Edmonton looks to impress as expansion destination by hosting PWHL neutral-site game

Ottawa Charge defender Ronja Savolainen (88) tries to keep the puck away from Toronto Sceptres forward Sarah Nurse (20) during third period PWHL hockey action in Toronto on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

When the Toronto Sceptres and Ottawa Charge meet Sunday at a sold-out Rogers Place, it will feel like more than a one-off game.

It will feel like Edmonton is on trial.

The Alberta capital is the fifth city to host a neutral-site Professional Women’s Hockey League game this season as part of its nine-site Takeover Tour. For Charge forward Danielle Serdachny and defender Stephanie Markowski, the game will see them return to their hometown to play in front of family and friends.

But Serdachny said that the stakes are much higher than a game between the Charge, who sit last in the six-team PWHL with 17 points and a 5-0-2-8 (five regulation wins, no overtime wins, two overtime losses and eight regulation losses) mark, and the Sceptres, in third with 21 points (5-1-4-6). It’s a chance for Edmonton to show that it can be a city that is home to a PWHL team.

“It seems like the Takeover Tour is kind of like a tryout for these cities, in a way,” said Serdachny, who has two World Championship gold medals in her trophy cabinet and has posted two goals and three assists through 15 PWHL games this season. “They can show the league as a whole what the city has to offer. I know the PWHL is super passionate about their fan bases and wants the continued growth of the game to occur.

“So I think any time you get to play in a city, especially with the Takeover Tour, it’s all about what the city has to offer. And I know Edmonton to be such a passionate fan base with the Oilers. They are going to definitely bring that energy and support.”

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Markowski said the topic of westward expansion — the league’s westernmost team is current the Minnesota Frost — comes up often with family and friends in Edmonton. They want to see the league get into the Mountain and Pacific time zones.

“A lot of our friends and family want us to play there (in the west), so they could come watch us more frequently. They bring it up quite a bit.”

Markowski, who won the NCAA national championship last season with the Ohio State Buckeyes, admitted being in awe when she saw a large promotional poster of herself in the West Edmonton Mall.

“It’s super cool and it just shows how far the league has gone and into it people are,” she said.

Toronto Sceptres captain Blayre Turnbull, who won Olympic silver in 2018 and gold in 2022, spent a few years living in Calgary and has played in Edmonton with the Canadian national team.

She said that moving the league beyond the original six teams is important for women’s hockey.

“I think it’s important that the league does it at the right time,” said Turnbull, who has five goals and two helpers so far this season. “Obviously, we’ll leave that up to the business team to decide. But, I think the more areas of North America that we can have teams in, the better exposure it is for our game — and that’s how our sport will continue to grow.”

Toronto is coming off a 3-2 overtime win Tuesday night over Minnesota in which reigning league MVP Natalie Spooner came off the long-term injured list and notched her first assist of the season.

Spooner led the league with 20 goals last season, so her return will boost a Sceptres team that is finding its form, earning points in each of its preceding five games.

“Starting the season without her, and the presence that she brought every game, was a bit of a hole in our lineup,” said Turnbull. “So, for us to have her back is huge. She adds so much value, not only the way she plays on the ice, but to what she brings in our dressing room and to our practices.”

Ticketmaster shows that only resale tickets are available for the game, with some seats on offer for more than $500 each.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 12, 2025.

Steven Sandor, The Canadian Press