Purple Reign

Over in the NCAA there is a brand new rule change coming into effect next year as students will be able to have an extra year of eligibility This could have an alarming impact for the future draft pools for the PWHL in terms of the entry draft and gives a better understanding and sense of urgency for the league to expand to four teams right now

So we now know that for this next round of expansion the league will not use a typical expansion draft to build the rosters for its new teams and on today's show the Purple Trio share their thoughts about the changes ahead

At their press launch PWHL Detroit was revealed to be hosting the 2026 edition of the Awards and Entry Draft on June 16 & 17 2026This should be an amazing moment for a new market but for me I smell favouritism over the current markets who have yet to host these events and for the potential further three who will join Detroit in this round

It's official as the most diehard market that wanted to land a PWHL team has got their wish as Detroit kicks off the second round of expansion becoming the ninth team to enter the PWHLThe entire Purple Trio couldn't be happier for Hockeytown however I do take this oppertunity to air out my reservations in regards to their primary venueWELCOME DETROIT!!!

Last time I took you through the five process the league will use it the next round of expansion and today you are going to hear the thoughts of the entire Purple Trio on how we feel about this new way of building the rosters

On May 3 the format for how the PWHL will go about the roster building process in its next cycle of expansion was revealed as a five stage processIt took me two reads but I understood it in the end and so on today's show I take you through it phase by phase

Unlike other sports leagues the PWHL has a unique way to stop teams from tanking and that is the Gold Plan which sees teams earn Draft Order points when they are mathematically eliminated from playoffsHowever thanks to the league's parity we haven't been able to have a proper Gold Plan race and that has given Pluto an idea which I'm not sure about

On April 17th 2026 during the Montreal Victoire's Pride Night the PWHL hit another almighty milestone as they hit one million fans in attendance in a single seasonThis is an incredible moment as the 2025/26 season has seen us go above and beyond in terms of our growth and what makes this even more special is that the Purple Trio's footprints are on that statistic

The PWHL Expansion process is in a mess so I believe its time to look elsewhere in particular the WNBA who seems to have a rock solid system on how to handle the rapid rate of expansionTheir proposals could help in terms of markets like Chicago & Calgary who on paper look like the perfect fits but have a lot of hurdles before they can land teams in the PWHL

With the Walter Cup Playoffs now in full swing the first two set of awards have been handed out both of them going to our very own Kelly PannekShe has had an amazing season leading the league in terms of goals and points and should be the top contender for MVP if it wasn't for two pesky netminders

Recorded the night after the Minnesota Wild advance to the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Pluto & Lady are alongside Nordy & Me in our celebrationsBut we weren't the only ones watching as several players of our Minnesota Frost were also in attendance ahead of beginning our title defence in Laval

With expansion looming its highly likely that the current format of the Walter Cup will need to be changed and there's two potential scenarios that the league can takeFor the Purple Trio there is one route that we favour that doesn't stop us from giving both scenarios a fair hearing

The final month of the 2025/26 regular season saw the same old script roll out for the Minnesota Frost as they seriously struggled in the month of AprilBut at least this time we didn't have to wait until the last day of the regular season or rely on the Ottawa Charge to book our ticket to the Walter Cup Playoffs and defend our crownOn this episode we recap the final month of fixtures and take a look at the final league standings which saw the Victoire make history with back to back league titles and the Goldeneyes securing the Gold PlanGet in touch at [email protected] and check out our bonus episodes on the official George Hand YouTube channel

As the Toronto Sceptres hosted their Pride Night against the New York Sirens a very special guest was at Ccca-Cola Coliseum to make the ceremonial puck drop Heated Rivalry's Jacob TierneyHe even joined the broadcast booth to talk abbout the highly anticipated second season which is expected to come next year

I imagine there'll be a few sore heads in Van City following the Vancouver Goldeneyes winning the Gold Plan and earnnig the right to select first in every round of this year's Entry DraftWith this year's class stacked with loads of talent it's no surprise that one of the Purple Trio has already put their money where their mouth is as Pluto clearly didn't learn from my mistake in Ottawa last year

At long last we finally get to do the episode I've been waiting since the introduction of the Gold Plan as my hopes that expansion would help create a race for the first overall pick came to fruitionWe take a look at the overall Gold Plan standings which should mean Vancouver selects first, Seattle selects second and New York selects third in every round of this year's Entry Draft

When the team announced Carla would be taking a step back I genuely thought that was her done for the season so I am beyond delighted for the Ottawa Charge to have her back behind the bench it what is a crucial time for the team

I missed this when it was initially announced as Saturday was a busy and exhausting night for me but I can not hide my excitement that the Ottawa Charge will hold all of their playoff games at Canadian Tire CentreAt the same time I personally believe that it is now a done deal and very soon there'll be another announcement confirming their move to CTC as their new primary venue

