PHF To Host Isobel Cup Playoffs in Florida, Final Will Be Carried on ESPN2

The championship final on ESPN2 will be the network’s first linear broadcast of professional women’s hockey

The Premier Hockey Federation has announced that the 2022 Isobel Cup Playoffs are headed south to Florida where all six teams will battle for the top prize in professional women’s hockey March 25-28 at AdventHealth Center Ice near Tampa Bay. The schedule consists of five games including two preliminary round matchups on Friday, March 25 followed by two semifinals on Sunday, March 27 all streaming live across the United States on ESPN+ and internationally on ESPN affiliates including TSN Direct in Canada. The Isobel Cup will be awarded on Monday, March 28 live at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

“The 2021-22 season has been truly historic for the PHF and for our athletes who deserve the opportunity to compete for the Isobel Cup and raise it in the national spotlight on ESPN2,” says PHF Commissioner Tyler Tumminia. “Playoff weekend will be the pinnacle of a season full of highlights as we crown the first champion of our new era in Tampa Bay, or ‘Champa Bay’ as it has become affectionately known given their recent success across sport. We’re excited to add to that legacy by showcasing the talent and skill of our athletes in Florida and continue growing the game by inspiring new fans and reaching a larger broadcast audience who will enjoy the very best of professional women’s hockey.”

AdventHealth Center Ice opened in January, 2017 and is the largest ice sports facility in the southeastern United States. The Wesley Chapel venue hosted the U.S. National Women’s Team along with Canada, Finland, and Sweden for the 2017 Four Nations Cup, and in September was home to the two-time Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning who welcomed prospect teams from Carolina, Florida, and Nashville for the 2021 NHL Prospect Showcase.

“We are so excited to host the PHF Isobel Cup Playoffs,” says Gordie Zimmermann, CEO of AdventHealth Center Ice. “We have been a catalyst for the growing interest in hockey in Florida since our opening, and in girl’s hockey in particular. Being the training home of the U.S. National Women’s Team prior to the 2018 Olympics and hosting USA Hockey’s Women’s Nationals every Spring has helped lead to an exponential increase in the number of female players we now have in our leagues and in the sport as a whole. We expect the PHF championship to only further that excitement and participation.”

In October, 2021 the PHF announced an agreement making ESPN+ its exclusive home in the United States for the entire 2021-22 season. The championship final on ESPN2 will be the network’s first linear broadcast of professional women’s hockey.

“We’re thrilled to showcase the top players in women’s hockey as they conclude an exciting PHF season,” said John Lasker, Vice President, Digital Media Programming, ESPN. “The final playoff push for the Isobel Cup will be a great complement to our lineup of hockey programming, and we look forward to the championship game on ESPN2.”

The push for the Isobel Cup Playoffs is heating up with 25 more regular season games to be played over the next six weeks. The top two ranked teams at season’s end will advance directly to the semifinals while the bottom four teams battle in a preliminary round of single elimination games. Currently the top two teams in the standings are the Connecticut Whale and Toronto Six who are both searching for their first Isobel Cup titles. The third place Boston Pride are the only team to have won twice having celebrated during the inaugural 2015-16 season and again in 2021. The fourth place Minnesota Whitecaps last won in 2019, the fifth place Metropolitan Riveters claimed the prize in 2018, and the sixth place Buffalo Beauts were victorious in 2017. 2022 will be the first time the Isobel Cup is contended for in a neutral state outside of traditional PHF territory.

2022 Isobel Cup Playoff Schedule:

Friday March 25 – Preliminary Round
4:00 p.m. ET – 3rd Place vs 6th Place (ESPN+)
7:30 p.m. ET – 4th Place vs 5th Place (ESPN+)

Sunday March 27 – Semifinals
1:00 p.m. ET – 1st Place vs Lowest Remaining Seed (ESPN+)
4:30 p.m. ET – 2nd Place vs Highest Remaining Seed (ESPN+)

Monday March 28 – Final
9:00 p.m. ET – Winner of Semifinal 1 vs Winner of Semifinal 2 (ESPN2)

The 2021-22 season is the seventh in Federation history with substantial growth on the horizon given a commitment from the Board of Governors to invest $25 million over the next three years to directly enhance the player experience. Expansion to eight teams for the 2022-23 season along with a salary cap of $750,000 per team, full healthcare benefits and equity in the teams, facility upgrades, new equipment, and increased ice time are all part of the investment to professional PHF athletes.