The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) set a new benchmark for women’s hockey in the United States on Sunday—surpassing the record set during the Seattle Torrent’s inaugural home opener.
A record-setting crowd of 17,228 fans filled Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. for a PWHL Takeover Tour matchup between the Montréal Victoire and the New York Sirens.
The attendance marks the highest-attended in-arena game in U.S. women’s hockey history, surpassing the previous record of 16,014 fans set on November 28, 2025, when the Seattle Torrent hosted the Minnesota Frost at Climate Pledge Arena.
Sunday’s game was the first-ever PWHL contest played in Washington, D.C.
The PWHL Takeover Tour is a leaguewide initiative that gives fans across North America the chance to experience the excitement of a regular-season game in their home venues. The expanded 2025–26 tour features 16 neutral-site games across 11 cities in the United States and Canada.
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