PWHL Takeover Tour: 9 Neutral-Site Games Across North America This Season

PWHL Takeover Tour: 9 Neutral-Site Games Across North America This Season

November 18, 2024 Catherine Williams - Chief Editor Sports

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) announced its “PWHL Takeover Tour.” This season, the league will hold nine neutral-site games in the U.S. and Canada.

The scheduled stops include:

  • Buffalo
  • Detroit
  • Raleigh
  • St. Louis
  • Denver
  • Seattle
  • Vancouver
  • Quebec City

A ninth location is still to be revealed. The games will primarily take place in arenas used by the NHL, except for the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, which seats 18,000 fans.

All six PWHL teams — Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost, New York Sirens, Montreal Victoire, Ottawa Charge, and Toronto Sceptres — will participate in at least two neutral-site games this season.

Amy Scheer, PWHL’s senior vice president of business operations, shared that this initiative allows the league to engage with fans across both countries. She noted the strong interest from cities eager to host games. The tour aims to highlight the league and its players while expanding its audience, an important aspect for future growth.

Last season, the PWHL had a successful “Takeover Weekend” in Pittsburgh and Detroit, where Detroit’s game set a U.S. record for attendance at a women’s professional hockey game with 13,736 fans. The league also set an attendance record at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto and then broke it again at the Bell Centre in Montreal with 21,205 fans.

Scheer announced that the PWHL plans to expand beyond its current markets as early as the 2025-26 season. The league will gather proposals for new team locations in the U.S. and Canada, aiming to finish by year’s end.

PWHL Takeover Tour Schedule:

  • Jan. 5: Montreal vs. Boston at Climate Pledge Arena (Seattle)
  • Jan. 8: Montreal vs. Toronto at Rogers Arena (Vancouver)
  • Jan. 12: Montreal vs. Minnesota at Ball Arena (Denver)
  • Jan. 19: Ottawa vs. Montreal at Videotron Centre (Quebec City)
  • Feb. 16: Toronto vs. Ottawa at TBA
  • Feb. 23: Boston vs. New York at KeyBank Center (Buffalo)
  • March 7: Ottawa vs. Minnesota at Lenovo Center (Raleigh)
  • March 16: Minnesota vs. New York at Little Caesars Arena (Detroit)
  • March 29: Ottawa vs. Boston at Enterprise Center (St. Louis)

The upcoming tour represents a key moment for the league, showcasing women’s hockey and its growing popularity.

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