Pittsburgh Should Be Home to the Next NWHL Franchise

Pittsburgh is Hockey Crazy

With Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin at the helm of the Penguins, the team has seen a popularity boom in Pittsburgh not dissimilar to what happened in the city when a young French-Canadian named Mario Lemieux joined the team in the mid-1980s. Following back-to-back wins prior to last season, the franchise has likely never been more popular in the city.

At a time where the Steelers have seen issues on and off the field and the Pirates remain the not especially exciting resident baseball club, the Penguins have capitalized on intense rivalries, superstar players, winning ways, and outreach into the community to build a rabid fan base.

When the Penguins play, the city tunes in. Year after year, the Penguins have put forward some of the best local ratings for games in the entire league, constantly outpacing larger television markets.

The truly amazing part is that even when the Penguins aren’t playing, they manage to do the same. During the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals, the Trib pointed out that:

Even though the Penguins were bounced in the second round, Pittsburgh remains the top market in the country with a 4.21 rating, leading Vegas (3.17), Buffalo (2.95), Nashville (2.52), Tampa (2.41) and Washington (2.11)

This is a city that has seen growth not just in fandom of their NHL franchise, but in love of the game. From the time Sidney Crosby laced up the skates for the first time in black and gold, young kids throughout the area started seeing themselves on the ice, too. Youth hockey, associations, indoor and outdoor rink, and programs have exponentially developed in the past decade in Pittsburgh in ways that few could’ve predicted.

There are few areas in the country that can compete with what Pittsburgh puts forward in terms of hockey fandom and the ones I’d list (Boston, Minnesota, etc) already have an NWHL team.

First Superstar

Let me be clear at the outset that I do not want to get too far ahead of myself here. If Pittsburgh were to be awarded a franchise in the NWHL, there would be pressure on one young superstar in the league to leave the only NWHL team she’s known and move to play there instead.

Amanda Kessel is entering her second season in the NWHL after taking a year off last year to compete (and win) in the Olympics in South Korea. Assuming Phil Kessel is a still a Penguin by the end of this season and moving into next season, Penguins fans would likely lead a campaign to bring the gold medalist to Pittsburgh to team up to lead the city’s hockey clubs.

There are few players in Pittsburgh that capture the town’s spotlight better than the quiet, but deadly sniper in black and gold. Since arriving in Pittsburgh via trade after a shaky sendoff in Toronto, Phil Kessel has consistently proved a valuable asset to the Penguins, even coming close to winning the Conn Smythe trophy.

The outpouring of support for Phil Kessel in Pittsburgh has translated into not only an awareness of the talents of his younger sister, but also an excitement that may be unmatched for any other player in the NWHL, even those originally from the area.

If Amanda Kessel were to make the jump to a NWHL franchise, the league and the city would likely see enthusiasm at a whole new level, even beyond the reaction in Buffalo (and the league) when the Beauts signed Canadian superstar goaltender Shannon Szabados to a contract this year.

Move-in Ready Home

Since opening in 2015, the Pittsburgh Penguins have called the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, PA home as a practice facility. With a total capacity of 1500 seats and two rinks, the complex has seen its fair share of hockey at all levels.

As already mentioned, the complex in Cranberry will be hosting the NWHL when it returns to town in December 2018 for its second regular season contest in the city. With Amanda Kessel and Kelly Steadman captaining the squads, the 2017 NWHL All-Star game saw sell-out crowds fill the arena.

Compared to the current five franchises in the National Women’s Hockey League, the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex would fall close to the middle of the pack with regards to seating capacity. The Warrior Ice Arena (Boston Pride) and the Barnabas Hockey House (Metropolitan Riveters) each have a seating capacity of 800.

The NWHL’s newest franchise, the Minnesota Whitecaps will play their games at TRIA Rink, with a seating capacity of 1,200, while the Buffalo Beauts play at the HarborCenter, with over 1,800 seats. The largest home rink to any NWHL club belongs to the Connecticut Whale, which play at the Terry Conners Rink that boasts a seating capacity of approximately 2,000 seats.

