Rivalries Take Shape as the PWHL Finds Its Footing
Minnesota vs Montreal, on January 24th 2024 at Xcel Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota. Photo by John McClellan.
Written By Alexis Crochiere
With two full seasons under the PWHL’s belt and a third in progress, rivalries stemming from proximity, previous playoff matchups, and historic hockey cities are beginning to emerge.
The NHL is chock-full of team tension born from over a century of competition, from the Original Six to the 32-franchise league it is today. From classic feuds like the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens to geographic battles such as the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers in the Battle of Alberta, the added intensity on the ice elevates the game for both players and fans.
These same foundational feuds are blossoming in the women’s league, bringing tenser games and an increase in penalty minutes.
One upcoming rivalry with more than a century of shared hockey history is between the Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes. Both teams joined the PWHL for the 2025–26 season, expanding the league to eight teams. The proximity of the West Coast cities has fueled competition for over a hundred years, making them natural homes for expansion franchises.
“Women’s teams from Seattle and Vancouver played against each other as early as 1921, and given the proximity of our two newest cities —Vancouver is barely 140 miles away,” said PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford when announcing Seattle as an expansion team.
Similarly, the Montreal Victoire and Ottawa Charge have brought healthy neighborly competition to an already intense Canadian matchup.
The two teams share playoff history, having met in the postseason for the first time in early 2025. Combined with the cities being only a couple of hours apart and boasting dedicated fan bases, their rivalry has only intensified.
One matchup during that playoff series produced the longest game in league history, lasting four overtimes and featuring exceptional goaltending.
Playoff history has also fueled lasting tension between the Boston Fleet and Minnesota Frost following a hard-fought battle for the Walter Cup.
In the inaugural season championship in spring 2024, the Frost defeated the Fleet with a 3–2 series victory. Known for aggressive playing styles, both teams have carried that championship intensity into subsequent seasons, resulting in competitive games every time they meet.
As the league continues to find its footing in its first three years while adding expansion franchises, the emergence of new rivalries is no surprise.
With timelines like the additions of the Torrent and Goldeneyes, featuring a six- to eight-month buffer between a team’s announcement and its first games, future expansions will only create more opportunities for competition.
Location plays a major role in rivalries, making home ice an even greater advantage during tough matchups. While proximity-based feuds like that of the Torrent and Goldeneyes often arise from expansion, the PWHL also presents a unique opportunity through its “Takeover Tour” games, which bring league matchups to neutral sites across the United States and Canada.
Although the NHL hosts events like the annual Winter Classic and the Stadium Series, there are few occasions where neither team has a home-ice advantage.
Used in part as a scouting tool to identify cities with passionate hockey fan bases that could support future franchises, these neutral-site games also provide teams the chance to showcase their competition and rivalries without the influence of a home arena.
With an expanding eight-team league and more growth on the horizon, neighboring franchises and heated regular-season and postseason matchups will continue to fuel intense rivalries for years to come.
