, training, and player development, and a club dedicated to promoting hockey as a game for everyone.
“Although this pandemic is challenging everyone in profound ways today, and we are very mindful of that, our outlook for women’s sports remains positive.
“We are launching this team now because we believe in the future.”
The Toronto team joins the league at uncertain times with the novel coronavirus outbreak shuttering sports across North America and leaving many facing a financial crisis.
The NWHL was unable to complete its current season and award the Isobel Cup when the final between the Boston Pride and Minnesota Whitecaps was postponed because of the pandemic.
But without a name or home arena the Toronto team announced it had already signed five players, who all formerly played in the CWHL.
“Today is just the start,” said Murphy. “We have plenty of work ahead.
“Our team in Toronto is led by women, and we are providing opportunities and jobs in the GTA for hockey players, coaches, and staff.
“This team will proudly represent Toronto and compete for the NWHL championship, and will also be dedicated to empowering younger female athletes through community engagement and education.”
The 2020-21 regular season is scheduled to start in mid-November, with each team playing 20 games.
The Isobel Cup playoffs begin in mid-March and will be completed by the end of the month – two weeks before the opening of the 2021 IIHF women’s world championship in Halifax and Truro, Nova Scotia.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto. Editing by Christian Radnedge)