In addition to being able to bring a good sized crowd to games, the UPMC Sports Complex has proven up to the task of managing NWHL games, fans, and players. As the Penguins practice facility, UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex has seen its fair share of sizable crowds, especially when practice falls on a weekend. Even with the large crowds, there has been little to complain about in either experience or view of the ice, which could make it a home sweet home for a NWHL team.

Homegrown Talent

While youth girls’ hockey in Pittsburgh has seen a steady increase in opportunities and enthusiasm over the past decade, no program has been more successful in the area at providing a link to professional women’s hockey than Robert Morris University women’s hockey team. Although the team has seen better days in the AHCA, the RMU Women’s ice hockey program has seen players, assistants, and coaches involved with the NWHL in various ways.

In 2017, the Buffalo Beauts drafted forward Brittany Howard from RMU. Meeri Räisänen, the Finnish goaltender that recently signed with the Connecticut Whale is also a RMU alumni.

Brianne McLaughlin, a former Beauts goaltender and former Olympian not only played for RMU, but now leads a hockey camp for young players in the same facility where RMU holds its games.

Recently retired two-time NWHL All-star Kelley Steadman spent 2017 as an assistant coach at RMU before heading to Mercyhurst to become their Head Coach.

With a women’s ice hockey program nearby this well-connected to the NWHL, the potential for players familiar with the area already from their time at RMU, one way or another, could provide a Pittsburgh franchise with a starting point for their roster or front office.

Travel

With a league still in its infancy, travel considerations take a front-seat in any discussion of where to place a franchise. Pittsburgh is nicely situated to take advantage of the current locations of the five existing NWHL clubs. A quick trip to Buffalo and a longer, but manageable, trip to Minnesota, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Boston, Pittsburgh would provide an easy solution for expansion when it comes to travel.

With the addition of the Minnesota Whitecaps to this upcoming season, the NWHL will get its first taste with a new logistical challenge: air travel. Prior to this upcoming year, all NWHL clubs primarily used buses to get to/from road games.

Since most trips prior to this season were under 500 miles driving, the addition of an almost 1500 mile trip one way for some teams (from Boston to Minnesota) could present some interesting obstacles, especially as the season moves towards winter. A franchise in PIttsburgh, similar to the Buffalo Beauts, would still need to travel by air to Minnesota, but would be a reasonable bus trip to all other existing NWHL franchises.

Additionally, the location of the potential NWHL team’s home in Pittsburgh in Cranberry, PA has a considerable amount of lodging options, presenting the league with one less logistical nightmare. Hotels from all brands surround the Penguins practice facility, with some less than a five-minute drive to the rink. Between a variety of hotel options and a relatively convenient setting, Pittsburgh’s minimal logistical difficulties offer an ideal home for a league without deep pockets.

Potential Ownership

Lastly, there are few cities in any sports where the owner of a franchise is as revered as the owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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From on-ice superstar to off-ice savior, Mario Lemieux (and his partners) have managed to bring the team back from the brink of bankruptcy, to building a new arena, and bringing home several championships in the process.

While it’s entirely possible that Lemieux will soon hand off majority ownership of the franchise, whomever steps in could be looking at a situation similar to the Pegulas in Buffalo, where they own both local hockey clubs (as well as other franchises in other sports).

Increasing interest in the game is good for any owner and having an NWHL club in addition to an NHL team could provide new opportunities for fans and merchandise.

While Dani Rylan has made it clear that she and the league is open to potential partnerships and league expansion, it’s hard to find any city that would be more prepared to welcome a NWHL team with open arms.

Anyway you look at it, there are few cities, specifically in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic that could offer the NWHL the features that Pittsburgh can right off the bat. Beyond an passionate fan base, the team would be able to take advantage of some of the benefits the city has to offer, making Pittsburgh the best fit for the next NWHL franchise.