Welcome back to the final installment of The Ice Garden’s weekly 2025-26 PWHL power rankings! A huge thank you to everyone for following along this year, and be sure to tune into our playoff coverage!
And just like that, the PWHL has completed its third regular season. Much like the first two seasons, there was plenty of drama on the final day. The first seed, the first overall pick, and the final playoff spot were all determined by Saturday’s quadruple header. Now, it’s playoff time. The #1 Montréal Victoire chose to play the #3 Minnesota Frost, leaving the #2 Boston Fleet to take on the #4 Ottawa Charge. Boston’s series gets underway on Thursday night, while Montréal kicks things off Saturday afternoon. As for everyone else, the Vancouver Goldeneyes won the Gold Plan and will select first overall, with the Seattle Torrent, New York Sirens, and Toronto Sceptres going next among the existing teams (but potentially not #2-4). There will be no shortage of action over the next month or so, so make sure you’re tuned in!
In the spirit of a season ending, I’ve selected a season finale from three of my favorite sitcoms (Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, and Friends) for each PWHL team. With that in mind, there are obviously major plot points for those three shows discussed, so proceed at your own risk if you haven’t seen them.
#1. z-Montréal Victoire (16-6-2-6, 62 points)
Last Week’s Ranking: 1 (-)
This Week’s Results:
- Friday, April 17 vs BOS: 3-2 OTW
- Tuesday, April 21 @ VAN: 4-3 L
- Saturday, April 25 @ SEA: 2-1 SOW
Playoff Semifinal Schedule:
- Saturday, May 2 vs MIN: 2 p.m. ET, Place Bell, Laval, QC
- Tuesday, May 5 vs MIN: 7 p.m. ET, Place Bell, Laval, QC
- Game 3 @ MIN: date/time TBD, Grand Casino Arena, St. Paul, MN
- Game 4 @ MIN (if necessary): date/time TBD, Grand Casino Arena, St. Paul, MN
- Game 5 vs MIN (if necessary): date/time TBD, Place Bell, Laval, QC
All games in this series will be broadcast exclusively on Amazon Prime in Canada (English and French). Meanwhile, the Scripps Sports Network and PWHL YouTube Channel will carry it nationally in the U.S., while FOX 9+ will also broadcast it in Minnesota.
Season Finale: “The One With Monica and Chandler’s Wedding, Parts 1 & 2” (Friends S7 E23 and E24)
For as well as it ended, Monica and Chandler’s wedding day started chaotically. From Chandler getting cold feet to the discovered pregnancy test and subsequent rumor to officiant Joey getting stuck on a movie set, it didn’t look like things would go according to plan. Similarly, there was some chaos at the beginning of the season for the Victoire, and then there were major injuries in the middle, but they powered through and ended up as the queen bees of the PWHL again.
They almost lost it by dropping their penultimate game, which snapped their historic point streak at 16, but the Victoire are once again your PWHL regular season champions. They earned the right to select their semifinal opponent, opting a bit surprisingly to face Minnesota. Montréal dominated the back-to-back champs this season, going 2-2-0-0 across four meetings while outscoring them 12-3. However, the Frost are the back-to-back champs for a reason, with a proven ability to flip a switch come playoff time, so selecting them was undeniably bold.
That said, for as poorly as their first two playoff runs have gone, this Montréal team feels different. They’ve taken those lessons learned the hard way to heart and enter the playoffs with a more balanced lineup, as well as a goaltender who has somehow found a new level. Plus, they’re finally healthy. The Frost are by no means an easy opponent, but it won’t be a surprise if Montréal becomes the first higher seed to win a playoff series in a few weeks.
#2. x-Boston Fleet (16-5-4-5, 62 points)
Last Week’s Ranking: 2 (-)
This Week’s Results:
- Friday, April 17 @ MTL: 3-2 OTL
- Wednesday, April 22 vs OTT: 2-1 OTL
- Saturday, April 25 vs NYS: 4-0 W
Playoff Semifinal Schedule:
- Thursday, April 30 vs OTT: 7 p.m. ET, Tsongas Center, Lowell, MA
- Saturday, May 2 vs OTT: 7 p.m. ET, Tsongas Center, Lowell, MA
- Game 3 @ OTT: date/time TBD, Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON
- Game 4 @ OTT (if necessary): date/time TBD, Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON
- Game 5 vs OTT (if necessary): date, time, and venue TBD
All games in this series will be broadcast exclusively on TSN in Canada. Meanwhile, Scripps Sports Network and the PWHL YouTube Channel will carry them nationally in the U.S., while they will also be available on NESN/NESN+ in New England.
Season Finale: “The Bowtie Asymmetry” (The Big Bang Theory S11 E24)
Much like few thought Sheldon would ever get married, few thought before the season that the Fleet would be playing May hockey. Yet, here they are, heading into the semifinals with home ice advantage.
