On Jan. 5, the Professional Women’s Hockey League set a world record for the most attended professional women’s hockey game less than a week after starting its first season ever.
More than 13,000 fans were in the stands of the Xcel Energy Centre in Minnesota for their home-opener against the Montreal team.
The league also broke records with a sold-out game on Jan. 2, between the Ottawa and Montreal teams.
The game drew an impressive crowd of more than 8,300 fans.
“I feel tremendously proud and inspired by our fan support. On behalf of our team and our league, I want to thank the fans and everyone who has made this day possible,” said Natalie Darwitz, the PWHL Minnesota’s general manager, in a statement shared by the PWHL on Jan. 6.
“I’ve enjoyed numerous amazing hockey experiences in Minnesota over my career, and experiencing today and the record crowd was emotional and ranks near the top of the list,” she said.
Shannon Coulter, a Laurier alumna and life-long fan of women’s hockey, is the proud owner of season tickets for PWHL Toronto and got to watch the season-opener live on New Year’s Day.
“The historic aspect drew [the season’s tickets] to me,” she said. “I could be a part of history and be a part of the first fans in the building being able to see these games.”
The forming of the PWHL gives young female hockey players something more to look up to, said Coulter.
“There was always the dream of playing on the Olympic level or on the international stage,” but there are far more chances to make a league team than there is for an olympic team, she said.
While there have been other women’s hockey leagues in the past, Coulter feels the PWHL has what it takes to stay afloat thanks in part to their advisory board.
This board is composed of reputable names in the sports industry such as tennis-star, Billie Jean King, and Stan Kasten, president and part-owner of the LA Dodgers.
Part of the league’s future success will depend on capitalizing on the interest in women’s hockey, said Coulter.
The significance of the audience record being broken in the same stadium where the NHL’s Minnesota Wild play is not lost on her.
“The fact that they had a record in that stadium is huge, and I think it just shows the potential for the growth of the sport if we continue at this pace,” she said.
PWHL Toronto’s next home- game is on Jan. 13 against Montreal, and it will be broadcasted on CBC and the PWHL’s official Youtube channel.