The Toronto Maple Leafs will play host to the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) All-Star Game for the second consecutive season on January 23, 2016. The game will see the best professional female hockey players from each of the CWHL’s five teams – the Toronto Furies, Boston Blades, Brampton Thunder, Calgary Inferno and Les Canadiennes de Montreal – come together to showcase their skills on Air Canada Centre ice.
The Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the first CWHL All-Star in 2014 and will continue their investment in the development of women’s hockey by hosting the second annual game at Air Canada Centre, allowing up to 19,000 fans to experience the very best the sport has to offer. The All-Star Game gives the CWHL an opportunity to showcase its high caliber of hockey and star players, bringing new fans and growth for the league and sport of women’s hockey in Canada.
Funds from ticket sales for the game will be donated back to the league, to support travel, coaching, equipment and other team expenses ensuring there is a professional league for young women to aspire to play in. Tickets for the CWHL All-Star Game are available on Ticketmaster beginning Monday, December 14, for $10 each or $5 per person when purchased in a group of 10 or more.
“The Toronto Maple Leafs are proud to host the CWHL for a second year to help more women in Toronto and across Canada realize their hockey dreams,” said Toronto Maple Leafs President and Alternate Governor, Brendan Shanahan. “By donating funds from ticket sales back to the development of women’s hockey through the CWHL’s growth model, we ensure that female players in Canada have opportunities to play our great game for years to come.”
The CWHL All-Star game will feature three-20 minute periods of hockey, broadcast for fans at home on Sportsnet. The full roster for the All-Star Game was announced on December 4 and includes a mix of league rookies and veterans, numerous Olympians, world champions and members of the National teams of Canada, the United States and Japan. The full roster can be found on cwhl.ca.
“The players chosen for the 2016 CWHL All-Star Game represent the very best of our league, with their skill, passion and commitment to the game unsurpassed on and off the ice,” CWHL Commissioner Brenda Andress said. “We’re thrilled to welcome our stars once again to the Air Canada Centre for what will be an exceptional and entertaining game of hockey and we thank the Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Club and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment for their support in hosting this amazing event.”
About the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL)
The CWHL is the premier, professionally run women’s hockey league in the world. It enables elite female hockey players to pursue their dreams of competing at the highest level possible, while enhancing the lives of others through exceptional athleticism, entertainment and motivation. The league is centrally funded, with all participating teams in the CWHL receiving equal access to financial support and given the same opportunities to succeed. The CWHL is a not-for-profit organization, with every dollar going towards building a league that is dedicated to raising the profile of women’s hockey, providing a place for the best female players in the world to compete and inspiring the next generation of female hockey heroines. Since the CWHL’s inception in 2007, each hockey season has culminated in an exciting play-off round in which the top teams face off for the Clarkson Cup, named after former Governor General of Canada Adrienne Clarkson.
For more information, please visit www.CWHL.ca, and follow the CWHL via social media on Twitter and Instagram @CWHL_Insider and on Facebook at facebook.com/Canadian.Womens.Hockey.League.
About MLSE
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) one of the world’s premier sports and entertainment companies, owns the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Toronto Raptors (NBA), Toronto FC, Toronto Marlies (AHL), Raptors 905 (NBA D-League), and TFC II (USL). It also owns Air Canada Centre, Maple Leaf Square, three digital channels – Leafs TV, NBA TV Canada and GOLTV Canada and has a partnership with Live Nation – the biggest concert promoter in the world. MLSE has also invested in and operates five of Toronto’s sports facilities – Ricoh Coliseum, BMO Field, Kia Training Grounds at Downsview Park, home of Toronto FC’s Academy and the First Team’s practice facility, and the MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence, the practice facility for the Maple Leafs and Marlies.