A Professional Women’s Hockey League game between Toronto and Montreal has once again broken the all-time attendance record for a women’s hockey game, just two months after setting a new high.
The league broke several attendance records during its inaugural season: first for the largest number of fans at a professional women’s hockey game in Ottawa (8,318) on January 2, then four days later at Minnesota (13,316).
On February 16, the league attracted 19,285 spectators to a game between Toronto and Montreal at Scotiabank Arena – home of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs – which became the largest crowd ever to watch women’s hockey, including at the Olympic Games, World Championships and NCAA. .
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PWHL breaks all-time attendance record for women’s hockey
The crowd of 21,105 Saturday afternoon at the Bell Center — home of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens — sets a new mark.
“A lot of people didn’t even get tickets, so 21,000 wasn’t even enough,” Montreal goalkeeper Ann-Renée Desbiens said at a press conference Friday. “People come, they bring friends, they look for more tickets. That says a lot about the talent on the ice, the level of play, the organizations, the media coverage.
“When we put all these things together, that’s what makes this possible.” We’ve seen it with March Madness and women’s basketball: When we put it on TV, people watch it, and I think women’s sports are seeing incredible growth right now.
Saturday’s game was not originally scheduled to be played at the Bell Centre, but after the success of the game at Scotiabank Arena and the consistent sellouts at the PWHL Montreal’s primary and secondary arenas – Verdun Auditorium a capacity of 4,000 seats and Place Bell with 10,000 seats in Laval, Que. – the league felt comfortable moving a game to the NHL’s largest capacity arena.
“It’s nice to have a few months of the season under your belt to be able to make a decision based on what you’ve seen,” said Amy Scheer, PWHL senior vice president of business operations. “The Montreal fans were incredible. We sold out in no time.
Scheer said that after the game at Scotiabank Arena, the league spoke with the Montreal team and the Canadiens to see if a game at the Bell Center was possible. Things moved quickly and the league “jumped at the chance” for a Saturday afternoon game in Montreal.
“They couldn’t have made us feel more welcome (in the building),” Scheer said of working with the NHL club. “They have been incredible partners for us. They want to help advance women’s hockey, they support this sport through their foundation. I think it will be a very fruitful relationship.
This sellout is just the latest proof of concept of the audience for professional women’s hockey – and the sport’s growth in recent years. In 2016, the Bell Center hosted a CWHL game between the now-defunct Montreal and Calgary franchises. Marie-Philip Poulin, then 25 years old, scored the winning goal, as she usually does. Fewer than 6,000 fans were in attendance.
“It was surreal,” Poulin said of his first game at the Bell Centre. “Obviously you jump on that ice, you see empty seats, but you hoped one day it would be full.”
And on Saturday, it was.
WHAT AN OVATION FOR THE MPP! 👏
Marie-Philip Poulin is presented in Montreal at the Bell Center as today’s “Duel at the Summit” is expected to set a world attendance record for a women’s hockey game
Watch @PWHL_Toronto against. @PWHL_Montreal Live of @cbcsports pic.twitter.com/UnhPpPbfIP
– CBC Sports (@cbcsports) April 20, 2024
Now, for the PWHL to break this current record, they will likely have to head outside. Could this be in the cards?
“We’re not just going to say hey, let’s play at Stadium X and see what we do,” Scheer said. “I think it would be a measured approach and making sure that if we do it, we choose a place where we know we can be successful. Of course, it’s possible. When and where to be determined.
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(Photo: David Kirouac/Sportswire Icon via Getty Images)