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The Premier Hockey Federation is back in action, and bigger than ever.

Seven teams — including the expansion Montreal Force — will begin their race for the coveted Isobel Cup when the PHF kicks off its eighth season on Saturday.

There’s been significant turnover on almost every roster since the Boston Pride won their second consecutive championship last spring, which promises to make the season ahead more dynamic and exciting than ever as a long list of new talents step into the mix.

And who might those skaters be? Glad you asked.

Before the PHF gets rolling, here’s what you need to know about the league, its top players, potential rising stars and other unique quirks.


When does the season start, and how long does it last?

The PHF begins its 84-game regular season with three tilts: Minnesota at Toronto (2 p.m. ET puck drop), Connecticut at Boston (7 p.m. start) and Montreal at Buffalo (7 p.m. start). Each club’s 24-game slate will run through Sunday, March 12, after which the Isobel Cup playoffs will begin.

This is the first full schedule for the PHF since 2019-20.

How do I watch the games?

ESPN+ will be the exclusive home of PHF games in the United States for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. Fans can sign up here to stream all games.

In Canada, TSN subscribers can enjoy live PHF games across the station’s five platforms or stream online via the TSN Direct app.

What’s the playoff format, and when does the postseason begin?

The 2023 Isobel Cup Playoffs will begin in March. More information on the postseason — including its format and other key dates — will be announced at a later time.

Tell me about the teams.

The PHF — previously known as the National Women’s Hockey League — began in 2015-16 with four teams: The Metropolitan Riveters, Connecticut Whale, Boston Pride and Buffalo Beauts. The league expanded to five teams in 2018-19 with the Minnesota Whitecaps, and the expansion Toronto Six joined in 2020-21. This will be the inaugural season for the PHF’s newest expansion team, the Montreal Force.

Boston has won more championships (three) than any other team, and are the reigning back-to-back winners of the Isobel Cup. Each club except the Six (and Force, obviously) have made at least one championship game appearance, and four of the six finals were decided by one goal.

Connecticut had its best season ever in 2021-22, earning the PHF’s best record (15-3-2) and top seeding for playoffs. The Whale advanced to their first Isobel Cup Final and led the Pride 2-1 midway through regulation before ultimately losing, 3-2.

The Metropolitan have been spinning their wheels since winning the Isobel Cup in 2018, and there’s been major changes this offseason to get them on track. The Riveters have a new GM in Tori Charron, a new coach in Venla Hovi, and a totally overhauled roster that includes just three players from last season.

Minnesota made an effort to increase its depth over last season. The Whitecaps struggled after goaltender Amanda Leveille got hurt, and their blue line was often challenged. They’re hoping a series of additions made since a fifth-place finish in the spring will be that spark.

Buffalo appeared in four straight Isobel Cup Finals from 2016-19, winning the trophy just once in 2017. It’s been a difficult couple of seasons for the Beauts though, who haven’t generated enough consistent offense. Mikyla Grant-Mentis’ return should help with that. She previously played in Buffalo during the 2019-20 season, and signed a one-year, $80,000 contract — the most lucrative women’s hockey deal ever — to re-join the Beauts this season.

Toronto does have the distinction of never having lost a game in Canada. They’ll put that streak on the line when facing Buffalo in their season debut.

Montreal will play its first home game on Nov. 26 against the Riveters at Centre 21.02. The Force will be playing in arenas throughout the province of Quebec all season long to highlight women’s hockey across the widest possible audience.

Who are the top players?

Grant-Mentis being pulled from Toronto to Buffalo will be fascinating to watch. She was the PHF’s MVP in 2020-21 and will generate plenty of attention trying to spark the Beauts’ offensive attack.

Connecticut’s Kennedy Marchment earned MVP honors last season after leading the league with 33 points in 20 games. Her teammate, Taylor Girard, was Newcomer of the Year with 11 goals and 24 points in 20 games.

Riveters captain Madison Packer is an impressive offensive force, and perennially proves to be one of the league’s best players. She’s coming off a 23-point season and is poised to have another strong campaign.

Leveille returning is big for the Whitecaps and league at large to have a star back in their midst. She’s twice been the PHF’s goaltender of the year, and is a two-time Isobel Cup champion who adds a real star presence for Minnesota.

What new players should I be aware of?

