Seattle Leaves A Mark On The PWHL

The Boston Fleet and Montreal Victoire left a mark on the City of Seattle, but Seattle looks like they also left a mark on the PWHL.

In front of a season-high crowd of 12,608 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, the Fleet took a dramatic 3-2 shootout win over Montreal. After Montreal umped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Laura Stacey and Abby Boreen, the Fleet fought back with goals of their own from Hannah Bilka and Susanna Tapani before beating Montreal in the shootout.

Was It Enough To Keep Seattle In Expansion Talks?

There's no doubt the PWHL is looking West. With Takeover Tour games in Vancouver, Seattle, Denver, and Edmonton the league has made their interest in the west coast clear. The fact that those four games, including sold out NHL arenas in Vancouver and Edmonton, look as though they might be the highest attended Canadian and American games, is another point for the Western half of the continent. The excitement in the 12,608 fans in attendance was clear, but it was also reciprocated from players and coaches.

“It was definitely exciting from start to finish, having a game in these cities that don't have a team right now," said Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie. "Having a game that close and the fans are in it the whole time, it was certainly loud, this building is amazing. It was really cool to be a part of, and we are fortunate to have been a part of that."

“It's a pretty big honor to come into rinks like this, cities like this, and have 12,000 fans cheering for two teams that don't even belong to their own city," said Victoire forward Laura Stacey. "I think it's amazing to see. It's a privilege for every single one of us to step on that ice today in front of Seattle. We don't take it for granted.”

Seattle Wants A Team

Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena has plenty of available nights on the schedule. The biggest question mark will be if the city and venue chooses to prioritize the return of an NBA team, or if they love the PWHL more. Earlier this year Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell believes his City is built for professional women's sports. He had hoped the PWHL Takeover Tour would be a good opportunity for the league to see Seattle's potential.

"This will be a great opportunity to show the PWHL that Seattle is a great place to live, work, and recreate, and is one of the best sports towns in the country," Harrel told The Hockey News. "We are excited to welcome them to our city and we would welcome their possible expansion to Seattle."

With the PWHL stating they hope to expand by as many as two teams in time for the 2025-26 season, attendance, media interest, and sponsor potential in markets will play a major role in the eventual decision of where to place one or more teams. Seattle, in particular in conjunction with another West Coast team such as Vancouver, would create a more national appeal the currently regional league could leverage to broadcasters and brands.