high level ice hockey leagues that stream free on youtube
wanted to compile a list into a post for people to reference.
PWHL - Professional Women's Hockey League, top pro women's league in USA/Canada, streams free everywhere outside Canada (sorry, Canada) (Proton VPN is a great free option), 12 teams, November - May, website - eliteprospects - wikipedia
SDHL - Swedish Women's Hockey League, top pro women's league, lotta players going back and forth between here and the PWHL, 10 teams, September - March, website - eliteprospects - wikipedia
EWHL/AWHL* - European Women's Hockey League & Austrian Women's Hockey League, this is sorta two leagues intertwined. i need to research more to understand, but they both stream on this channel, don't ask me how many teams, MANY countries which is pretty cool,September - March, website (shared) - eliteprospects (EWHL / AWHL) - wikipedia (shared)
*for some reason it's not letting me link the channel, but going on youtube and searching either ewhl or awhl will get you there
AWIHL - Australian Women's Ice Hockey League, top Australian women's league, 6 teams, November - March, website - eliteprospects - wikipedia
NZWIHL - New Zealand Women's Ice Hockey League, top women's Aotearoa hockey league, 4 teams, May - August, website - eliteprospects - wikipedia
NZIHL - New Zealand Men's Ice Hockey League, top men's Aotearoa hockey league, 5 teams, May - August, website - eliteprospects - wikipedia
Special Mention: the ЖХЛ/ZhHL, the Russian Women's Hockey League, used to stream free on youtube but hasn't the past couple years due to a youtube ban. You can still find their old game streams on the channel.
Note that some leagues are going to have streaming services outside youtube that they use, which may or may not be free and/or require a VPN, but in this post I wanted to focus on youtube since that's what most people are going to default to.
Also note that there are lots of other ways to watch hockey on youtube. There's country-specific youtube channels that stream multiple leagues and/or international matchups (Ukraine as an example), there are individual teams that host their own channels (multiple Federal Prospects Hockey League teams stream their own games), there's some random beer leagues that stream their own games (there's an Australian 4v4 league called the Kondos Ice Hockey League), FloHockey youtube channel has random free game streams from their collection of leagues, and lots of channels post whatever games from various leagues, including full NHL games. None of these are what I was focusing on in this post. Perhaps I can create a follow-up with further links to all of that, idk.
Let me know if there's any you've found that I can add here!
A Compilation of my Favorite Women's Hockey Resources
I've posted these scattered around and figured it be fun to make a masterpost! im almost certainly missing some, so please feel free to add
A lot of these websites have tip jars, subscriptions, and more, and if you use them a lot, I highly recommend sending some money their way
Catch all:
Elite prospects <- Track many women's leagues and their stats, including international, historical, collegiate. you can also go to eliteprospects.com/womens to see transactions occuring between women's league. they also have an app now!
Giants in the crease <- Tracks goaltender statistics including quality starts and goals saved above average for PWHL, SDHL, and has historical CWHL and PHF stats.
PWHL:
Kyle Cushman's master spreadsheet <- includes depth charts, a game score model, breaks down stats by special teams, translates a lot of basic stats to over 60 stats to adjust for ice time, tracks attendance and stats for each team, and more.
Capbuddy <- PWHL contract information including rosters, who’s on reserve, injuries, and more in a super clean format
hockeystats.com/pwhl <- If you’ve followed nhl statistics before, you may be familiar with this sight via jfresh cards and such. It doesn’t have all of the Same statistics (there’s currently no public tracking of on-ice data) but has its own unique individual expected goal model, fenwick, corsi, ability to toggle stats by on ice situation an so forth
hockey-statistics.com/pwhl/ <- PWHL statistics including raw data you can download for game data, play by play, players, teams, and schedule, then some visualization. Includes its own expected goal model, individual shot charts for skaters and goalies, and more
The Purple Sheet <- includes standings, playoff races, gold plan chances, stat leaders, draft board and who declaed, contract status for each team, and a transaction tractor
pwhl-insights <- similar to above, statistics for individual games, teams, and players. Includes game pace, a gamescore model, fenwick/corsi/high danger chances/scoring chances on a team level, individual shot charts, and takes a lot of the stuff from the pwhl game day app and makes it cleaner and easier to pull from **it seems this page is no longer running, but some old parts of it can be found via internet archive or messing with the URL**
PWHL play by play scraper in python <- if you want to make some insights of your own, good github link. Creator also has a good article on an expected goal model here
The Ice Garden PWHL signing tracker <- Lets you know who extended with their team, who signed with a different pwhl team, and what kind of signing it was, and how many years
Mike Murphy, John Bouchard, and Gilles Dignard's 2024 PWHL stat spreadsheet <- Season 1 PWHL stats including scoring events, shot attempts, power play breakout data and more
Other Leagues:
I am probably missing some due to language barrier, so once again, if there's any you'd like to add go for it!
