PWHL Ottawa’s home opener will break North American attendance record for women’s professional hockey

The PWHL is expecting its home opener for the Ottawa franchise will make North American sports history.

According to Ian Kennedy of The Hockey News, Ottawa sold 4,200 tickets on the opening day of single-game ticket sales for its home opener against Montreal.

Less than 24 hours later, that number surpassed 5,800, which means it will set a North American record for the highest-ever attendance of a professional women’s hockey game.

With a little over two weeks before the game, it’s expected that Ottawa will sell out all 6,500 seats of its home venue, TD Place Arena.

The league plays its first game on New Year’s Day, as Toronto hosts New York at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (formerly Maple Leaf Gardens). However, their capacity is 2,600.

According to Kennedy, the Montreal Force set the PHF record in 2022-23 as they played in front of 4,114 fans at Verdun Auditorium for their inaugural game.

The PWHPA also set a new attendance record in St. Catherines, Ont. when they played a game in front of 4,301 fans.

In Sweden, the SDHL championship game between Lulea and Brynas drew a record 7,765 fans.

On Thursday, the PWHL announced CCM Hockey and Bauer Hockey are official partners of the league, leading a group of equipment companies that will provide gear to PWHL players this season.

“The PWHL is proud to partner with CCM and Bauer,” Jayna Hefford, PWHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations, said in a release. “Two iconic brands with a rich history of equipping the world’s best hockey players while helping promote and grow the game we love.”

The league is just weeks away from starting its inaugural season. Last Tuesday, the PWHL announced the six franchise’s final rosters, though they have yet to make any television/streaming deal public. The expectation is that the league will disclose that information before the holidays.