Toronto's Olivia Knowles (7) and Minnesota's Taylor Heise (27) battle for the puck during first period PWHL action in Toronto on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Toronto picks Minnesota as its semifinal opponent in the Professional Women’s Hockey League playoffs starting Wednesday.
The PWHL in its first season introduced a playoff innovation in awarding the top team in the league after the regular season the choice between the third and fourth seeds for its semifinal foe.
Toronto had 24 hours from the end of its last game Sunday to make a decision. Giving fourth-seeded Minnesota the nod means No. 2 Montreal gets third seed Boston in the first round.
Toronto opens its best-of-five semifinal against Minnesota with the first two games Wednesday and Friday at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Montreal starts Thursday and Saturday against Boston at Place Bell in Laval, Que.
The best-of-five final will be for the Walter Cup. New York and Ottawa finished outside the playoffs in the six-team league.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2024.
