 | |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1999 |
| Ceased | 2007 |
| Countries | Canada United States |
The National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) was a women's ice hockey league established in Canada in service from 1999 to 2007. In its final season the league was run by the Ontario Women's Hockey Association. [1]
The NWHL superseded the old Central Ontario Women's Hockey League in 1998–99. After the old COWHL dropped down to three teams in 1997–98, the new league expanded to Brampton, Ottawa and the Montreal area (Montreal, Bonaventure and Laval) in 1998–99. The league was officially renamed the National Women's Hockey League on February 16, 1999 with Susan Fennell as the league's first president/Commissioner. In the inaugural season, the Beatrice Aeros won the West Division while the Bonaventure Wingstar won the East Division. Under Commissioner Fennell, the NWHL transformed to independent owners with the League negotiating to have cross Canada live television broadcast for the finals. Michael Charbon (MAC Productions) worked with the Commissioner to secure broadcast times with WTN. Games were played in Brampton's Powerade Centre (now called "The CAA Centre"), coinciding with the Brampton Canadettes worlds largest hockey tournament, which brought together teams from all ages and from across North America to compete. A special highlight was attending the Championship Cup games of the NWHL.
Michael Charbon designed the NWHL Logo in the same colors of the NHL logo. Commissioner Fennell sought the approval from Gary Bettman, the NHL Commissioner, and it was granted.
Commissioner Fennell was instrumental in having the Championship Cup purchased and engraved annually with the Champion Team players names, coaches, and even volunteers.
During the NHL strike there was talk that the women should be able to play for the Stanley Cup. Instead, Commissioner Fennell initiated talks with Governor General Adrianne Clarkson and requested consideration to rename the Championship Cup the "Clarkson Cup" as the late Governor General Lord Stanley had done for the NHL years before.
The NWHL league lasted nine years before it disbanded one year after Commissioner Fennell retired 2006 after balancing Mayoral duties and growing a professional sports league. Mayor Fennell signed over all legal instruments for the NWHL to the Ontario Women's Hockey Association (OWHA) to lead the next steps. However, one season later, following the 2006–07 season, all existing owners quit and it appeared there would be no league.
In 2007–08, players from the old NWHL joined new teams in similar markets in the newly formed Canadian Women's Hockey League.
From the 1998–99 to the 2001–02 seasons, the NWHL consisted of two divisions: the Eastern Division with Quebec-based teams, and the Western Division with Ontario-based teams.
For the 2002–03 and 2003–04 seasons, the league had three divisions: the Eastern Division with Quebec-based teams, a renamed Central Division with Ontario-based teams, and a new Western Division with teams in Alberta (both seasons) and British Columbia (2002–03 only). The high travel costs for the two Alberta teams caused them to leave the NWHL to form the Western Women's Hockey League, reducing the NWHL to the Eastern and Central Divisions for the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons.
The WWHL had five teams, in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Minnesota, for its own 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons. The WWHL agreed to merge with the NWHL for the 2006–07 NWHL season. [2] The NWHL reverted to three divisions: Eastern Division with Quebec-based teams, the Central Division with Ontario-based teams, and a renewed Western Division with teams Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchwean and Minnesota. The Eastern and Central Division teams scheduled a 35-game unbalanced but interlocking schedule, while the Western Division would only play within itself for the regular season - saving travel costs for all three divisions. The merger broke down midseason, with the WWHL teams treating it as the 2006–07 WWHL season and the remaining NWHL teams handling their playoffs with all four teams from the Central Division and the top two teams from the Eastern Division qualifying for the postseason. In the NWHL playoffs, teams played a best-of-three series to determine the Eastern and Central Division champions, who then met for the NWHL championship. By the end of the 2006–07 NWHL season, the league had fallen into disarray, season records are incomplete, and the league folded shortly after the Central Division's Brampton Thunder defeated the Eastern Division's Montreal Axion to win the last ever NWHL Championship.
The following is list of franchises which existed in all three divisions of the now defunct National Women's Hockey League.
During its inaugural 1998–99 season, a playoff tournament was held over three consecutive days, resulting in the presentation of a gold, silver and bronze medal.
For the next six seasons, the playoff champion was awarded the NWHL Champions Cup.
For its final two seasons, the championship winner was awarded the Clarkson Cup. Though the NWHL and the Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL) were considered merged for the 2006–07 season, the WWHL teams did not compete for the Clarkson Cup, instead playing for the WWHL Champions Cup.
After the 2007 disbanding of the NWHL, the Clarkson Cup was presented to the winner of a playoff between WWHL and Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) teams, then solely to the CWHL champion after the WWHL merged with that league.