The IIHF World Championships are in November 2026 and this year we have a brand new format and so Lady joins me to break down how the new format works We also give you a sneak peak of our plans as for the first time since we've followed the tournament we can start giving you content to help get through that long hot summer

The World Championships in Division 1A was an extremely competitive tournament which saw France stun Budapest to win and earn promotion to the top tier in 2027Nobody could've seen this coming especially how France only two months prior had a lacklusture performance in Milano as they didn't get any wins and had a negative goal difference Huge congratulations to the french and we will see you next year in Quebec

While we still have a while to go before our division in November the rest of the IIHF held their World Championships with Division 1A providing a thrilling tournament in BudapestBut the overall result proved to be quite a shock as no one would have predicted Frnace would be the ones to win promotion

After Milano the GM of the Florida Panthers teased something big coming for Florida regarding women's hockey naturally people put two and two together and got fiveWhat actually transpired was the Panthers launching a new program for women's hockey starting next season which not only will help grow the game but could open doors for a PWHL Takeover Tour game in Stanley's barn

We've reached that point now where the stress of expansion is killing us and it's now gotten even worse as there's potential that markets who haven't been on the Takeover Tour might swipe teams off more viable marketsNow I think this could pay off as it's time to start taking big gambles but Pluto & Lady are very hesitant and rightly so

On March 25 2026 the PWHL officially welcomed two million fans in attendance with games taking place in both Minnesota & Chicago Once again another milestone achieved by our league in such a short space of time but this one feels extra special as the Purple Trio's footprints are on that statistic following our trip

Last week something bizzare happened in the nation's capital as the prime minister of Canada and the president of Finland paid a visit to the Ottawa Charge for a little scrimageIf you ask the Purple Trio we find it a bit odd especially as the Charge are in the midst of a playoff push and it might have been a better idea to pester the Senators

While it's only April that hasn't stopped Time magazine from naming its 100 most influential people of 2026 and USA hockey legend and Seattle Torrent captain Hillary Knight has been namedThis is a huge honor not just for Hillary but the PWHL as a whole as women's ice hockey continues to grow and gain the recognition it rightly desrvesCheck it out for yourselves - https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people/2026/hilary-knight/

March 2026 was a memorable one for the Purple Trio as we made our first ever trip out to Minneapolis and it was a week we'll never forgetWe start our show with a quick recap about our time in the State of Hockey as Pluto & Lady join me to reflect on the week Then we recap the entire month that saw our Frost continue to shine despite being without our captain Kendall Coyne Schofield as they demostrated why they're one of the best when it comes to depthWe finish off the show by looking at this month's points leaders as Boston became the first team to clinch their playoff berthGet in touch at [email protected] and check out our bonus episodes on the official George Hand YouTube channel

This year's trade deadline was another quiet affair as only one trade happened as finally Pluto can stop quoting Ross from Friends to both mine and Lady's delight even if it comes at the cost of a good playerBut in return we get the league's recording artist from the New York Sirens so at the end of the day it's not all bad news

While we were having the time of our lives in the states a big trade between the Torrent & Fleet took place and it's very clearly that it is Boston who are the clear winners for at least the short termWe also briefly mention the other movement that happened as we clear up whether what happened between the Sceptres & Siren was or wasn't a trade

In a special edition of the Purple Reign podcast our Boston Bruins supporter Resort Paris Goofy joins me to talk about his experience of watching the PWHL properly for the very first time

On April 11 the most heated rivalry in the PWHL took over TD Garden in another sold event which felt like a Walter Cup Finals preview in a very defensive game from both sidesJoining me on this show as our Boston Bruins supporter Resort Paris Goofy who watched the game alongside the Purple Trio

Never in all my years have I ever seen an actual wedding reception take place at a hockey arena but that is what we got at TD Place while the Charge were hosting the TorrentIt actually ended up being a hilarious distraction especially with Rob Pizzo doing a Busted and actually crash the event and we had Kenzie & Cheryl struggling to keep their composure

FINAL STOP EDMONTONThe PWHL Takeover Tour 2025/26 concluded as the Vancouver Goldeneyes returned to Edmonton and hosted another Walter Cup contender this time it was the red hot Boston FleetAnd oh boy did the Fleet light the lamp time after time as there was literally nothing Vancouver could have done apart from raining on Aerin Frankel's parade and ended her shutout streak

While the Purple Trio were representing the PWHL at the Takeover Tour in Ball Arena some of our finest were representing our league on an even bigger stageSeattle Torrent's very own Hillary Knight and Hannah Bilka were present on the red carpet at this year's Oscars ceremony

Not long after announcing their first national broadcast game an even bigger move was made as this year's Walter Cup Finals will be broadcast on national television across the United StatesThis is a huge step in the right direction as the growth in our league continues at a rapid pace and this will give us the opportunity for more people to watch our players compete for the biggest prize in sports

