Ice hockey-PWHL continues to rise with sold-out Madison Square Garden

The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) continues its impressive growth ​with a sold-out game at Madison Square ​Garden, having already broken attendance records ‌multiple ​times since its launch in 2024. New York Sirens host Seattle Torrent on April 4 in the PWHL's first-ever game at the Garden. Tickets ‌are already sold out for the 18,000-capacity venue, which would be a new U.S. attendance record for a professional women's ice hockey game.

The PWHL has already broken that record seven times, most recently on ‌February 27 with a sold-out crowd of 17,335 at Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena for a ‌game between the Torrent and Toronto Sceptres. That was Seattle's first game following the break for the Winter Olympics, which brought even further interest in the league after 61 PWHL players competed at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics where the U.S. ⁠defeated ​Canada in a thrilling final.

Also ⁠in April, Boston Fleet will play Montreal Victoire at TD Garden, and that game too has sold out. "Selling out ⁠both Madison Square Garden and TD Garden is a true testament to our fans, whose passion has fuelled the ​growth of the PWHL," Amy Scheer, PWHL Executive Vice President of Business Operations, said in ⁠a statement on Thursday.

"Playing for the first time at these two world-class arenas will be another step in what has ⁠already ​been a historic season for our league, and the atmosphere for fans and players alike will be nothing short of incredible." Prior to the PWHL, the Swedish Women's Hockey League's championship game ⁠for the 2021-22 season held the professional women's ice hockey record with a crowd of 7,765.

The PWHL ⁠smashed that milestone when ⁠21,105 people filled a sold-out Montreal arena in April 2024 in the league's inaugural season. Since then, the league has expanded from six to eight teams, ‌with further ‌expansion expected in the near future.