Season 4 is almost here — and this week Erica L. Ayala and Rachel Donner have a full slate before the puck drops.
First: the PWHL signing wave continues. Kirsten Simms locks in a three-year deal with Toronto — exactly what the Sceptres needed heading into a reset season. The New York Sirens extend Misha Nylander-Persson on a one-year deal to anchor their blue line, and Denisa Křížová gets a second year tacked onto her existing contract. Plus the duo digs into why salary transparency still lags in women’s hockey — and why roster size opacity is making it worse.
Then the conversation that’s been building all offseason: a bill introduced by Republican lawmakers in September would cap international student participation on NCAA varsity rosters at 20%. Erica and Rachel break down what the TEAM USA Act actually says, why it’s solving a problem that doesn’t exist for international athletes on student visas, and why women’s hockey — built on a pipeline of Canadian and European players coming through the NCAA — would feel this more than almost any other sport. Plus: what it means for PWHL scouting if that pipeline disappears.
Then it’s the Women’s World Championships preview. Corinne Schroeder suffered an off-ice injury at Hockey Canada’s camp, putting her status in doubt just weeks before the tournament opens November 6th in Denmark. Erica and Rachel break down both the Hockey Canada and Team USA rosters — the notable absences on the Canadian side (MPP, Sarah Nurse, Natalie Spooner, Blayre Turnbull), the Chloe Primerano opportunity, and what the USA’s minimal changes between camps tells us about where they stand. Plus the full Group A and Group B breakdown, the USA-Canada exhibition games on October 28th and 30th, and Austria’s surprising new front office led by Gina Kingsbury.
0:00 — Intro: PWHL signing news, a congressional bill, and the Women’s Worlds preview
2:00 — Kirsten Simms signs three years with Toronto, Misha Nylander-Persson re-ups with New York, and Denisa Křížová’s contract extension
4:30 — Salary transparency and roster size opacity: why women’s hockey still has work to do
8:00 — The TEAM USA Act: what capping international NCAA rosters at 20% would actually mean
13:30 — Why women’s hockey would be among the hardest hit — and what it means for PWHL scouting
19:00 — Corinne Schroeder injured at Hockey Canada camp — what it means for San Jose and Team Canada’s goaltending depth
25:00 — Hockey Canada camp roster breakdown: who’s in, who’s out, and Chloe Primerano’s opportunity
30:00 — Team USA’s second camp: Grace Dwyer out, Callie Shanahan in, and what minimal changes signal
35:30 — Women’s Worlds Group A and Group B preview: USA, Canada, Switzerland, Czechia, Finland, and more
40:00 — Austria with Gina Kingsbury at the helm, Theresa Schafzahl connection, and what to watch for in Denmark
43:00 — What’s coming: weekly episodes start in November, expansion team previews, and the road to puck drop
At Even Strength is a PWHL-focused podcast from Black Rosie Media, hosted by Erica L. Ayala and Rachel Donner. New episodes drop on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Get your weekly women’s hockey fix with Erica L. Ayala and Rachel Donner. They will cover the top news in the PWHL, NCAA, and international women’s ice hockey.