Toronto chooses to face Minnesota in first round of PWHL playoffs

PWHL Toronto will take on Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs, the team announced Monday.

As the No. 1 seed ahead of the league’s first-ever post-season, Toronto earned the right to select its first playoff opponent from the third- and fourth-place finishers — one of a handful of rules the PWHL announced ahead of its inaugural post-season.

The decision means Montreal, which finished in second place, will take on third-place Boston in the first round (also known as the PWHL semifinals). Ottawa and New York finished just outside the playoff picture.

Toronto GM Gina Kingsbury described the process of picking their opponent as a “very, very difficult” decision that no one in the organization took lightly. Several factors, from head-to-head matchups and injury outlooks to analytics and travel, went into the teams’ discussions, which included not only management and coaching staff but was extended to players as well to ensure the entire group was united in the decision.

“There’s no easy opponent in this league,” said Kingsbury, who noted that the team had been preparing for this possibility long before they secured the No. 1 seed. “We looked at all different angles. We talked to our leadership group, we leaned on our athletes, what they’re feeling and how they feel against all of these opponents.”

Momentum was also a factor. While Toronto surged to the top of the standings thanks to a remarkable run including an 11-game win streak, Minnesota limped into the playoffs. The club lost all five of its games since returning from the league’s April hiatus for the women’s world championship, only barely making the cut for the post-season on the final weekend thanks in part to Toronto’s season-finale victory over Ottawa on Sunday. The two sides met four times in the regular season, with Toronto getting the season series edge 3-1 — including, most recently, a 4-1 victory last Wednesday.

Asked about the matchup, and Minnesota’s late-season slump that saw them almost eliminated on the final day of the season, Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield said the team is looking at the playoffs as “a new season.”

“It speaks to why all 24 games matter — and not just the last five,” she said.

Toronto and Minnesota will kick off their best-of-five series Wednesday night at Toronto’s Coca-Cola Coliseum, with Montreal and Boston meeting Thursday at Montreal’s Place Bell.

Here are the full schedules for each semifinal series:

Toronto vs. Minnesota
Wednesday, May 8: Minnesota at Toronto, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Friday, May 10: Minnesota at Toronto, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Monday, May 13: Toronto at Minnesota, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
*Wednesday, May 15: Toronto at Minnesota, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
*Friday, May 17: Minnesota at Toronto, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT

Montreal vs. Boston
Thursday, May 9: Boston at Montreal, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Saturday, May 11: Boston at Montreal, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Tuesday, May 14: Montreal at Boston, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
*Thursday, May 16: Montreal at Boston, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
*Sunday, May 19: Boston at Montreal, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT

*If necessary