Can the PWHL succeed in New York after years of struggles on and off the ice?
NEW YORK — The night before taking the ice Saturday at Madison Square Garden, Seattle Torrent captain Hilary Knight found herself looking at photos from 2021, her most recent time playing in the building. She was playing for Team Minnesota in the Dream Gap Tour at the time, and fans were not allowed at the game due to COVID-19 restrictions. Aside from the players on the ice, the building was practically empty.
Saturday’s Torrent-New York Sirens game couldn’t have been more different. Madison Square Garden welcomed 18,006 fans, a U. S.
women’s hockey attendance record. Torrent forward Alex Carpenter called the atmosphere electric; Sirens star Sarah Fillier had goosebumps as she heard her team’s fans screaming mid-national anthem. Knight took a moment to look at the bicycle wheel ceiling and soak in where she was.
Five years after her game in the fanless arena, she was thrilled with the support in a city she called “central to sports. ” But she wasn’t surprised. “It’s a testament to the caliber of player that we have, our fan base, the product that we put together, the work that we do when the lights aren’t bright,” she said.
“To finally have this moment — and I hope it’s not (one) moment; I hope we’re back here — was truly incredible. ” The game was a massive success, one that marked another milestone for the PWHL’s post-Olympic boom and also represented a major step for a market in which the league is trying to gain more of a foothold. Over three seasons, since the PWHL’s inception in January 2024, the Sirens have had the league’s lowest average attendance.
Continue to the original source for the full article.