2025-26 PWHL Power Rankings: Week 2 (11/28-12/04)

Welcome back to The Ice Garden’s weekly PWHL power rankings! Check back every Friday for a new installment and remember: if you think your team is ranked too low, it’s definitely, totally, 100% because we hate them.

Last week, I promised that there would be some drastic movement in these rankings over the next couple of weeks, and boy, was I correct. This week’s rankings feature the most dramatic jump in TIG power rankings history, plus three other multi-spot shifts. Such is life in the early stages of a season when teams are still trying to figure out who they are. Everyone has a win now at least, and there’s one undefeated team still standing that I don’t think anyone predicted would be that way preseason. Hockey!

The annual Spotify Wrapped and Apple Music Replay packages came out earlier this week, so it’s only natural to work them into the theme. Originally, the plan was to use some of the top songs nationally or globally, but after they came out, I quickly realized I knew even fewer of them than I suspected (and I was not expecting to know many). So, instead, each team was matched to lyrics from songs off my “Your Top Songs 2025” Spotify-generated playlist. Please note, only the specific lyrics reflect each team since factoring in the overall meaning of the songs leaves too much room for interpretation, and I protect the integrity of these rankings with my life (it is definitely not because it was too hard otherwise).

#1. Boston Fleet (3-0-0-0, 9 points)

Last Week’s Ranking: 1 (-)

This Week’s Results:

• Sat, Nov. 29 @ TOR: 3-1 W
• Wed, Dec. 3 vs VAN: 2-0 W

Upcoming Schedule:

• Sun, Dec 7 vs MIN: 3 p.m. ET, Agganis Arena, Boston, MA (NESN, FanDuel Sports Network North, Sportsnet, PWHL Youtube Channel)

Lyrics: From “Days Like These” by Luke Combs

"Days like these are worth more than gold/But they can’t be bought, and they can’t be sold/On days like these, when the sun shines bright/I feel like it’s all gonna be alright."

These are the days worth more than gold if you’re the Fleet. Three-game win streaks can’t be bought or sold, but they sure make you feel like everything’s gonna be alright this season after all.

That said, this was a Jekyll-and-Hyde week for the Fleet. It’s Frankel-y a miracle that they managed to beat Toronto despite putting up just 12 shots on goal. However, they redeemed themselves with a decisive win over Vancouver on Wednesday. They’re far from a perfect team, but so far in this young season, they’re fast, they’re scrappy, and they’re finding ways to win in regulation. You can’t ask for much more than that.

#2. Minnesota Frost (2-0-0-1, 6 points)

Last Week’s Ranking: 8 (+6)

This Week’s Results:

• Fri, Nov. 28 @ SEA: 3-0 W
• Tue, Dec. 2 @ OTT: 5-1 W

Upcoming Schedule:

• Sun, Dec. 7 @ BOS: 2 p.m. CT, Agganis Arena, Boston, MA (FanDuel Sports Network North, NESN, Sportsnet, PWHL Youtube Channel)

Lyrics: From “My Revival” by Morgxn

“But this is my revival/I won’t be discouraged/Wherever my heart is/I won’t keep it guarded/This is my survival/I don’t plan on stopping/My spirit’s never dropping/This is my revival.”

The Frost wouldn’t be discouraged after losing their season opener. Despite all their offseason losses, their spirits haven’t dropped. These are the revived Minnesota Frost, and they don’t plan on stopping the good times anytime soon.

And here we have it, folks. The most dramatic jump in TIG power rankings history. What a historic moment. I really wasn’t happy putting them in the basement last week, but they were the only team without a point. This ranking feels more accurate, although I’m not wholly convinced they’ll stay this high for long. Anyway, in the preseason, there was a lot of talk about how good Olympic year Hilary Knight and Marie-Philip Poulin would be. But, now I raise you: Olympic year Kendall Coyne Schofield and Kelly Pannek. The pair are on fire to start this season, with five points each (six goals and four assists, combined) in three games. Plus, Britta Curl-Salemme also picked up where she left off last season, with five assists in three games, and Nicole Hensley looks rejuvenated after a rocky 2024-25 season. They lost a lot this offseason, but this still looks like a very good team.

