Women Are Moving The NHL Playoff Ratings Needle

The playoff audience is not just showing up - it is changing, and women are a big reason why. Tampa Bay Times is looking at viewership trends that say the league’s audience growth is coming from places some old hockey hands still underestimate. That matters because ratings are the currency, and every postseason number gets read like a scouting report by people in suits. The NHL has been trying to widen its reach for years, and this is the kind of data that gets attention fast.