grow the game now and for the future. Spotlight on Business : The PWHL started with a players draft and six teams, 3 in Canada and 3 in the US, reminiscent of the NHL’s Original Six. Why do you think the league’s inaugural season has been such a success both in terms of attendance and popularity with the hockey fans? Jayna Hefford: I think you’d have to start with the quality of the play. The level of competition is as high as we’ve ever seen. Many well-known, skilled players are currently in the PWHL, and if you pay attention to the recent draft, we’re getting more and more players from around the world who want to be a part of this league because of the quality of play that it entails. I would also touch on accessibility and ensuring that games are accessible to a wide audience through affordable methods. Whether through ticket pricing, broadcast, or streaming options, bringing more fans into the game is key. A lot of research was done to make sure we were in the right [locations and markets] that were well-established hockey markets in both Canada and the US, but also markets that have a large fan base and strong grassroots programs for the original six teams and any teams coming into the league moving forward. Finally, the league’s efforts to connect with local
communities through events like youth programs and other types of fan engagements. Our players have been incredibly accessible to their community, so it’s helped to build a loyal and supportive fan base. Spotlight on Business: What have you learned and what changes are coming for the 2024/25 season? The PWHL and all six of its teams are owned by the Mark Walter Group, would there be an opportunity in the future to look at other owners and additional teams in the future? Jayna Hefford: This first season has been a learning process. And we’ll continue to learn each and every game. We haven’t been afraid to be innovative and do things differently. Some of the rule changes that we made have been really well received: the jailbreak goal, the gold plan around awarding the first draft pick, and picking your own opponent in the playoffs. So, we’re going to continue to try and think outside the box and do things a little bit differently without changing the game itself. In the 2024/25 season, we’ll play more games. By year two we’ll be up to a minimum of 30 games. We’ll look to do more neutral site games. We had great success in Pittsburgh and Detroit this year, and now we have a lot of markets that all want to attract the game to their cities. Fans were talking about wanting to see team names and logos. In advance of season two, we
SPOTLIGHT MAGAZINE ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • VOL 24 ISSUE 3 21
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