#3. Montréal Victoire (1-0-0-1, 3 points)

Last Week’s Ranking: 3 (-)

This Week’s Results:

• No games this week

Upcoming Schedule:

• Sun, Dec. 7 vs TOR: 12 p.m. ET, Place Bell, Laval, QC (TSN, RDS, PWHL Youtube Channel)

Lyrics: From “Margaritaville” by Jimmy Buffett

"Nibblin' on sponge cake/Watchin' the sun bake/All of those tourists covered in oil/Strummin' my six string/On my front porch swing/Smell those shrimp, they’re beginning to boil/Wasting away in Margaritaville."

The Victoire might as well have been nibblin' on sponge cake in Margaritaville since they didn’t play this week. They at least had a good time making snow angels after practicing on an outdoor rink, although their fans were more covered in snow than oil.

Montréal has the world’s wackiest schedule to start this season. Part of it is due to the upcoming international break, but after playing two games in three days to kick off the season, they had 11 full days off in between games, with another 10-day break on the horizon. It’s going to be hard for them to settle into a game groove with all that interruption, but there’s something to be said for having so much extra practice time early in the season. Few others have that luxury, and it might give the Victoire a big advantage once they finally get to play regularly.

#4. Toronto Sceptres (2-0-0-1, 6 points)

Last Week’s Ranking: 2 (-2)

This Week’s Results:

• Sat, Nov. 29 vs BOS: 3-1 L
• Thu, Dec. 4 vs OTT: 3-1 W

Upcoming Schedule:

• Sun, Dec. 7 @ MTL: 12 p.m. ET, Place Bell, Laval, QC (TSN, RDS, PWHL Youtube Channel)

Lyrics: From “Home Sweet” by Russell Dickerson

“Could be white brick and picket fences/Or some busted AC hotel room/It’s all picture perfect if you’re in it/No it don’t get much better than/Home sweet, you and me/Ain’t got much, but we got all we need.”

So far this season, the Sceptres have proven that they’re happy to play in any style of game. Whether they’re controlling play or have to be opportunistic, they have a chance to win. After all, it doesn’t get much better than utterly dominating possession in both games this week (although two wins would’ve been swell). Still, when you’re sitting in a tie for second place, even if you don’t have as much as you want, you’ve got pretty much all you need.

Let’s play “good news, bad news,” shall we? Good news: the Sceptres are really good at outshooting their opponent, doing so 62-29 this week. Bad news: those shots aren’t translating to many goals, with just four, one of which was an empty-netter. Good news: they got three points this week. Bad news: they lost a game in which their opponent only mustered 12 shots. All in all, this was a great week for the Sceptres in terms of controlling play, but their execution isn’t quite there yet. They need to find more of a scoring touch, and preferably soon, before frustration sets in. 

#5. New York Sirens (2-0-0-2, 6 points)

Last Week’s Ranking: 5 (-)

This Week’s Results:

• Sat, Nov. 29 vs VAN: 5-1 W
• Wed, Dec. 3 @ SEA: 2-1 L

Upcoming Schedule:

• Sat, Dec. 6 @ VAN: 3 p.m. ET, Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, BC (MSGSN2, CBC, PWHL Youtube Channel)

Lyrics: From “30,000 Feet” by Ben Rector

“I’ve been better, I’ve been worse/I’ve chased after pretty girls/Seen a couple places that I never thought I’d see/I’ve walked into harder times, I’ve walked out the other side/It seems like you end up getting what you need/Yeah, looking down from 30,000 feet/Life’s been good to me.

The Sirens have been better, but they’ve also been worse. They’ve seen a place that, if you asked them just a few years ago, they probably never thought they’d see as players in Seattle. They’ve walked through some hard times, but it looks like they might have finally walked out the other side, and the offseason shakeup they got was what they needed. All things considered, life’s been pretty good to them this season.

Another week, another convincing win followed by a frustrating loss. However, the good news for New York fans is that they were in the driver’s seat for most of the game against Seattle, too. Then, an extremely ill-timed major penalty by Kristýna Kaltounková spelled their doom, and they let all three points slip away in the final two minutes. Those are the growing pains you go through with a young team, but it should serve as a valuable early learning experience. This team absolutely has the potential to stay out of the league’s basement, but they’ll need to find some consistency before I'm willing to say more than that.

#6. Seattle Torrent (1-0-1-1, 4 points)

Last Week’s Ranking: Tied for 6th (-)

This Week’s Results:

• Fri, Nov. 28 vs MIN: 3-0 L
• Wed, Dec. 3 vs NYS: 2-1 W

Upcoming Schedule:

• No games this week.

