There isn’t a “women’s NHL” by name, but there is a top‑tier pro women’s league that effectively fills that role today: the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).

Quick Scoop: So, is there a women’s NHL?

  • The NHL is still a men’s league; there is no formal female equivalent called the “Women’s NHL”.
  • The closest thing in structure and visibility is the PWHL , a fully professional league launched in 2024 that now has eight teams across the U.S. and Canada and is treated as the premier women’s pro league in the world.
  • The NHL doesn’t run the PWHL, but it actively supports women’s hockey growth through initiatives, funding, and visibility programs, which helps the women’s pro game indirectly.

What is the PWHL?

Think of the PWHL as “the big league” for women’s hockey right now.

  • It began play in 2024 and, by the 2025–26 season , has eight teams: six original franchises (Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa, Toronto) plus expansion teams in Seattle and Vancouver.
  • The league is expanding, drawing strong crowds, and has already blown past its early attendance and revenue projections in under two years, which is why it’s planning further growth and aiming to leverage major events like the 2026 Olympics.
  • Top national‑team players from powerhouses like Canada and the U.S. play there, so competitive level-wise, it’s the women’s equivalent of the NHL.

NHL’s relationship to women’s hockey

  • While the NHL doesn’t operate a women’s league, it has a Women’s Hockey Advancement Committee , invests in girls’ hockey programs, and uses league events to highlight women’s hockey and role models.
  • This support builds the pipeline that feeds elite women’s leagues like the PWHL and increases overall visibility, but the branding remains separate—NHL on the men’s side, PWHL as the top women’s league.

Forum‑style angle: why fans ask “is there a women’s NHL?”

On hockey forums, versions of your question pop up a lot, usually in threads like “why aren’t there women in the NHL?” or “will women ever play in the NHL?”

Common themes in those discussions include:

  • Clarifying structure : Posters often point out that women already have pro leagues and national teams, even if they don’t share the NHL brand.
  • Physicality debates : Many users argue that mixed‑gender play at NHL intensity (hits, fighting, size/speed gap) makes a co‑ed NHL unlikely, and that separate pro leagues are safer and more realistic.
  • Visibility gap : People note that because the women’s league doesn’t share the NHL name, casual fans often don’t realize it exists—hence questions like yours.

A useful way to think about it: if you want to watch the best men’s hockey, you watch the NHL; if you want the best women’s hockey, you watch the PWHL.

Quick comparison: NHL vs. PWHL

[5][10] [4][6][5] [3][9][7][5][10] [10] [7][10]
AspectNHLPWHL
Who playsTop men’s pro players worldwide.Top women’s pro players worldwide.
GenderMen’s league (no formal rule banning women, but none currently play).Women’s league.
Teams32 teams in U.S. and Canada.8 teams as of 2025–26, in Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa, Toronto, Seattle, Vancouver.
Ownership/brandLong‑established league (founded 1917).New unified women’s pro league launched in 2024.
RelationshipSupports women’s hockey via funding and programs, but doesn’t run a women’s league.Independent league, benefits from NHL visibility and ecosystem.

TL;DR

There’s no official “Women’s NHL” by name, but the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is the top professional women’s league and functionally serves as the women’s big league today.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.