HOCKEY
Puck drop will follow New Year’s Day’s ball drop for the newly established Professional Women’s Hockey League in opening its inaugural schedule with Toronto hosting New York on Jan. 1.
The PWHL released the time and dates on Tuesday of each of its six yet-to-be nicknamed teams’ home openers, while also unveiling each franchise’s home rinks.
The game between Toronto and New York will be played at 12:30 p.m., and serve as a lead-in to the NHL Winter Classic, which will feature the Seattle Kraken hosting the Vegas Golden Knights at the home of Major League Baseball’s Mariners.
The remainder of each teams’ 24-game regular-season slate will be announced at a later date, with the schedule anticipated to run into early May, followed by a yet-to-be announced playoff format. The PWHL is expected to take an extended break to allow its national team players to compete in the women’s world championships, which will be held in Utica, New York, from April 3-14.
Boston will open hosting Minnesota on Jan. 3, and play out of UMass-Lowell’s 6,500-seat Tsongas Center.
GOLF
EUROPEAN TOUR: Ryo Hisatsune was voted as the tour’s top rookie after a memorable season that saw the 21-year-old Japanese player win the French Open and earn dual membership with the PGA Tour.
Hisatsune became the first Japanese golfer to receive the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award, beating a list of contenders that included highly rated Swede Ludvig Aberg.
Hisatsune was outside the world’s top 200 at the start of the 2023 season. Three years ago, he lost his card on Japan’s leading tour.
Now he’s preparing to play against the best in the world on the other side of the Atlantic after finishing among the top 10 players in the European tour’s season-ending Race to Dubai rankings who were not already exempt for the PGA Tour. He posted eight top-10 finishes, including the win in France, and is ranked No. 81 in the world.
SOCCER
MLS: The Columbus Crew are asking a minimum $421 list price for individual tickets for next season’s Major League Soccer home game against Inter Miami and Lionel Messi.
The $421 seats are located behind the end line in the bottom deck at Lower.com Field, according to a Ticketmaster webpage linked to the team’s website. The price does not include fees.
Individual ticket prices increase to $746 plus fees for seats closer to midfield.
The match vs. Miami is the only 2024 Crew home game with individual seats listed for sale. The date of the match has not been announced; last year, MLS announced its schedule on Dec. 20.
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