With exactly one month away from the inaugural game of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), Toronto’s team is getting settled in its two homes.
Toronto’s practice and home rinks have been named after a months-long search.
The league announced on Nov. 13 that the Ford Performance Centre would serve as their home practice facility, just in time for training camp.
Logo of the Mattamy Athletic Centre at center ice Photo credit: Nicholas Prencipe
Defenceman Renata Fast says that finally having a place to practice has helped to instill a sense of pride that makes the inauguration of the new league a reality.
“I think that makes it feel a little bit real when you start to get some of the product, and being able to wear that Toronto logo with some pride, even to see kind of the stuff up on the wall, it’s a little bit around the rink, it’s starting to feel real,” Fast said while being surrounded by Toronto PWHL logos all over the walls.
Although Toronto PWHL had found its perfect home for training, throughout camp and the offseason, one big question had lingered about where the team would play their home games since the season begins on New Year’s Day.
That is no longer an issue as Toronto’s newest franchise will play in a storied arena. The team will officially host games at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) in downtown Toronto.
Many different arenas were rumoured to be in the sweepstakes to host Toronto’s PWHL team, including the Coca-Cola Coliseum where the Toronto Marlies play. Toronto narrowed its search to the arena once known as the Maple Leaf Gardens, where the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs played from 1931 to 1999.
TMU students skating on the Mattamy Athletic Centre ice rink on Nov. 29. Photo credit: Nicholas Prencipe
The MAC is currently used as the home ice of Toronto Metropolitan University Bold and will be shared with PWHL Toronto.
Mohamed Lachemi, president and vice-chancellor of Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), said they’re anticipating sharing the ice with Toronto’s newest hockey team.
“We are looking forward to welcoming the Toronto Professional Women’s Hockey League franchise to the TMU campus as they make the Mattamy Athletic Centre their home ice for the inaugural season of this highly anticipated league,” Lachemi said.
“This partnership is important to the university and aligns well with our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive campus culture for all,” he said. “It is essential that we show our continued support for the amplification of women’s sports, and we hope that this wonderful community partnership will inspire others to join in, participate and cheer on not just the Toronto PWHL team but our TMU Bold teams as well.”
As TMU has shown its support, Gina Kingsbury, PWHL Toronto’s general manager, said she’s ecstatic to call MAC their home.
“It is almost poetic that we are set to write the first chapter of our franchise’s history in one of the most historic buildings in Toronto,” Kingsbury said.
“It is an honour that we will call Mattamy Athletic Centre home and be under the same roof that housed the legendary Maple Leafs organization for so many years, she said. “We can’t wait to write our story and represent this world-class city with great pride.”
As for the fans, the MAC has a seating capacity of about 3,000 and although that might seem like a small number compared to its NHL counterpart, fans will surely be able to sell out the building and bring new fans to games.
Toronto opens up it inaugural season at the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Jan. 1 against New York as they look to claim their first win in the franchise’s history.