September 1st, 2026 Episode Summary

This episode of The Forecast, Seattle's weekly women's sports show on KVRU 105.7 FM, features host Maggie Martins in conversation with returning guest Ava Wood, known online as 365 Hockey Girl, covering the off-season drama surrounding the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and its principal owner, Mark Walter.

The PWHL currently operates under single-entity ownership, with Mark Walter owning the entire league, though the organization recently welcomed its first two outside investors. Walter has come under scrutiny due to a federal fraud investigation stemming from his ownership of life insurance companies, in which he was found to have invested in affiliated funds without disclosing those relationships to regulators. The undisclosed affiliated investments totaled at least 17 billion dollars, and the percentage of affiliated funds in one of his companies was found to have risen from 3 percent to 42 percent when properly relabeled. To address the resulting cash shortfall, Walter sold the Los Angeles Lakers for 12.5 billion dollars, the largest sale of a sports team on record, in a deal reportedly completed in under 72 hours. Despite speculation that the PWHL could be next to be sold, the league's spokesperson stated publicly that the PWHL is not for sale.

The conversation also examines the PWHL's lack of a US broadcast deal, relying instead on YouTube and a Canadian broadcast arrangement, and the impact this has on the league's revenue potential and long-term sustainability. The panel discusses how the league's relatively low valuation and startup status may actually insulate it from Walter's financial troubles in the short term, while acknowledging that the optics of the situation raise ongoing concerns for fans who have witnessed previous iterations of women's hockey fail.

Looking ahead to the upcoming PWHL season, the episode covers key roster developments for the Seattle Torrent, including Hannah Murphy taking over as starting goaltender, the re-signing of star forward Alex Carpenter, and the addition of second overall draft pick Abby Murphy. The league is set to expand from eight to twelve teams, with training camps not expected to begin until late November due to the Women's World Championships being held that month, meaning games are unlikely to start until late November or early December. The episode closes with a note on the second-ever Women's Para Ice Hockey World Championships, also scheduled for November, and the ongoing effort to gain Paralympic inclusion for the women's category

Episode Notes

0:00 - PWHL and Mark Walter Conversation with Ava Wood 365 Hockey Girl

56:49 - What We’re Watching

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Ava Wood founded 365 Hockey Girl to talk PWHL every day. Ava’s mission is to make women’s hockey accessible, inclusive, and fun. Follow 365 Hockey Girl on all social media but more importantly, subscribe to the 365 Hockey Girl newsletter here : https://tinyurl.com/5s6me9r6

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The Forecast is a Production of :

KVRU (https://www.kvru.org/shows/the-forecast/) & JEFFSCOTTSHAW

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Executive Producer + Host // Maggie Mertens // [email protected]

Executive Producer // JEFFSCOTTSHAW // [email protected]

Additional Production Support Provided By // Crystal Fincher & Shannon Cheng & Maurice Jones Jr.