The final week of the regular season did not go quite as well as the Fleet may have hoped, with two overtime losses that saw them finish in second place and miss out on the chance to select their semifinal opponent. But they ended it on a high note on Saturday when Aerin Frankel secured her PWHL-record eighth shutout of the season as the Fleet swept the New York Sirens for the second consecutive season. However, they had a brutal start, getting outshot 16-1 in the first period and 24-8 through two. Slow starts have become a concerning trend lately, and it’s something the Fleet must change come Thursday. You can’t take periods off in playoff games and hope to win.
As for the upcoming series, all four games in the regular season between the Fleet and Charge went past regulation, with the first three ending in a shootout, and the Fleet owned a 0-1-3-0 record. However, considering playoff overtime is 5v5, not 3v3, and there are no shootouts, it’s a bit hard to glean much from that record other than expect some long games and a long, tight series.
#3. x-Ottawa Charge (9-8-1-12, 44 points)
Last Week’s Ranking: 4 (+1)
This Week’s Results:
- Saturday, April 18 vs NYS: 5-1 W
- Wednesday, April 22 @ BOS: 2-1 OTW
- Saturday, April 25 vs TOR: 3-0 W
Playoff Semifinal Schedule:
- Thursday, April 30 @ BOS: 7 p.m. ET, Tsongas Center, Lowell, MA
- Saturday, May 2 @ BOS: 7 p.m. ET, Tsongas Center, Lowell, MA
- Game 3 vs BOS: date/time TBD, Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON
- Game 4 vs BOS (if necessary): date/time TBD, Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON
- Game 5 @ BOS (if necessary): date, time, and venue TBD
All games in this series will be broadcast exclusively on TSN in Canada. Meanwhile, Scripps Sports Network and the PWHL YouTube Channel will carry them nationally in the U.S., while they will also be available on NESN/NESN+ in New England.
Season Finale: “The Wedding, Parts 1 & 2” (Modern Family S5 E23 and E24)
Fires and runaway brides and unruly guests, oh my! Mitch and Cam’s wedding certainly had its bumps, but things worked out beautifully for them in the end. Likewise, this Charge team certainly did not have an easy time this season, and there were many times where it looked like their playoff dreams were finished, but they managed to get hot just in time and punch another ticket to the playoffs.
Take a bow, Gwyneth Phillips. Three of Ottawa’s final four games came against the teams they were fighting for a playoff spot with, and Phillips secured two shutouts and made 106 saves en route to three wins and another trip to the playoffs. She was no slouch against Boston either, making numerous quality saves despite facing just 25 shots. She is the primary reason the Charge are back in the playoffs, and if I were the Fleet, I would not be thrilled about facing her, even with Aerin Frankel guarding their own net.
That said, the fact that Phillips has faced 132 shots across her past four games, many of which were high-quality, does not say good things about Ottawa’s defense. Their offense has been fine, with Brianne Jenner and Rebecca Leslie still leading the way but now getting more support. However, if they don’t want to make Phillips steal an entire series, the Charge’s defense needs to step up big time over these next few weeks. Looking ahead to the semifinal, neither Boston or Ottawa is known for high-octane offense. Frankel and Phillips are both capable of stealing games and series if needed. So, defense will likely be the only thing that can give a team a clear edge in this one.
#4. x-Minnesota Frost (13-3-5-9, 50 points)
Last Week’s Ranking: 3 (-1)
This Week’s Results:
- Sunday, April 19 vs TOR: 2-0 L
- Wednesday, April 22 @ SEA: 5-4 L
- Saturday, April 25 @ VAN: 4-3 OTL
Playoff Semifinal Schedule:
- Saturday, May 2 @ MTL: 1 p.m. CT, Place Bell, Laval, QC
- Tuesday, May 5 @ MTL: 6 p.m. CT, Place Bell, Laval, QC
- Game 3 vs MTL: date/time TBD, Grand Casino Arena, St. Paul, MN
- Game 4 vs MTL (if necessary): date/time TBD, Grand Casino Arena, St. Paul, MN
- Game 5 @ MTL (if necessary): date/time TBD, Place Bell, Laval, QC
All games in this series will be broadcast exclusively on Amazon Prime in Canada (English and French). Meanwhile, the Scripps Sports Network and PWHL YouTube Channel will carry it nationally in the U.S., while FOX 9+ will broadcast it in Minnesota.
Season Finale: “The One With the Proposal, Parts 1 and 2” (Friends S6 E24 and E25)
Things didn’t go off with a hitch for the Frost this season, and especially during this final stretch, much like Chandler’s proposal plans. But there’s no denying the end result of another playoff run is great. Now, the question is: will they also cap it off with a ring?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? One has to imagine that’s been the Minnesota Frost’s philosophy for the past two seasons, because otherwise, it’s inexplicable how this team has faded in the final third of the season for three straight seasons. However, they did do a smidge better this year, securing the third seed instead of the fourth and doing it before the final day of the regular season. Still, there are reasons to be concerned about the Frost in the playoffs. Their main thing is offense, and their three fellow playoff teams have the three best goaltenders in the league.