Elizabeth Giguere and Loren Gabel are joining the two-time champion Pride to make their roster even more dynamic. Giguere is a Patty Kazmaier Award winner out of Clarkson University who put off turning pro last season to spend one more year in the NCAA.

Gabel was previously with the Professional Women’s Hockey Association, but opted to join the PHF after receiving an offer from Boston last summer. The Pride struggled to put pucks in the net last season, and both Giguere and Gabel should help there.

Brittany Howard is another former PWHA skater, who opted to make a splashy free agent signing with Toronto in June. The dynamic offensive talent projects to play a major role in igniting more offense for the Six.

Amanda Pelkey is an old face making a new return to the league. She played three seasons for the Pride between 2015 and 2019 and will now suit up for the Riveters. The former U.S. national team member is a two-time World Champion gold medalist and won Olympic gold in 2018.

Another fresh addition for the Riveters is goaltender Rachel McQuigge who just finished a sensational season at Princeton, posting a .938 save percentage and 1.88 goals-against average.

Buffalo’s Olivia Knowles should also draw attention. The defender captained the University of Minnesota women’s team last season, and will help anchor the Beauts’ blue line.

I heard there’s a team playing games at a mall in New Jersey.

Yes, the Riveters will play their home games (for the next three years) at the American Dream mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The regulation-size rink will be surrounded by other traditional mall staples like an indoor water park and ferris wheel.

It’s a unique way to bring more fans to Riveters games. The rink can hold up to 2,000 people, but the Riveters are only looking to fill about 1,000 seats — which they will set up themselves — on the first level to start, with the third level allowing access for passersby in the mall to watch the Riveters in action free of charge.

Any other fun facts you can share ahead of opening puck drop?

The PHF has put in place a record-high salary cap of $750,000 per team for this season, including a $562,500 floor.

Brianna Decker has joined the PHF this season as a team and player development advisor. The Team USA stalwart is a six-time World Championship gold medalist and Olympic gold medalist who was previously with the PWHA but made a high-profile move into the PHF fold. Decker suffered a leg injury at the most recent Olympic Games, which has temporarily stalled her own playing career.

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Ohtani takes Miz deep but phenom fans 12 in win

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Ohtani takes Miz deep but phenom fans 12 in win

MILWAUKEE — Shohei Ohtani greeted Jacob Misiorowski with a leadoff homer, but the Milwaukee Brewers‘ rookie phenom got the last word.

After giving up Ohtani’s 431-foot blast, Misiorowski responded with another dominant outing. He struck out a career-high 12 batters — including two-way superstar Ohtani in the third inning — to lead the Brewers to a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night.

“It’s Shohei Ohtani,” Misiorowski said. “You kind of expect [that]. It’s cool to see him do it in action, but it fires me up even more coming back the next at-bat and striking him out. I’m right there. I think it was a moment of like, ‘OK, now we go.'”

Misiorowski, whose fastball routinely tops 100 mph, threw an 88.2 mph curveball on an 0-2 count to Ohtani, who crushed it for his 31st homer. That’s the most by a Dodgers player before the All-Star break.

It was the 21st career leadoff homer for the three-time MVP, who struck out swinging on a curveball in the third and walked to start the sixth. That was the only walk given up by Misiorowski, who scattered four hits.

“Really good stuff, aggressive in the zone,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “But what really stood out to me was his command and control.”

Misiorowski outdueled three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw, who surpassed 3,000 career strikeouts in his previous outing. Asked Monday about his matchup with Misiorowski, Kershaw said he only knew that the 6-foot-7 right-hander threw hard.

“I know him now, huh?” Kershaw said Tuesday. “That was super impressive. That was unbelievable. It was really special. Everything. Obviously the velo, but he’s got four pitches, commands the ball. I don’t know how you hit that, honestly. That’s just really tough.”

Misiorowski was glad to get Kershaw’s attention.

“I saw something online that he didn’t now who I was, so I hope he knows me now,” Misiorowski said. “It’s kind of cool.”

In five starts since the Brewers called him up from the minors, Misiorowski has already beaten Kershaw and 2024 NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes. In another outing, Misiorowski carried a perfect game into the seventh inning.

“He’s just broken the shell,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “He’s just out of the egg, all arms and legs. He’s still got gooey stuff coming off, you can see it, all arms and legs, but there’s something special about him.”

