PWHL sets U.S. women’s hockey attendance record at Madison Square Garden
An incredible milestone has been reached at the World’s Most Famous Arena.
On Saturday night, the Professional Women’s Hockey League set a new record for highest attendance at a women’s hockey game in the United States, with 18,006 people paying to see the New York Sirens take on the Seattle Torrent at Madison Square Garden.
There was a ton of hype for the game at the usual home of the New York Rangers. Back in March, it was reported that the game sold out, solidifying the record well before the game even took place. It marks the fourth time the league has broken the American attendance record. The Torrent’s home opener broke the mark set last season in Detroit during the Takeover Tour, with 16,014 fans attending the team’s first game at Climate Pledge Arena.
Then, less than three months later, 17,228 showed up to Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. to see a wild Takover game between the Montreal Victoire and the New York Sirens, which ended in a line brawl. Seattle took the record back in its first game back after the Olympic break, as a sold-out crowd of 17,335 saw the Torrent take on the Toronto Sceptres.
The U.S. record is still well behind the overall women’s hockey attendance record. In April 2024, during the league’s inaugural season, 21,105 jammed into the Bell Centre to see Montreal face Toronto, a mark that would seemingly be eclipsed only by an outdoor game.
The energy inside MSG was palpable. While the Torrent sits in last place, the home fans were pulling for their Sirens as the team tries to stay in the hunt for the Walter Cup Playoffs. Also, there were plenty of people there to see Torrent captain Hilary Knight, who was playing in just her second game since being activated from long-term injured reserve, as she tore her MCL while representing the United States at the Winter Olympics.