The Professional Women’s Hockey League will play nine neutral-site games this season as part of the “PWHL Takeover Tour,” the league announced on Monday.
The tour will go across the United States and Canada with stops in Buffalo, Detroit, Raleigh, St. Louis, Denver, Seattle, Vancouver and Quebec City. A ninth destination has yet to be announced.
The games will largely be played in NHL buildings, save for the 18,000-seat (NHL caliber) Videotron Centre in Quebec City. All six teams — the Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost, New York Sirens, Montreal Victoire, Ottawa Charge and Toronto Sceptres — will play in at least two of the neutral-site games this season.
WE’RE TAKING OVER! 🗣️
PWHL Takeover Tour will feature games across North America, with stops as far west as Seattle and as far east as Québec City.
📰 pic.twitter.com/usQJpZi0Lp— PWHL (@thepwhlofficial) November 18, 2024
“Bringing PWHL games to fans across both countries is a natural next step as we continue building our audience,” Amy Scheer, the PWHL’s senior vice president of business operations, said in a statement. “When exploring potential locations for a PWHL game, the enthusiasm from cities eager to engage with our League was incredibly encouraging. The PWHL Takeover Tour lets us showcase our game and exceptional athletes across a wider North American footprint — an exciting moment for our players and an important move for our business as we consider expansion.”
Last season, the PWHL hosted a successful “Takeover Weekend” with games in Pittsburgh and Detroit in March 2024. The latter game at Little Caesars Arena set a record for attendance at a U.S. professional women’s hockey game with 13,736 fans. The Pittsburgh game, hosted at PPG Paints Arena, was the ninth-most attended game in the regular season. Detroit is the lone repeat site.
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The league also had success in NHL venues outside that weekend, setting an attendance record at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, then breaking said record with 21,205 fans at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Last month, Scheer announced at the espnW summit that the PWHL was preparing to expand beyond its six existing markets, potentially as early as the 2025-26 season. The league, she said, would be issuing a request for proposals to explore potential locations for new teams across the U.S. and Canada. The hope is to finish gathering those proposals by the end of the calendar year.
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“I think we all understand and agree that there is a market out there for women’s hockey,” Scheer told The Athletic in October. “Detroit and Pittsburgh were both wonderful experiences … We learned a lot in those two games, and I think we’ll continue to go down that type of road to learn this season as well.”
PWHL Takeover Tour schedule
• Sunday, Jan. 5: Montreal vs. Boston at Climate Pledge Arena (Seattle)
• Wednesday, Jan. 8: Montreal vs. Toronto at Rogers Arena (Vancouver)
• Sunday, Jan. 12: Montreal vs. Minnesota at Ball Arena (Denver)
• Sunday, Jan 19: Ottawa vs. Montreal at Videotron Centre (Quebec City)
• Sunday, Feb. 16: Toronto vs. Ottawa at TBA
• Sunday, Feb. 23: Boston vs. New York at KeyBank Center (Buffalo)
• Friday, March 7: Ottawa vs. Minnesota at Lenovo Center (Raleigh)
• Sunday, March 16: Minnesota vs. New York at Little Caesars Arena (Detroit)
• Saturday, March 29: Ottawa vs. Boston at Enterprise Center (St. Louis)
Various cities and teams wanting to host games, which made the selection process both exciting and challenging. We aim to choose locations that not only have a strong hockey culture but also demonstrate a commitment to supporting women’s sports. As for the potential expansion, we are looking at markets that show enthusiasm for hockey, have strong community engagement, and can sustain a professional women’s team. We’ll also consider fan demographics and infrastructure to ensure a successful launch.
Thank you for joining us today on world-today-news.com, [Guest 1] and [Guest 2]. As professional website editors, we are thrilled to have you here to discuss the recent announcement by the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) about their upcoming “PWHL Takeover Tour.”
[Guest 1], as the PWHL’s senior vice president of business operations, could you tell our readers more about the motivation behind this tour and how it will benefit both the league and its fans? [Guest 2], as a player in the league, what are your thoughts on playing in neutral-site games across North America and potentially expanding into new markets?
[Guest 1]: Absolutely. The PWHL Takeover Tour is an exciting initiative for us because it allows us to showcase our league and our exceptional athletes to a wider audience. By playing games in NHL-caliber facilities across North America, we are able to reach new fans who may not have had the chance to see our games before. In addition, hosting games in different cities gives us the opportunity to create a unique experience for both our players and fans, and to build excitement around the sport of women’s hockey. We also see this tour as a way to explore potential new markets for expansion in the future.
[Guest 2]: As a player, I am really looking forward to this tour. Playing in big venues like NHL arenas is always an amazing experience, and it’s great to see that we’re able to reach new fans in different cities. It also helps to build a sense of community within the league when we get to play together in front of new crowds. I think expanding into new markets would be an incredible opportunity for the league. There are so many passionate hockey fans out there who want to support women’s hockey, and I know that myself and my teammates would love to play in front of them.
Could you elaborate on the process of selecting the cities and venues for these neutral-site games? And how will the league decide which cities to potentially expand into?
[Guest 1]: When selecting cities for this tour, we looked at factors such as interest in women’s hockey, available facilities, and potential for growth. We received many proposals from