The PWHL Starting Six is where each month the league will recognise three forwards, two defenders and one goaltenderIn this fourth Starting Six recap the Purple Trio celebrate the Starting Six for the month of March 2026

As we were at Manchester Airport getting ready for our first flight I did a last minute email to Jocks in Jills to try and get their advice ahead of our first PWHL tripI had no idea that they would actually reply back to it and that was quite a shock watching the episode in our hotel roomNOTE: This episode contains footage from Season 3 Episode 51 of the Jocks in Jills podcast which you can check out yourselves - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxVnWUkVUzg&list=LL&index=18&t=4211s

I'm going to keep this one short given the subject matter as Boston Fleet head coach Kris Sparre welcomed his new child to the worldNow for most couples that should be a joyful event but for the funny side was how when the Fleet were at Grand Casino Arena as his partner was in labour the boradcasters couldn't stop referencing the fact of would he get there on time

We have an update regarding Ottawa Charge head coach Carla MacLeod as she takes an indefinite leave of absence to focus on her treatment for breast cancer Haley Irwin will serve as the Charge's interim head coach for the remainder of the season which could potentially include a trip to the Walter Cup Playoffs

Easter Saturday was a historic night because as expected the attendance record in the United States was well and truely shattered as every single seat at Madison Square Garden was filledThis was an important moment for PWHL New York to prove their critics wrong and this market belongs in our family the problem is a new debate has been created and one that I shall not entertain#GeorgeHand #newyorksirens #madisonsquaregarden Subscribe to the channel here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5T8gaOEyDsHsOO8p-eLPSwFollow George Hand Tumblr - www.tumblr.com/georgedhandInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/georgedhand Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/george

On Easter Saturday the big moment had arrived as the world's most famous arena hosted the league's newest rivalry as the New York Sirens saw their biggest ever crowd in a 2-1 shootout win over the Seattle TorrentThis wasn't just a huge moment for the league it was also the oppertunity for the Sirens to prove that their is a fanbase in the market

April in the PWHL marks the league's celebration of Pride which this year is set to be bigger than last year not just with more teams but an even bigger emphasis on the communityFor our Minnesota Frost Pride Night is Saturday April 11 when we host the New York Sirens at Grand Casino Arena

On Good Friday the Ottawa Charge returned to CTC for a matchup with the Montreal Victoire in what was a thrilling game despite the scoreline not going in the Charge's favourHowever in the bigger picture with the arena situation hanging over the Charge's heads the attendance they drew at CTC basically proved what I've been saying all along

NEXT STOP CALGARYThe PWHL Takeover Tour 2025/26 continued as Calgary hosted the sequel of the Battle of Ontario in Alberta as the Toronto Sceptres and Ottawa Charge both desperate to crack the top 4 battled it out in the first of three upcoming matchupsCalgary like Hamilton made a serious effort to showcase how serious they are to land a team and with the city on the verge of a new arena and with a rich women's hockey history let's not lose hope girls

NEXT STOP DETROITThe PWHL Takeover Tour 2025/26 continued as we returned to Detroit for the first ever PWHL game to broadcast on national television in the United States on Scripps SportsHockeytown gave us its biggest crowd to date and I'm honestly not against a team going to Detroit the only issue I have is where the hell are they going to play

NEXT STOP CHICAGOThe PWHL Takeover Tour 2025/26 continued as we went back to Chicago as one of the league's newest rivalries went head to head as the Seattle Torrent found their offenceWhile the Torrent impressed on the ice the Windy City on the other hand failed miserably again in the stands proving that this so called ideal market is not ready to house a PWHL team full team yet

NEXT STOP WINNIPEGThe PWHL Takeover Tour 2025/26 continued as Manitoba got it's first taste of PWHL action in a high octane thriller between the Montreal Victoire and the Ottawa Charge that held big playoff implications for OttawaI have to say I was very impressed with Winnipeg who originally me and Lady were sceptical when the tour was announced but Pluto is the one causing the raucous as he thinks they could be perfect

NEXT STOP DENVERThe PWHL Takeover Tour 2025/26 continued as the Purple Trio were actually in Denver for what was a heart attacking afternoon at Ball Arena as the Frost's penalty kill nearly cost themDespite the drama the people of Denver absolutely got their money's worth and the Mile High City absolutely has my back in their efforts to land an expansion team

Before the season started we covered the arena situation facing the Ottawa Charge and we hadn't heard anything since the season began back in NovemberBut that changed on the night before we flew out to Minneapolis as we learnt that the Senators & Charge have had talks about partnering up and becoming co tenants at CTC a move that I fully support

Today the PWHL takes another mighty step in their growth with their first ever game to be broadcasted on national television a feat that should be celebratedHowever the choice of game has Lady questioning why of all Takeover Tour stops you go with Detroit when those two big games in the gardens are around the corner