PWHL's neutral site Takeover Tour drawing attention and `We want a team' chants as expansion looms

Montreal Victoire's Marie-Philip Poulin (29) celebrates her goal against the Toronto Sceptres with teammates during second period PWHL hockey action in Vancouver, on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

Three neutral site stops down and six to go, the Professional Women's Hockey League is quickly discovering how popular it has become at a time when the second-year six-team league is considering expanding by as many as two more franchises by next season.

The PWHL’s first three stops over the past two weeks generated a combined turnout of 45,664 fans, including a crowd of 14,018 in Denver that spent a portion of the game chanting: “We want a team! We want a team!.”

“I think pleasantly surprised but not shocked by any means,” PWHL senior vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford told The Associated Press.

“I think there’s a demand for the women’s game that we’ve proven, and to see it in other markets is pretty awesome. I wasn’t in Denver, but I heard from many the chants of we want a team,” she added. “It’s exciting to be in these venues where I think people feel like they’re auditioning for a team. It’s a neat feeling.”

The initial response was enough for Hefford to jokingly suggest that perhaps the PWHL should consider expanding on its expansion plans.

“Yeah, we’ll see what happens,” she said with a laugh.

Dubbed the “Takeover Tour,” the PWHL’s series of neutral site games opened with Boston’s 3-2 shootout win over Montreal before a crowd of 12,608 at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena on Jan. 5. Three days later, the Victoire beat Toronto 4-2 in front of 19,038 — the PWHL’s third-largest crowd — in Vancouver’s Rogers Arena.

And the turnout in Denver for Minnesota’s 4-2 win over Montreal was a PWHL U.S. attendance record, breaking the previous mark of 13,736 set in Detroit last season during one of the league’s two neutral-site games.

“It was amazing to be in that rink and hearing they want a team. It gives you hope for the future to keep growing the league,” Montreal’s Marie-Philip Poulin said about playing in Denver, during a Zoom call Thursday. “We’re the lucky ones to be there, but there’s more games of the tour. And I’m very excited to be able to be part of one more.”

The Victoire will have taken part in the PWHL’s first four neutral site games with Montreal to play Ottawa in Quebec City on Sunday. The game has limited tickets available for the 18,000-plus seat Videotron Centre, which opened in 2021 in the city’s bid to lure back an NHL franchise after the Nordiques left for Denver following the 1994-95 season.

Quebec City officials have made no secret of their desire to land a PWHL team in launching a campaign well before the league announced it was considering expansion in October.

“I’m not at all surprised that tickets sold like hotcakes,” said Quebec City councillor Jackie Smith, who has been spearheading the expansion bid. “It is out of the question that Quebec City will not receive the first expansion team in this league.”

PWHL officials have been guarded discussing expansion plans in saying the decision has yet to be made whether they intend on adding one or two teams. The league identified more than 20 potential markets which are being rated by size, access to facilities, economic partnership opportunities and fan base potential.

The Takeover Tour rounds out with stops in Edmonton, Buffalo, New York, Raleigh, North Carolina, Detroit and St. Louis over the next two months.

Ottawa goalie Emerance Maschmeyer is looking forward to travelling to Quebec City for the Charge’s first neutral site game of the season.

“It’s been really exciting to watch from afar. I think there’s a lot of passion and energy in the rink. You can hear it over the TV screen,” Maschmeyer said. “But it’s not the same as being there in person. I think it’s been electric and we’re excited that we’re going to be a part of it here shortly.”

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AP Women’s Hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

John Wawrow, The Associated Press