New York Set To Drop The Puck At New Home In New Jersey

The New York Sirens will be the final team in the PWHL this season to step on the ice in front of a home crowd. For Boston, Montreal, