PWHL Player Safety Committee Announces Disciplinary Action

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NEW YORK AND TORONTO (April 7, 2025) – The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) today announced that, after two separate reviews by the PWHL Player Safety Committee, Montréal Victoire defender Kati Tabin has been suspended for two games, and Ottawa Charge defender Zoe Boyd has been suspended for one game, each following incidents in games played Apr. 1-2.

Tabin was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct at 14:45 of the first period in last Tuesday’s game against New York for an illegal check to the head on opponent Jessie Eldridge. The Player Safety Committee determined that Tabin extended her right elbow outward when delivering a high and forceful check, and that the head was the main point of contact on the play, where such contact was avoidable. This is the first suspension of Tabin’s PWHL career.

Click here for a video of the incident with an explanation from the PWHL Player Safety Committee.

Boyd was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct at 8:55 of the third period in last Wednesday’s game against Boston for an illegal check to the head on opponent Alina Müller. The Player Safety Committee determined that Boyd extended her stick to deliver a forceful cross-check to the head while her opponent was in a vulnerable position. This is the first suspension of Boyd’s PWHL career.

Click here for a video of the incident with an explanation from the PWHL Player Safety Committee.

The PWHL Player Safety Committee monitors all games and is responsible for providing independent review and recommendations on supplementary discipline. Chaired by Jayna Hefford, PWHL Executive 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.

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.