The numbers would indicate as much. Misiorowski is 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA and has given up only 12 hits in 25⅔ innings.

He topped out at 101.6 mph and threw 20 pitches of at least 100 on Tuesday. He also threw 19 curveballs after using curves only 10% of the time before Tuesday.

He was coming off his only shaky performance, giving up five runs — including a grand slam by Brandon Nimmo — and three walks over 3⅔ innings Wednesday in a 7-3 loss to the New York Mets.

It looked as if it might be more of the same after Ohtani went deep. Misiorowski responded by striking out 12 of the next 16 batters.

“I think that’s my job, is to figure it out on the fly,” he said. “I feel like I did it tonight.”

He got out of a jam in the sixth. The Dodgers trailed 2-1 and had runners on second and third with one out, but third baseman Andruw Monasterio fielded a grounder and threw out Ohtani at the plate, and Misiorowski retired Michael Conforto on a grounder.

Misiorowski pumped his fist as he headed toward the dugout, then watched the Brewers’ bullpen nail down the win.

“It’s so satisfying,” Misiorowski said. “It’s just a dream come true, to do what I did.”

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Giants walk off on Bailey’s inside-the-park homer

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Giants walk off on Bailey's inside-the-park homer

SAN FRANCISCO — Patrick Bailey hit a three-run, inside-the-park home run with one out in the ninth inning, lifting the San Francisco Giants to a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night.

Bailey became just the third catcher in MLB history to hit a walk-off, inside-the-park home run, joining the Chicago Cubs’ Pat Moran in 1907 and the Washington Nationals’ Bennie Tate in 1926.

Bailey’s homer would have been an outside-the-park home run in 29 of 30 ballparks, with Oracle Park being the exception.

Mike Yastrzemski reached base twice and scored to help the Giants to their sixth win in seven games.

Casey Schmitt began the rally with a leadoff double. After Jung Hoo Lee popped out, Wilmer Flores lined a single to center.

Bailey, who grounded into a double play and struck out in two of his previous at-bats, then smashed a 1-0 fastball from Jordan Romano (1-4) into right-center field that ricocheted off the brick part of the wall.

Ryan Walker (2-3) retired one batter, with two on in the top of the ninth, to earn the win.

Phillies All-Star Kyle Schwarber had two hits, including his team-leading 28th home run.

Schwarber flew out, struck out and was hit by a pitch before homering off Giants reliever Spencer Bivens into McCovey Cove. Brandon Marsh, who singled as a pinch hitter leading off the inning, scored on the play.

Two days after being named an All-Star for the second time in his career, Robbie Ray gave up four hits and one run in 5⅔ innings.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Mets’ Mendoza: Snubbed Soto ‘an All-Star for us’

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Mets' Mendoza: Snubbed Soto 'an All-Star for us'

BALTIMORE — The New York Mets consider Juan Soto to be a bona fide All-Star, despite the snub he received from those who selected the National League squad for the Midsummer Classic on July 15.

Soto, in his first year with the Mets, has performed well enough to earn the respect of his manager and teammates. In their opinion, he’s deserving of a place in the All-Star Game next week in Atlanta.

“He’s an All-Star for us,” manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday night after the Mets beat Baltimore 7-6. “It’s frustrating, but I’m hoping in the next couple of days we hear something and he makes it.”

Soto drove in the winning run with a sharp single on the first pitch of the 10th inning. That capped a night in which he went 3 for 5 to raise his batting average to .269 with 21 homers and 52 RBIs.

Soto has walked 72 times, by far the most in the majors, but he can also lash out at a pitcher when necessary.

“He’s got a pretty good understanding of what the pitchers are trying to do to him,” Mendoza said. “There is his awareness of the game, he’s going to see pitchers. There are times when he’s going to be aggressive. Tonight was one of those nights. First pitch in the 10th, he’s attacking.”

Soto made the All-Star team as a member of the Nationals, Padres and Yankees each year since 2021. The streak appears to be over. But his teammates believe he deserves to go.

“What he done all year is just incredible, and the results are good enough,” Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes said. “The consistency he’s showed up with, at the at-bats he’s taken, is more than an All-Star. He’s one of the best in the game and a big part of our lineup.”

Soto seems rather philosophical about the snub.

“Sometimes, you’re going to make it and sometimes you don’t,” he told reporters after Sunday’s loss to the Yankees. “It’s just part of baseball.”

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