Regardless of the outcome of the Walter Cup final, we knew the PWHL would be bigger next season. During the playoffs, the league announced four new teams will play next season: Hamilton, Detroit, Las Vegas and San Jose. (Names and branding are still to come.)
But north of the border, in particular, there’s no doubt there’s been a big boost to the visibility of the league and women’s hockey in general — thanks in no small part to an all-Canadian Walter Cup final. I went to the home games for both the Montreal Victoire and Ottawa Charge during the final and saw a ton of excitement in both cities. Lots of fans travelled to cheer on their team.
There is an especially long and proud history of women’s hockey in Quebec. You can see some of it displayed inside a glass case at the Verdun Auditorium, where the Victoire train. A Walter Cup championship only adds to that storied history.
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