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PWHL Playoffs Begin as League Secures First U.S. National TV Finals

National U.S. TV coverage signals a league stepping into a larger spotlight.

Overview

  • The league enters the postseason riding a post-Olympic bump that pushed total attendance past one million this season.
  • The best-of-five Walter Cup finals will air nationwide on ION, a Scripps network available in about 126 million U.S. homes.
  • Ottawa is staging playoff games at the NHL Senators’ Canadian Tire Centre as the city moves to replace TD Place with a 5,850-seat arena, creating uncertainty about the Charge’s future venue.
  • Vancouver clinched the No. 1 draft pick through the PWHL’s Gold Plan, which rewards eliminated teams for points earned after elimination.
  • With the top pick, the Goldeneyes are widely expected to target Wisconsin defender Caroline Harvey, the 2026 Olympic MVP, following a debut season that featured a 14,958 sellout at Pacific Coliseum.