Swedish hockey stats website <- Includes on ice goals for v goals against, shot efficency, face off percentage, attendance, etc for regular season, playoffs, and relegation/promotion play
Auroraliiga stats and rosters from the leijonat website <- includes standings, rosters, game information, and player statistics (including time on ice) for Auroraliiga regular season and playoffs. Option to toggle the language to English at the bottom of the page and even has the statistics downloadable!
Postfinance Women's League official stat page <- not gonna lie they're kind of giving us nothing here but you do get a few crumbs
EWHL statistics <- Basic EWHL statistics including face off percentage, scoring efficency, special team stats and spectators
DFEL statistics <- Official German league stats which includes shots on goal, power play/penalty kill information, suspension and penalty news, and more
Collegiate:
NCAA statistics website <- Can toggle between D1 and D3, please note a lot of colleges and conferences also have their own stat pages that are sometimes cleaner and more in depth so worth googling. Usually on individual college website you can find things like total shots and face offs
USCHO <- Standings, Stats, polls, includes D1 and D3. Stats are easily searchable, which is nice if you, say, just want to see all the seniors and can search "sr,"
APX Hockey's commitment list and transfer list <- Made by Sydney Wolf (formerly of Clean Sheet Hockey) D1 hockey, there's a few different transfer and commitment lists on the internet but i LOVE it for how, well, clean and organized it is and that they include context for different players
USports statistics website <- Includes shots on goal, has the ability to save as csv or copy which I love
IIHF:
IIHF tourament page <- you can navigate to different tournaments over different years and levels (click the three dots to get to U18 worlds, on the right hand side you can navigate different years) and will guide you to the website for each one, most of which include a statistical page. A lot of the top division tournaments track shot locations and time on ice if you select a specific game, scroll down to the bottom of the left side bar, and look for "official game sheets"
IIHF Asia and Oceania tournaments <- Same idea as above, but this specific shows events like the Women's Asia Cup and Women's Asia Championship
Historical:
Page of resources from WHKYHAC <- a lot of these are google drive or github links to things ranging from shot location data through olympics to transition data from the PWHPA. Also has historical CWHL statistics. Check out their youtube to see the projects people did!
theirhockeycounts.com <- historical PHF and CWHL statistics, with some college and international statistics too. A little more in depth than what is on elite prospects, including tracking primary assists
Collegehockeystats.net <- D1 women's hockey stats, rosters, schedules from 1999 to 2021
CWHL tracker <- nice and clean website with old CWHL statistic
Ice Garden's 2018 women's hockey statistics primer <- Primer itself still a good intro, and at the bottom are some websites hosting old statistics or projects from PHF / CWHL days. some links are dead (ie the old CWHL website) but can probably be found on a internet archive search
Three championships, four coaching changes, and a promotion. Here are February's biggest headlines for PWHL, SDHL, PFWL, Auroraliiga, and mo
PWHL teams add players before the roster freeze, SDHL teams play musical chairs with coaches, and Auroraliiga gets a new team. Here is what you need to know for women’s hockey in March.
A star player has a major help update, and PWHL teams hand out big contracts. Here is everything you need to know for the PWHL, SDHL, PFWL,
A star player has a major help update, and PWHL teams hand out big contracts. Here is everything you need to know for the PWHL, SDHL, PFWL, Auroraliiga, and more in July.
The European leagues prepare for international break, while the PWHL gears up for training camp. Here are October's biggest headlines for PW
More PWHL draft picks are signing, two long winning streaks come to an end, and the EWHL Euro Cup is decided. Here is what you need to know for women’s hockey in September.
PWHL teams scramble to sign, trade, and draft, while European teams work to finalize their rosters. Here is everything you need to know for
As news from European leagues slows down, chaos in the PWHL begins. The SDHL has a new way to watch, and the PFWL sees more imports roll in. Here are all the recent women’s hockey news stories that you should know.
