PWHL Player Safety Comittee Announces Disciplanary Action

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NEW YORK AND TORONTO (December 26, 2024) – The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) today announced that, after an automatic review by the PWHL Player Safety Committee, Toronto Sceptres defender Rylind MacKinnon has been suspended for one game.

The incident occurred at 5:18 of the third period in Toronto’s game against Montréal on Dec. 21. MacKinnon was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct for an illegal check to the head on Montréal’s Amanda Boulier, following an automatic review by the on-ice officials and the PWHL Central Situation Room.

The Player Safety Committee determined that the head was the main point of contact and that MacKinnon continued her momentum after playing the puck. This is in violation of PWHL Rule 48.

The PWHL Player Safety Committee monitors all games and is responsible for providing independent reviews and recommendations on supplementary discipline. Chaired by Jayna Hefford, PWHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations, the committee also includes Cassie Campbell-Pascall, PWHL Special Advisor; Bill McCreary, a former NHL referee and Hockey Hall of Fame member; Mike Murphy, a long-time NHL executive and former VP of Hockey Operations; Matt McMahon, a member of the NHL’s Player Safety department.

Click here to see the online post with a video of the incident including explanation from the PWHL Player Safety Committee.

About the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) 

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprised of six teams in Boston, Minnesota, Montréal, New York, Ottawa, and Toronto, each with rosters featuring the best women’s hockey players in the world. Launched on Jan. 1, 2024, the PWHL has broken multiple attendance records and holds the worldwide all-time record for a women’s hockey game. In 2024, the PWHL was recognized by Sports Business Journal as the Sports Breakthrough of the Year and received the top position in the first-ever Canadian edition of the Harris Poll, which ranks companies’ reputations. Visit thepwhl.com to purchase tickets and merchandise, and subscribe to the PWHL e-newsletter to receive the latest league updates. Follow the league on all social media platforms @thepwhlofficial.