Professional Women's Hockey League tweaks penalty, short-handed goal in rule book

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TORONTO — The Professional Women's Hockey League rule book released hours before its first game Monday features a short-handed goal ending a power-play for the opposing team.

The six-team PWHL, which opened Monday with Toronto hosting New York, modelled its rule book on the NHL's and the International Ice Hockey Federation's.

But the women's league adopted a unique rule interpretation after experimenting with it during December's pre-season evaluation camp in Utica, N.Y.

If a team serving a minor penalty scores short-handed, the penalty terminates.

The PWHL also adopted a 3-2-1 point system that differs from the NHL with three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime or shootout win, one point for an overtime or shootout loss and zero for a regulation loss.

"The entire PWHL has embraced the opportunity to be innovative with how our game is played," PWHL hockey operations senior vice-president Jayna Hefford said in a statement issued Monday.

"After the pre-season evaluation camp, we surveyed general managers, coaches, players, and officials and received broad consensus that this new rule added excitement to the game and to special teams situations. I think fans are really going to enjoy the PWHL for its speed and skill in addition to its physicality and competitiveness."

Game rosters will consist of 21 players of 19 skaters and two goaltenders. If the score is tied at the end of three periods, five minutes of three-on-three will be played before going to a shootout if necessary.

PWHL shootouts will also differ from the NHL. If tied after OT, the shootout will consist of five shots per team -- instead of three --unless the outcome is determined earlier.

After five shots, the shootout will proceed to a "sudden death" format.

Also differing from the NHL, the PWHL said in Monday's statement, "a player is eligible at any time to take any number of shots and as often as the team chooses."

Hefford will chair the PWHL's player safety committee that includes consultant Cassie Campbell-Pascall, on-ice official Katie Guay, former NHL vice-president of operations Mike Murphy and Matt McMahon, who works in NHL player safety.

David Taveroff will administer the PWHL's officials, who will be chosen in partnership with the NHL and American Hockey League and in consultation with Hockey Canada and USA Hockey.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 1, 2024.