Report: NWHL in process of bringing team to Toronto area

The National Women's Hockey League is in the process of bringing an expansion team to the Toronto area and is expected to make an official announcement at the end of April, reports The Associated Press.

The team will be led by former Brown University coach Margaret Murphy. She's reportedly already begun assembling her roster.

The United States-based NWHL currently has five franchises. The league expressed a desire to expand to Canada in Toronto and Montreal a year ago, but plans never came to fruition.

Canada's professional women's league, the CWHL, folded last year after 12 seasons due to financial constraints. The league's shutdown prompted over 200 of the world's top players to vow not to play professionally in North America until a women's league with a sustainable future can be developed and maintained.

The NWHL postponed its Isobel Cup Final in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.