The National Women's Hockey League is set to establish an expansion team in Toronto, according to a Tuesday report from the Associated Press. It would be the first NWHL franchise based in Canada and would join the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters and the Minnesota Whitecaps in the league.
In response to the AP's report, the NWHL said it has no announcement to make at this point. The league will reportedly announce the news at the end of the month.
This would be the first Canadian professional women's hockey team since the Canadian Women's Hockey League folded last year. Former CWHL and Brown University women's hockey head coach Margaret "Digit" Murphy will reportedly be in charge of the team.
According to reporter Marisa Ingemi, three former CWHL players have already signed on with the impending expansion franchise with several in contract discussions.
Per a source, three former CWHL players have signed with the impending NWHL team in Toronto and several more are in contracts talks. An announcement that will include those players will come in the next couple of weeks
— Marisa Ingemi (@Marisa_Ingemi) April 14, 2020
When the CWHL folded last year, NWHL commissioner Dani Rylan expressed interest in absorbing a CWHL franchise and were having ongoing conversations with stakeholders of the Les Canadiennes de Montreal and Toronto Furies. Those talks did not progress.
The Ontario Women's Hockey Association, who oversees the sport in the province, told the AP last week that they've been in contact with the NWHL.
This past season, the top North American hockey players did not play in the NWHL in response to the folding of the CWHL. The group of players formed the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association with its mission "to provide a united voice to players advocating for the creation of a sustainable professional league."
Over the course of the past year, the PWHPA conducted a Dream Gap tour across the continent featuring some of the top players in the sport. In response to the news, PWHPA executive member Jayna Hefford said the bid doesn't affect their mission.
"We think this is an opportunity that's going to be provided for some women to play hockey at that level," she told the AP. "But it's not the opportunity we're looking to provide and the professional league we want to create."
Two former PWHPA members have decided to join the soon-to-be Toronto NWHL team according to The Athletic's Hailey Salvian.
The Athletic has learned that at least two former PWHPA members have decided to join the (not yet official) Toronto NWHL expansion team. Both are non-national team members out of the GTA chapter.
— Hailey Salvian (@hailey_salvian) April 15, 2020