By Joelle Wood/OHL
Bringing in some of the best women’s hockey talent in the world, the OHL PWHPA Showcase will feature games in Peterborough and Niagara on Friday, Feb. 10 followed by two more in Barrie and Kitchener on Saturday, Feb. 11. The organization features four teams comprised of 100 of the world’s best female hockey players, including Team Scotiabank, Team Harvey’s, Team Sonnet and Team adidas.
Founded in 2019, the PWHPA was formed with the goal of creating a sustainable league that provides equity, fairness, and opportunity in women’s professional hockey.
Here’s a look at how the teams stack up heading into the weekend:
Friday:
(1) Team Harvey’s (7-1-3-0) vs. (3) Team Scotiabank (5-6-0-0) – Peterborough
Team Scotiabank opens up the Showcase as they take on league-leading Team Harvey’s on Friday afternoon in Peterborough. Team Harvey’s has managed to beat Team Scotiabank three times this season, lead by three-time Canadian Olympic gold medalist and three-time World champion, Marie Philip-Poulin. Poulin sits second in scoring, recording nine goals, five assists and 15 points (9-5-15) in 11 games played. She took part in the Elite Women’s Showcase at the 2020 NHL All-Star Game, and was afterwards voted as the best female hockey player in the world by NHL players. In goal, La Malbaie, QC native Ann-Renee Desbiens ranks second among all netminders, recording five wins, a 1.98 goals-against-average and a .938 save percentage.
Team Harvey’s sits comfortably atop the standings, with Canadian forwards in Jamie Lee Rattray (8-4-12) and Jessie Eldridge (3-9-12) following closely among top point-producers as Team Harvey’s hopes to clinch their 11th consecutive win of the season.
(2) Team adidas (5-5-0-1) vs. (4) Team Sonnet (2-7-0-2) – Niagara
Team Adidas and Team Sonnet face off in the second matchup of the Showcase, as Sonnet looks to tie up their season series in Niagara Friday night. Expect speed and skill as Sonnet’s Abby Roque has been a standout, tallying seven goals, six assists and 13 points (7-6-13) in 11 games. Roque enters her second PWHPA Dream Tour, coming off a silver-medal finish at the 2022 Olympic Games as the first ever Indigenous person to play for the U.S. women’s Olympic hockey team.
Returning from the NHL All-Star Game in Sunrise, FL. last weekend, four-time American Olympic medalist Hilary Knight (1-3-4) will be a big player to watch, being named one of the United States’ top three players at the 2022 IIHF World Championship. Canadian Olympic gold-medalist Brianne Jenner also looks to guide her team to victory, recording three goals, eight assists and 11 points (3-8-11) in 11 games. Jenner was named MVP of the women’s hockey tournament at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Saturday:
(1) Team Harvey’s (7-1-3-0) vs. (2) Team adidas (5-5-0-1) – Barrie
A battle for the top-spot, Team Harvey’s and Team adidas go head to head in Barrie on Saturday. Winning one of their four meetings this season, Team adidas looks to bounce back against the League-leading Harvey’s.
Without their top point-producer in Kendall Coyne Schofield (6-4-10), fans can expect top-tier play from Oakville, Ont. native Kristin O’Neill (3-7-10) and two-time Canadian Olympic medalist Laura Stacey (5-4-9). Minnetrista, Minn. native Sydney Scobee returns between the pipes as the PWHPA’s top goaltender, recording a 1.00 goals-against-average and a .971 save percentage.
Another big name to watch is Canadian Olympic gold-medalist Sarah Nurse (4-3-7), who also returns to the lineup after participating in the 2023 NHL All-Star Weekend. With both her cousin and brother having played in the OHL, Nurse looks forward to returning to the rinks that she once watched her family compete in.
Team Sonnet (2-7-0-2) vs. (3) Team Scotiabank (5-6-0-0) – Kitchener
Team Sonnet and Team Scotiabank face off in the final game of the weekend on Saturday night at the Aud. Headlined by big names, Team Scotiabank looks to continue their scoring ways.
Leading the League in points, three-time Canadian Olympic gold medalist and two-time World champion Rebecca Johnston has recorded nine goals, eight assists and 17 points (9-8-17) in 11 games played this season. The Sudbury, Ont. native is among the top-10 all-time in scoring for Canada’s National Women’s Team, and returns to the Dream Tour after competing in the NHL All-Star Game last weekend.
Following closely in her footsteps, two-time Canadian Olympic medalist Blayre Turnbull has recorded 12 points (3-9-12) in 11 games as Team Scotiabank looks to clinch their third consecutive victory on Saturday.
Game Schedule:
- Game 1: Friday, February 10 – Team Harvey’s vs. Team Scotiabank (Peterborough Memorial Centre, 11:00am) – TICKETS
- Game 2: Friday, February 10 – Team adidas vs. Team Sonnet (Meridian Centre, Niagara – 7:00pm) – TICKETS
- Game 3: Saturday, February 11 – Team adidas vs. Team Harvey’s (Sadlon Arena, Barrie – 1:00pm) – TICKETS
- Game 4: Saturday, February 11 – Team Sonnet vs. Team Scotiabank (Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, 6:00pm) – TICKETS
For more information on the Ontario Hockey League, visit ontariohockeyleague.com or follow the League on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Visit the PWHPA online at pwhpa.com or follow along on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
