Hefford Says There Is "Great Potential" In Seattle And Vancouver

PWHL chairperson Jayna Hefford has fond memories of Rogers Arena and hockey in Vancouver -- yet isn’t rushing to put a PWHL team in the city.

Vancouver will host the second of nine PWHL Takeover Tour stops on Wednesday night, with the Toronto Sceptres taking on the Montreal Victoire. And although the game is sold out and comes on the back of over 12,000 fans at Seattle’s event, the league is giving no hints towards potential Western expansion.

“Many of us in the women's game have fond memories of the city, this building, and the Olympic Games being here,” Hefford said. “We're excited about the growth opportunities and spreading a bit further from where we're currently located, but at the same time, we have to make sure it's the right move, the right markets, the right partners, and the right venues.

“There's a lot to consider, but indeed, this first experience on the West Coast has been incredible, and it gives us a lot to think about. I think that there's great potential here.”

The crowd in Vancouver will likely pass 19,000 fans, placing it second or third among the league’s highest-attended games. Still, the Takeover Tour remains a quick dip into the market and seemingly not a precursor to expansion, which could be added as soon as 2025-26.

While the league stated that over 25 potential markets had contacted it about a team and several more considered a Takeover Tour game, there is little commitment to expansion despite hopes for two teams.

The Takeover Tour cities are not the only potential cities for an expansion club either. The league wanted to expand its brand to them, especially on the West Coast, where women’s sport is isolated mainly to eastern North America.

“This whole tour is about learning different markets and fan bases,” PWHL head of business operations Amy Scheer said. “It's just great to be able to play in these markets, and we're constantly trying to learn what the right growth move is for us.”

“It’s important for us for people to experience our product live. The hockey is amazing. The fan experience is amazing. We want people to see us live. It's not just about learning what this could be for expansion, but growing our audience as well.”

From an audience growth perspective, the league has already succeeded with the tour already. While merchandising availability and size ranges have been criticized, the league sold out in Seattle and has restocked for the Vancouver game.

In addition to significant merchandise sales, which Scheer says has been a “really nice surprise that maybe we didn't expect,” the league has planned community outreach programs in each tour city, including a youth hockey skate and autograph session at Rogers Arena.

That clear intention to lay the groundwork with the youth and older hockey communities in the Takeover Toiur markets will be critical to the league’s continued growth. Instead of playing one-off games, they’re planting seeds to root for the league, even if the games are hundreds of kilometres away.

“We want to be good community partners. So on every Takeover Tour stop that we're doing, we make sure that there's a clinic, an open practice, something that we do,” Scheer added.
“If we ever come back, whether we play a second game or come back for good, we want people to know that we do business the right way.”

Vancouver hasn’t had much pro women’s sports, and travel has proven a challenge in other fledgling leagues like the Canadian Premier League for men’s soccer. Those challenges will undoubtedly be there for the PWHL, but the fans have been clear about their desire on the West Coast- now it’s just up to the PWHL and whether it makes sense from a sporting perspective.

“The challenges are more on hockey than business, right?” Scheer said. “A business can get set up anywhere, but hockey comes with lots of stuff, and making sure, from a travel perspective, it's right for the players and the player's health,” Scheer said.

Added Hefford: “The demand is there.