A list of NWHL Championship winners and the team they met in the final:
| Season | Champion | Finalist | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | Brampton Thunder | Bonaventure Wingstar | Brampton |
| 1999–2000 | Beatrice Aeros | Sainte-Julie Pantheres | Brampton |
| 2000–01 [7] | Beatrice Aeros [8] | Sainte-Julie Pantheres [9] | Brampton |
| 2001–02 | Beatrice Aeros | Brampton Thunder | Brampton |
| 2002–03 | Calgary Oval X-Treme | Beatrice Aeros | Brampton |
| 2003–04 | Calgary Oval X-Treme | Brampton Thunder | Brampton |
| 2004–05 | Toronto Aeros | Montreal Axion | Brampton |
| 2005–06 | Montreal Axion [10] | Brampton Thunder | Brampton |
| 2006–07 | Brampton Thunder | Montreal Axion | Brampton |
Jayna Hefford is a Canadian retired ice hockey player and current chairperson of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association.
The Markham Thunder was a professional women's ice hockey team in the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL). From 1998 through 2017, the franchise was known as the Brampton Thunder and Brampton Canadettes-Thunder before relocating from Brampton, Ontario, to Markham, Ontario, for the 2017–18 season. The CWHL ceased operations in 2019 and no further statements or actions were taken with the franchise.
Lori Dupuis is a Canadian women's ice hockey player.
The Edmonton Chimos were a professional women's ice hockey team in the Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL). Founded in 1973, the team closed out its 38-year existence playing its home games at River Cree Twin Arenas in Edmonton, Canada. At that time, the team owner was Arlan Maschmayer.
The Toronto Aeros, often called Beatrice Aeros after their primary sponsor, the North York Aeros, and the Mississauga Aeros were a semi-professional women's ice hockey team that played in Toronto and Mississauga, Ontario. The team played its home games in Beatrice Ice Gardens in Toronto and Iceland Mississauga in Mississauga. In 2010, the Canadian Women's Hockey League placed an expansion team back in Toronto and was sometimes known as the Aeros among fans. In 2011, the CWHL team eventually took on the name of Toronto Furies.
Hockey Canada's Women's National Championship for the Abby Hoffman Cup, sometimes known as the Esso Women's Nationals for sponsorship reasons, was a senior ice hockey championship from 1982 to 2008. The first edition was hosted in Brantford, Ontario from 1-4 April 1982.
The Montreal Axion were a National Women's Hockey League team located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Axion represented Quebec at the 2005 Esso Women's Nationals. They were previously known as Bonaventure Wingstar (1998–99) and Montreal Wingstar (1999–2003). This team was succeeded as the women's professional hockey team of Montreal by the Montreal Stars in the Canadian Women's Hockey League, starting with the 2007–2008 season.
The Canadian Women's Hockey League was a women's ice hockey league. Established in 2007 as a Canadian women's senior league in the Greater Toronto Area, Montreal, and Ottawa, the league expanded into Alberta (2011) and internationally in the United States (2010) and China (2017) throughout its tenure. The league discontinued operations on May 1, 2019, after 12 seasons.
The 2008–09 CWHL season is the second season of the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL). The Montreal Stars repeated as regular season champions, winning 25 of 30 games, and won CWHL Championship. Caroline Ouellette was voted the league's regular-season Most Valuable Player. Jayna Hefford won the Angela James Bowl with 69 points and was also voted the CWHL Top Forward. Becky Kellar was voted the CWHL Top Defender, Kim St-Pierre was voted the CWHL Top Goaltender, and Laura Hosier was voted the CWHL Outstanding Rookie.
The 2007–08 CWHL season was the first season in Canadian Women's Hockey League history. Jayna Hefford was named CWHL Most Valuable Player and a CWHL Central All-Star. She led the league with 26 goals scored in 27 games played. Jayna Hefford was voted the league's regular-season Most Valuable Player. Jennifer Botterill won the Angela James Bowl after winning the league scoring title with 61 points and was voted the CWHL Top Forward. Becky Kellar was voted the CWHL Top Defender, Kim St-Pierre was voted the CWHL Top Goaltender, and Marie-Philip Poulin was voted the CWHL Outstanding Rookie.
In the 2000–01 season, the former Canadian National Women's Hockey League championship was won by the Beatrice Aeros team from Toronto. Jayna Hefford of Brampton Thunder had the best goalscoring record.
The 2010–11 CWHL season is the fourth in the history of the Canadian Women's Hockey League but was considered a reboot for the league after a major restructuring as an organization. For the season, the league was to run on a budget of $500,000 and players will pay for their own equipment.
The 1998–99 NWHL season was the first season of the National Women's Hockey League.
The Montreal Jofa Titan (1998–99) was a professional women's ice hockey team in the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL). The team played its home games at the Ed Meagher Arena in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The 2011–12 CWHL season was the fifth in league history. Regular season play begun on October 22, 2011, as the defending champion Montreal Stars hosted the Brampton Thunder. The league expanded from five teams to six as Team Alberta (CWHL) joined the league for competitive play. The 2012 Clarkson Cup in Niagara Falls was also contested between the Stars and Thunder, with Montreal winning its second consecutive title.
The 2012–13 CWHL season was the league's sixth. The Boston Blades defeated the defending champions Montreal Stars at the finals in Markham, Ontario.
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