Detroit boosts bid for PWHL expansion team by drawing U.S. record crowd for pro women's hockey
CBC
Young women, among those in a record-breaking crowd, held up signs with messages for the Professional Women's Hockey League.
"PWHL DETROIT NEEDS A TEAM," was printed on one side of the signs.
The six-team PWHL may expand next season — in its third year — and is touring cities potentially on the list to get in the game.
The game was part of the PWHL's Takeover Tour of potential expansion venues and its latest stop was a hit, a year after 13,736 fans watched women play professional hockey on the same sheet of ice at the home of the Detroit Red Wings.
As impressive as the turnout has been in Detroit for a pair of PWHL games, it has competition.
Denver drew 14,018 fans, many breaking out in chants of "We want a team!" to set the previous U.S. record for a professional women's hockey game two months ago in another neutral-site game.
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Besides Denver, others in the running include Seattle, Vancouver and Quebec, with the PWHL expected to announce a decision by early April.
"Everything's a competition," Frost forward Kendall Coyne Schofield said. "It's awesome to see, but I think it also speaks to the demand and how this has been a long time coming.
"With the proper support, resources, investment and platform, anything is possible."
The world attendance record for women's hockey was set nearly a year ago when 21,105 people were in the stands for a PWHL game between Montreal and Toronto in the Canadiens' arena.
During the first period of the Frost-Sirens game in Detroit, the PWHL announced more than 1 million fans have attended games since the league made its debut last season. Players from both teams gave fans in the stands pucks that commemorated the milestone.
"Sometimes, I don't believe it's real," PWHL executive vice president Amy Scheer said. "When we started last year, we didn't really know what to expect. To be here 16, 17 months later and to break the U.S record [for a pro women's hockey game], to see the Canadian arenas sell out, it's surreal.
"The hockey, every game is unbelievable. I think on the business side, we're putting on a great show for the fans. The fans appreciate it and it's really humbling."
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