Boston and Toronto to host best-of-three semifinals March 16-20
Isobel Cup championship final set for March 26
BOSTON, MA – (February 16, 2023) – The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) has announced that the 2023 Isobel Cup Playoffs will feature the league’s top four teams at the conclusion of the record 84-game regular season schedule. Semifinals will be played in a pair of best-of-three series at Boston’s Bentley Arena beginning Thursday, March 16, and Toronto’s Mattamy Athletic Centre starting Friday, March 17. The two semifinal winners will play for the prestigious Isobel Cup in a single-game championship final on Sunday, March 26, at a neutral site location to be announced.
“The 2023 Isobel Cup Playoffs will be a culmination of a truly historic season for professional women’s hockey,” said Reagan Carey, PHF Commissioner. “We launched our new era with a record number of teams and the largest regular season schedule in our eight-year history that has provided greater competition for more athletes than ever before. It was imperative that our playoff format underscore the importance of every regular season game and the valuable points awarded in the standings throughout the year to produce a final four that is most deserving of championship contention. Boston’s Bentley Arena and Toronto’s Mattamy Athletic Centre will help showcase the PHF in two of our established markets on both sides of the border and in venues that allow for greater fan access and broadcast opportunities. We look forward to seeing the competitiveness among all teams ramp up over the final four weeks of the season and into the playoffs where one team will cement themselves in history as 2023 Isobel Cup champions.”
The Boston Pride (14-2-1) currently lead the PHF with 40 points, followed by the Toronto Six (13-3-2) who rank second with 39 points. Both teams have been in the top two of the PHF standings the entire season to date and are the only two that have officially clinched post-season berths ahead of weekend action to be played Feb. 18-19. The third place Minnesota Whitecaps (10-4-2) with 32 points, fourth place Connecticut Whale (8-7-2) with 26 points, fifth place Montreal Force (7-10-1) with 19 points, sixth place Metropolitan Riveters (6-12-0) with 16 points, and seventh place Buffalo Beauts (2-12-2) with eight points all remain in the hunt for the final two playoff positions. The final seeding of the four playoff teams is still to be determined but will not change the host locations. Bentley Arena, located on the campus of Bentley University in Waltham, MA, and home to the NCAA DI Falcons men’s ice hockey program, will host the Pride’s semifinal series. Mattamy Athletic Centre, site of the 2023 PHF All-Star Game and downtown home of the U SPORTS Toronto Metropolitan University Bold, will host the semifinal series that involves T6.
The Isobel Cup takes its name from Lord Frederick Arthur Stanley’s daughter, Isobel, who shared his love of the game and is known to be one of the first female hockey players in Canada. Isobel, along with her brothers, encouraged her father to purchase a silver cup to award to the best amateur hockey team in Canada. The Stanley Cup, as it was later named, became the championship trophy of the National Hockey League.
The front of the Isobel Cup reads: “The Lady Isobel Gathorne-Hardy Cup 1875-1963. This Cup shall be awarded annually to the greatest professional women’s hockey team in North America. All who pursue this Cup, pursue a dream; a dream born with Isobel, that shall never die. EST. 2016.”
The Pride were the first to hoist the Isobel Cup in the inaugural season and are also the two-time defending champions. The Beauts won in 2017, followed by the Riveters in 2018, and the Whitecaps in 2019. Boston and Minnesota were finalists in 2020 but the series was cancelled as a result of the pandemic. Connecticut, Montreal, and Toronto are all in pursuit of their first PHF title.
2023 Isobel Cup Playoffs Schedule:
Thursday March 16:
Semifinal Game 1 in Boston
Friday March 17:
Semifinal Game 1 in Toronto
Saturday March 18:
Semifinal Game 2 in Boston
Semifinal Game 2 in Toronto
Sunday March 19:
Semifinal Game 3 in Boston (if necessary)
Monday March 20:
Semifinal Game 3 in Toronto (if necessary)
Sunday March 26:
Championship Final (location TBA)
Game times, broadcast details, and ticket information will be confirmed and announced at a later date.
About the Premier Hockey Federation
The PHF is the home of professional women’s hockey in North America. Established in 2015 as the National Women’s Hockey League, the NWHL rebranded to become the PHF in 2021 and provide opportunities for elite athletes to earn a living playing the game they love while fueling the continued growth of the sport. The league is made up of the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, Montreal Force, and the Toronto Six who all compete annually for the Isobel Cup. As part of a two-year agreement with ESPN, live coverage of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 PHF seasons is available exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States and provides international rights for games which include TSN in Canada. For more information visit premierhockeyfederation.com.