That said, it is foolish to count the back-to-back champions out. They have a remarkable ability to flip a switch in the playoffs, where they’ve proven comfortable winning any type of game. They’ll meet the Victoire in the first round with a chip on their shoulder after being selected by them, and it’s sure to be a heck of a series.
#5. e-Vancouver Goldeneyes (9-3-4-14, 37 points)
Last Week’s Ranking: 7 (+2)
This Week’s Results:
- Saturday, April 18 @ SEA: 6-5 OTW
- Tuesday, April 21 vs MTL: 4-3 W
- Saturday, April 25 vs MIN: 4-3 OTW
Season Finale: “Baby on Board” (Modern Family S3 E24)
Much like the Pritchett-Tucker-Dunphy family in the season three finale, the Vancouver Goldeneyes endured a lot of misfortune this season. However, both ended on a positive note, with Gloria revealing she’s pregnant and Vancouver winning the Harvey Bowl.
The Goldeneyes aren’t playing May hockey like they hoped they would this season. However, after elimination, they at least played like they wanted to win the Gold Plan, which they did. Still, this was a thoroughly disappointing season for a team that many had finishing near or at the top of the standings in the preseason. They struggled mightily on the road, and after a strong start to their home schedule, they couldn’t keep things rolling there enough to make up for it. There’s no denying that GM Cara Gardner Morey has work to do this offseason.
#6. e-New York Sirens (9-3-3-15, 36 points)
Last Week’s Ranking: 5 (-1)
This Week’s Results:
- Saturday, April 18 @ OTT: 5-1 L
- Tuesday, April 21 @ TOR: 1-0 OTW
- Saturday, April 25 @ BOS: 4-0 L
Season Finale: “The Status Quo Combustion” (The Big Bang Theory S7 E24)
When too many things change at once, Sheldon gets overwhelmed and leaves to go on a train trip to clear his head. After another playoff miss, the Sirens need to take a page out of his book and do some serious reflecting on what’s going wrong and how to fix it.
Another year, another early offseason for New York. They hold the unhappy title of “only PWHL team to miss the playoffs in all three seasons,” and this one perhaps stings the most. It looked for a while like they were going to break the curse, but then, in part due to injuries, they fell apart at the end. Now, they’re left to do some soul-searching to figure out how to stop being such a streaky team, because streaky teams don’t make playoffs. What the answers are, I don’t know, but something has to give.
#7. e-Toronto Sceptres (10-1-6-13, 38 points)
Last Week’s Ranking: 6 (-1)
This Week’s Results:
- Sunday, April 19 @ MIN: 2-0 W
- Tuesday, April 21 vs NYS: 1-0 OTL
- Saturday, April 25 @ OTT: 3-0 L
Season Finale: “The One With Ross’s Wedding, Parts 1 and 2” (Friends S4 E23 and E24)
Ross and Emily’s wedding plans started poorly, briefly got better, and then ended in complete disaster when Ross said the wrong name at the altar. Similar can be said of the Sceptres’ season.
They may only have missed playoffs on the final day of the season, but boy, are there not many positives to take from this Sceptres season. Raygan Kirk had a brilliant second half and kept her team in the playoff race. But, ultimately, their putrid offense, which managed a pathetic 1.7 goals per game, proved too much to overcome. Now, they’re left to reflect on what went wrong and how to fix it. A good start would be drafting better this year and then deploying their young players better instead of burying them in the lineup. Their leading rookie scorer this season was Kiara Zanon, who had a mere one goal and two assists, good for 22nd out of 47 rookies, and just ten of the rookies behind her played 20+ games. That’s not a recipe for success in an expanding league.
#8. e-Seattle Torrent (8-1-5-16, 31 points)
Last Week’s Ranking: 8 (-)
This Week’s Results:
- Saturday, April 18 vs VAN: 6-5 OTL
- Wednesday, April 22 vs MIN: 5-4 W
- Saturday, April 25 vs MTL: 2-1 SOL
Season Finale: “The Commitment Determination” (The Big Bang Theory S8 E24)
Amy was extremely patient with Sheldon over the years as he slowllllllllly got more comfortable with being in a romantic relationship. But, eventually, she ran out of patience and broke up with him (briefly). Little did she know, Sheldon had his grandmother’s ring and was beginning to consider proposing. Similarly, the Torrent dragged out their inevitable elimination for so long that they missed out on the first overall pick that they sorely needed. Abbey Murphy and Laila Edwards are elite prospects and certainly not bad consolation prizes, but no franchise needs Caroline Harvey more than Seattle does.
Well, Seattle managed to win one game in regulation after their elimination and get two loser points. The problem is, Vancouver won twice (once in OT), so they ended up with the same number of Gold Plan points, and the Goldeneyes had the tiebreaker. Had the Torrent gotten eliminated even a game sooner, they would’ve had a much better chance at securing the first overall pick. But, instead, they dragged it out so long that they entered the plan just one game ahead of Vancouver. All in all, it was a disastrous season for Seattle in which they did little but shoot themselves in the foot. GM Meghan Turner has a lot of work on her hands to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it ahead of next season.