PWHL’s Seeds Sewn Give Them Best Shot At Long Term Post Olympics Growth

Wayyy back in 1980 as the U.S. Men’s hockey team pulled off “Miracle on Ice” the buzz around the sport of hockey was palpable, and anecdotally it was measurable as you saw sales and interest in the sport…and in the NHL which was struggling to find its balance at the time in many markets and nationally in the US…grow. There seemed to be a true bounce for the sport, especially as these very young guys made their way to the pro ranks for the first time. I remember the buzz when Dave Silk first dressed for the Rangers, Ken Morrow for the Islanders and when Jim Craig played his first game for the Atlanta Flames. The world was watching, the country was cheering, the deals flowed, the tickets sold, eventhough those players may not have been fully ready for the NHL and few achieved stardom beyond Lake Placid, at least on the ice. It was a homecoming and a celebration city by city, and in many ways the NHL did use that as a springboard to the growth we have steadily seen under Gary Bettman and his team and the visionary leaders of the sport on the pro side.

Maybe the setup for that bounce wasn’t necessarily in place, but hockey found a way.

I thought about that bounce as we saw the historic and unforgettable moments unfold with Hilary Knight’s golden goal this week for the women’s team. While not exactly Lake Placid, what is similar is the time for a part of a sport…women’s hockey…and the true bounce that can take place because this time, the seeds have been planted and can sprout.

They have been planted by all the work the PWHL has  taken in recent years to have a viable league that can tell stories and capitalize on the moment, to have a media platform that isowned and rimed for success, to have leadership always thinking about what’s ahead and how to grab that moment should the moment come, and how that moment, not just for casual fans but for young girls looking to learn and play the sport in the US. There are brand partners, media partners, cause marketing partners, all of which are still maturing but can be put into the mix because of the forethought of the moment.

Now some may say this is an easy one. You have the two best teams in the world who will probably win, so just ride the wave, just like the NHL probably will. It’s not easy. The PWHL is still only a few years old, markets in the US are still maturing and have their own fits and starts, and while the NHL will get a nice bounce, the bigger bounce can come with women’s hockey and the prep that was done. Staff on the ground amplifying storytelling with players and the NGB’s, watch parties held by teams, media going into local markets all was work…work that will benefit because the market was built so much differently from before, and because sports played by women are at a point where a larger audience is engaged and interested not just for a few games, but for the longer haul.

It is a generational opportunity for the sport.

After and Olympics we do see bounces in figure skating, even curling, but they are bounces that are celebratory but rarely sustainable. The timing to maximize for athletes was there, but the finances and the execution seemed to always fall short. We see talk of Curling Leagues, Skating Leagues and we have The Snow League up and running, but are any really sustainable as viable financial businesses? They are looking to capitalize on a bounce that may or may not work. The PWHL on the other hand, is already in place with a structured, and funded vehicle that is up and running and ready to grow.

This will not be easy by the way. The PWHL still has a lot of growing to do with brands, fans, media and the like. It’s a very crowded space and we all have short attention spans and only some disposable income. What they have more than most coming out of these games is the ability to seize because of the hard work done to be in a position for success for the long term. The seeds were sewn long before the moment, now they can really sprout.

Hilary Knight’s goal was a moment in time that will live forever. Women’s hockey is ready to take that moment and exploit it out in a positive way for decades.

Just watch.