PWHL announces first all-star game to be held in Toronto: ‘It just made a lot of sense’ - Toronto Star
The league has never held its own on-ice all-star festivities before, but all-stars were named in the last two seasons.
Laura Stacey, PWHL Players’ Association president, can’t hide her excitement after the announcement of the league’s first all-star game.
Toronto was a no-brainer for the PWHL to host its first all-star game.
The professional women’s hockey league held its first draft at the CBC headquarters in downtown Toronto in September 2023. Four months later, the league’s first regular season game took place at Mattamy Athletic Centre. Many of the league’s key partners are located in the Toronto market, including the Hockey Hall of Fame where an official announcement to host the inaugural all-star game took place Thursday morning.
“It just made a lot of sense to be here for us, and we couldn’t be happier to be able to have the first one here,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL executive vice-president of hockey operations. “We haven’t talked about beyond this year, to be totally honest, but I expect we could see (the all-star game) in other places, but not to be determined yet.”
The league has never held its own on-ice all-star festivities before, but all-stars were recognized in the last three seasons — six first team members and six on the second team.
In February 2024, just a month after the inaugural puck drop for the PWHL in Toronto, the league had a selection of its players take part in a 3-on-3 showcase as part of the NHL all-star weekend at Scotiabank Arena.
Now the league will have its own event at the same venue that’s home to the Raptors and Maple Leafs. In the lead up to the March 7 event, fans, players and media members will vote on the starters while reserves will be determined by the league.
Four teams will compete in a 3-on-3 tournament format that will be broadcast on TSN and Radio Canada (French), while Scripps Sports will provide the coverage for American fans on ION.
The league plans to have four teams for the all-star festivities: Canada, U.S., international and rookies. Following a round robin, the second and third-ranked teams will face each other to determine who will face the top team.
“Honestly I expect it to be intense,” said Laura Stacey, forward for the reigning Walter Cup champions Montreal Victoire.
“Of course it’s going to be fun. Of course you’re going to be engaged with fans and enjoying the weekend. But ... you want to perform your best, and I think all of us still here want to grow the women’s hockey. We want to show what our talent looks like, what our game is, and I think an all-star game is a great way to do that.”
The NHL also hosted its first all-star game in Toronto in 1947. It followed a showcase 13 years earlier by the league’s top players, also in Toronto, that was held as a fundraiser to help cover medical expenses for the injured Ace Bailey.
Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request.
There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again.
You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply.
Gilbert Ngabo is a Toronto-based sports reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @dugilbo.