Lyrics: From “What I Almost Was” by Eric Church

“I ain’t making a killin', but then there’s those nights/When the song comes together and hits 'em just right/The crowds on their feet ‘cause they can’t get enough/Of this music I make and I love/...Man, I thank god I ain’t what I almost was.”

The Torrent aren’t killing it right now, but man, was last night one of those nights. They scored their first two home goals in the final two minutes to win in regulation, and it hit the crowd just right. They were on their feet, unable to get enough, as they and the team thanked God they weren’t what they almost were: winless through three games.

The Torrent opened their week with a tough loss in front of a record-breaking crowd, and it looked like they would stay winless as they trailed in the waning minutes of Game 3. However, Alex Carpenter and Hilary Knight made the most of a Sirens' major penalty with four minutes remaining, scoring just 22 seconds apart in the final two minutes to give their team its first home win in franchise history. There’s still a long way to go for the Torrent to realize their full potential, but there are reasons to be hopeful. Their top players are scoring, as are some breakout candidates, and they’re getting solid goaltending. They’re also currently in the midst of a big homestand, and as long as they use it to practice and build chemistry, they should be in a decent spot before embarking on their first big road trip in January.

#7. Vancouver Goldeneyes (0-1-0-3, 2 points)

Last Week’s Ranking: 4 (-3)

This Week’s Results:

• Sat, Nov. 29 @ NYS: 5-1 L
• Wed, Dec. 3 @ BOS: 2-0 L

Upcoming Schedule:

• Sat, Dec. 6 vs NYS: 12 p.m. PT, Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, BC (CBC, MSGSN2, PWHL Youtube Channel)

Lyrics: From “Blink Twice” by Shaboozey and Myles Smith

“Living on the edge and finding out it’s kinda dull/Realize I am somebody that I don’t know at all/Oh God, would you tell me why I’m wore down to the bone?/Even though I’ve only seen half of the world, I’m coming home.”

The Goldeneyes have been living on the road this week, and they’ve found out it’s kinda hard. They don’t know who they are right now, and they’re worn right down to the bone. Even though they’ve only played half the Eastern teams, they’re coming home with hopes of turning things around.

Things are not going well for the Goldeneyes. After a fun win over their fellow expansion club to start the season, they embarked on a disastrous road trip. They were outscored 12-2 across the three-game trip, and never managed more than 21 shots in a game, getting outshot 94-61. This is a roster filled with talent, but they have a lot of learning how to play together left to do if they want to realize their potential. Luckily for them, it’s far from time to panic yet. They’re about to head home for four games, which should allow for some sorely-needed practice in between, which should, in turn, lead to better chemistry and better results. But, for now, they've earned this spot.

#8. Ottawa Charge (1-0-0-3, 3 points)

Before I dive into Ottawa’s week on the ice, all of us here at TIG are wishing Ottawa head coach Carla MacLeod all the best as she begins her battle with breast cancer. It’s hard to find a more positive and joyful person in the game than her, and we’re all hoping for a full, speedy recovery.

Last Week’s Ranking: Tied for 6th (-2)

This Week’s Results:

• Tue, Dec. 2 vs MIN: 5-1 L
• Thu, Dec. 4 @ TOR: 3-1 L

Upcoming Schedule:

• No games this week

Lyrics: From “Oldest I’ve Ever Felt” by Late Night Thoughts

“Pessimism didn’t used to be in my nature/But the world’s on fire and I know I’m no forest ranger/Pretty soon all the ice will melt/Maybe that’ll help.”

I try not to let pessimism be in my nature so early in the season. But the Charge certainly don’t look like they’re a team of forest rangers, ready to successfully walk through the fires of a PWHL season and make playoffs. Maybe the week off will help.

Wowee, did the Charge not have fun on the ice this week. Sure, last night’s score isn’t that bad, but they only have Gwyneth Phillips to thank for that, as Toronto outshot them 37-17. Unfortunately for fans, the Ottawa team seen this week is closer to the preseason projections than the one that thumped the Goldeneyes last week. That’s not saying they can’t improve, because they certainly can. Phillips showed last year that she can take this team far. But they’re going to need a lot of players to find a new gear offensively to make her efforts mean anything.