Following Billie Jean King’s Lead, NWSL Legend Ali Krieger Set to start PWHL Match at Historic UBS Arena

The Professional Women’s Hockey League is making waves in its inaugural season, witnessing a rapid rise in popularity among the hockey faithful. But it seems the PWHL is keen to get the attention of the soccer world as well, as former USWNT star Ali Krieger will drop the puck in the forthcoming PWHL match at the historic UBS Arena, following in the footsteps of tennis legend Billie Jean King.

This comes from a video recorded by Krieger alongside New York hockey star Madison Packer and shared by PWHL’s social media handles with a caption saying, “Hey PWHL New York fans…guess who’s coming to UBS for puck drop this Monday.” 

Krieger starts the clip by saying, “Hey PWHL New York fans only, I’ll be at the game. I’m doing the puck drop and I can’t wait to see all of you. And you know what, you better not miss it. You have to show up and show out.” Interestingly, at the end of the video, Megan Rapinoe’s fiancé, Sue Bird, was also seen waving at the camera behind Krieger and Madison. 

New York will host Boston on March 25 at 7:00 pm EDT. Certainly, ardent hockey and soccer fans will be looking to clear up their schedule to see Krieger do the honors. Earlier, the world of tennis saw the legendary Billie Jean King drop the first puck alongside 5x Olympic ice hockey medalist and senior VP of hockey operations Jayna Hefford, during the opening game of the tournament between Toronto and New York, who shared the ‘memorable moment’ on the ice. Now it’s Krieger’s chance to etch her name in the PWHL’s history. Remarkably, the NWSL legend recently became part of yet another historic moment. 

Ali Krieger made a historic return to NWSL!

Ali Krieger has recently joined ESPN’s coverage team for the NWSL season, taking on the role of studio analyst across ABC and ESPN platforms. She provides insights on various shows such as SportsCenter, ESPN FC, Fútbol Americas, and digital platforms like ESPNW. This isn’t unfamiliar territory for Krieger, as she previously served as the lead studio voice for ESPN during the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

This move is the result of the historic $240 million media rights deal, with ESPN, CBS, Amazon Prime Video, and Scripps Sports collectively contributing $60 million annually over four years. The funds will be distributed equally among all the NWSL teams, amounting to $4.3 million each. It’s good to see Krieger embrace her life beyond the soccer pitch, who is now fervently endorsing hockey as well. 

Read More: “I Could Play Another Year”- Ali Krieger Unwraps Real Reason Behind NWSL Retirement