Theresa Schafzahl: "This is very special"

A brief look back: the PWHL is the successor organisation to the Premier Hockey Federation. After a total of five years in the NCAA with the University of Vermont, Theresa Schafzahl would have signed a contract with Montreal Force. But then everything turned out very differently. The PHF ceased operations at the end of June 2023, while the PWHL began operations two months later.

The league currently consists of six teams: Boston, Montreal, Minnesota, New York, Ottawa and Toronto. In the first PWHL Draft in history, Theresa Schafzahl was selected by Boston with the 39th pick in September and received her first professional contract. On 3rd January 2024, the team played its first league game against Minnesota, which it lost 2:3. Theresa Schafzahl scored the temporary goal to make it 1:2 in the second period. This makes her Boston's first goalscorer in the PWHL.

Theresa, congratulations on this start. Just over half a year ago, there was still uncertainty about what would happen in the autumn; then came the draft and now this goal, which has secured you a place in the history books. How does that feel?
Theresa Schafzahl: "It is definitely cool. Scoring the first goal is very special. More generally, the fact that we have now played the first game, especially in front of that crowd and at that level. It was certainly the best ice hockey I have experienced so far."

How many calls and messages did you receive after the game?
Theresa Schafzahl (laughs): "Quite a few. Both from back home and from many former teammates from college and the national team."

Did you get the puck? Will it have a special place?
Theresa Schafzahl: "I have kept all the pucks I have collected during my career. Some are at home in Austria, some are here. I collect them all. I do not yet know what I will do with them later. At the moment, they are in the cupboard."

Since the PWHL was founded and the draft took place, how has everything developed? How well positioned is the league already?
Theresa Schafzahl: "Of course, not everything is perfect yet in some respects, but overall, the experience we players had on this first matchday was very cool. It was a good start; the league has set it up well."

The next opportunity for a first win comes on Monday against Ottawa. How important would those first points be now?
Theresa Schafzahl: "Very important. Our season is very short this year; we play only 24 regular-season games. Every single game is very important. I think the league is very evenly matched. Every team can beat every other team. It is important to get off to a good start. We would have liked to win against Minnesota, but we still saw that we have a lot of potential. We did not play to our full ability, but we can still take away many positives. We play Ottawa at home again and hopefully that many people will come to the arena again. You feel better when you can give them a win."

Can we already talk about initial objectives for the inaugural season?
Theresa Schafzahl: "As a team, we have set ourselves the goal of winning the championship. We are well positioned. So are the other teams, but we want to finish at the very top. That has to be the goal, and we believe in it too. We know how good we can be as a team."

What personal goals have you set yourself?
Theresa Schafzahl: “None specifically. I try to avoid saying that I want to have this many goals or this many points to my name at the end. Those are numerical targets. You should focus more on the process. Goals also involve luck. I want to contribute a lot to the team, keep improving at this level and take on a bigger role within the team. In terms of the standard, the PWHL is a step up. You have to get used to many things all over again.”

How positively can, or will, your involvement in the PWHL also affect the national team?
Theresa Schafzahl: “North America is a few steps ahead of Austria tactically in women’s ice hockey. You learn a great deal, and of course I want to pass that on to my teammates in the national team. I have noticed that over the past few months, I have learned a great deal more myself, even compared to college. And you can also take a great deal from the games in the PWHL back to the national team.”