As per usual, this covers the PWHL but also all professional women’s hockey and some international news with some added focus on international leagues. It does not cover college due to time constraints but happy to point to any resources if needed. 100% confirmed news only
Also did something a bit different this month and tried to order points from what I think is most newsworthy at the top but it’s not a super strict order
PWHL (USA/Canada):
I covered a lot in my primer in terms of rule changes and broadcasting and neutral site games, so this will focus on everything else for the most part:
Official rosters are in. All rosters available here (toggle drop down menu to change teams)
The Sirens signed Kayla Vespa and Olivia Knowles after initial roster announcements
Maggie Flaherty (Minnesota Frost) was suspended two games for her hit on Alina Müller
Taylor House signs a SPA with the Ottawa Charge
Current players on injured reserve: Jill Saulnier (NY), Ella Shelton (NY), Dominika Lásková (MTL), Kennedy Marchand (MTL), Hadley Hartmetz (BOS), Natalie Spooner (TOR), Megan Carter (TOR.), Alexa Vasko (Ottawa Charge)
The PWHL is testing out other streaming platforms in the United States, including Twitch. If you are having trouble finding a PWHL stream outside of Canada, make sure to check the PWHL social media for updates!
SDHL (Sweden)
SDHL leading point leader Elisa Holopainen extends her contract with Frölunda. She joins Linnéa Pettersson Dove who extended for two seasons and Sofie Lundin (who’s sixth in the SDHL in points) and Ella Hellman who extended for one season. This waves of signings comes off of Frölundas two year rise since their inception and demonstration of significant financial investment to individual players and the team
Haruka Toko, team Japan star and last years top scorer for Linköping, has season ending surgery due to a cruciate ligament injury
Peter Elander, prominent former Swedish hockey player, former Swedens women’s national team coach, and most recently an assistant coach for Ohio states women’s hockey program, has accepted a job as coach for SDE
Emma Nordin (Luleå) became the all time points leader in the SDHL, surpassing Denise Altmann's record from 2020. Congratulations to Emma, who has 566 points in 461 games
Sarah Bujold, who played with Montreal victoire last year, signed with luleå
Alexa Gruschow, who played with the New York sirens last year, signed with MoDo hockey
Savannah Norcross, who played with the New York sirens last year, signed with luleå
Maude Poulin labelle, who played with the Toronto sceptres last year, signed with Brynäs
Audrey-Anne Veillette, who was with the Ottawa Charge last year but did not play due to injury, joins HV71
Sanni Vanhanen of Brynäs and the Finnish national team committed to play with Ohio state university next season
Czech goaltender Blanka Skodova joined Skellefteå
Standings updates: Frölunda sits in first place, but Luleå and MoDo are extremly close behind. HV71 and Leksands are in the relegation spots right now, with Linköping pretty comfortably ahead of them
Top Players/Players i want to highlight:
-Stephanie Neatby (Fröluda), Frida Axell (Luleå), and Kassidy Sauvé (SDE) are all neck and neck for best goaltending stats
-Elisa Holopainen (Frölunda) continues to lead in scoring with 31 points, with Petra Nieminen (Luleå) and Hanna Olson (Frölunda) close behind at 25
-Lovisa Engström (MoDo) has been the most impactful U18 player, scoring 8 goals thus far in her age 17 season and rookie year
AuroraLiiga (Finland)
Ella Välikangas rejoins HPK. She played there last season and had 23 points in 32 games played
Czech forward Anna Kalová of RoKi is out for the season.
Mentioned in my last roundup, but Saija Tarkki officially had her jersey! Congratulations to Saija on this incredible accomplishment
Six teams have clinched a playoff spot: Kiekko-Espoo, HPK, HIFK, Team Kuortane, Ilves, and Karpa. TPS, Kärpät, and Roki are left to battle out the remaining spots and avoid relegation. Kiekko-Espoo has a comfortable first place lead
RoKi got their first win of the season!
Top players:
- After a bit of a down year last year, Salla Sivula (KalPa) has a .944 save percentage while facing the highest workload of any goalie in the league, and has four shutouts on the year. Sivula has been in the league since 2018-2019 and is currently on pace to set career highs on her new team
- 21 year old Lisette Täks continues to make her case for the national team after playing at an elite level in auroraliiga the past two years. She has 46 points in 24 games at Kiekko-Espoo
-18 year old Czech forward Barbora Juříčková is having a breakout year with HPK, already doubling her point total from last year. in 23 games this year, she has 40 points
-Emma Nuutinen, a league veteran, is your current points leader with 49 points in 22 games for Kiekko-Espoo
SWHL A/ Postfinance Women's League (Switzerland)
The league is showing a wonderful increase in attendance, with a new record attendance set in a game between EV Zug and HC Davos Ladies on November 17th: 2,163 !
ALL WOMEN'S LEAGUES GAMES ARE ONCE AGAIN FREE TO STREAM FOR ALL HERE: https://www.red.sport/en-ch/page/womens-league this includes full replays, highlights, and interviews!!!
New playoff format: the 1st and 2nd placed tams will get a by to the semi-finals. The 3rd to 6th placed teams will play in best of three series to determine who goes on to the semi-finals. The bottom two teams in the table will have a best-of-five playoff series to determine relegation. The semi-finals and the final will be best of five, and there will be a one game bronze medal match.
Coach Johanna Ikonen of HC Davos Ladies signs an extension through 2026/2027. The former Finnish National Team Player is in her first year coaching the HC Davos Ladies, but has a wealth of experience coaching women's pro teams. HC Davos Ladies are currently in second place, a major improvement from last year when they were in fifth place with a negative goal differential.
Swiss hockey hall of famer Evelina Raselli, who captained Team Switzerland, won five swhl championships, and won an Isobel Cup with the Boston Pride, accepted a assistant coaching role for HC Davos starting in January
Ivana Wey (EVZ), a up and coming star for the Swiss national team, committed to Northeastern University
Naemi Herzig (EVZ) has committed to College of the Holy Cross
New Injuries: Annika Fazokas (EVZ) it out with a concussion
SC Bern Frauen is in first with HC Davos right behind. EVZ Women's Team could also make a run for one of the first two spots and have a game in hand. SC Langenthal Damen and Neuchâtel Hockey Academy Dames will almost certainly be relegated
Current top performers:
- Elizabeth Lang (HC Davos Ladies) rookie out of University of Calgary with a league leading 37 points in 18 games
-Estelle Duvin (SC Bern Fraun), who's been one of the MVP's of the SWHL the past few years, has 34 points in 18 games
-Michaela Pejzlová (HC Ambrì-Piotta), a czech national team player in her first SWHL season after many years as a MVP caliber player in Auroraliiga, has 31 goals in 17 games
EWHL (Central/Eastern Europe)
Aisulu Almaty, HK PSRZ Bratislava, SKN Sabres St.Pölten are all extremely close in points in the top three spots. EV Bozen Eagles and KSV Neuberg Highlanders sit close behind them. Anyone in the top five spots could finish first.
Top players
-Kristin Della Rovere (EV Bozen Eagles) is your top scorer with 33 points in 14 games
-Latvian goaltender Kristiana Apsite for DEC Salzburg Eagles has been the most impressive goaltender to me. While goalies like Seeley have better numbers, Apsite's workload has been insane. Despite being on the worst team and facing the second most shots in the league (about 38 shots a game) she is putting up respectable numbers with a .911 save percentage
-Slovak forward Ema Tothova is still the best u18 player, just as she was last year. The 17 year old has 18 points in 13 games. She is also playing in a boy's-majority u18 league at the same time
International news:
The 6-Nations event in Tampere begins December 11 to 15th, with Switzerland, Finland, Czechia, Sweden, USA, and Canada. The tournament rosters are made up primarily of the younger talent and ncaa players in each national teams pipelines. Most pro leagues are on break as a result
The u18 tournaments will be coming up in January! I will post more about them later, but if you would like to read more about them check out the IIHF page
Playoffs for the European leagues are starting, and World Championships have begun. Here is every major headline from PWHL, SDHL, Auroraliig
A major upset in the SDHL quarterfinals, star players extending and leaving the PostFinance Women’s League, and a country wins their first ever gold medal in a women’s hockey tournament. February saw a lot of changes, but one thing remains the same: Luleå has won the SDHL regular season title.
You heard of teammate of a Swiss woman, now get ready to read about many Swiss women and their teammates
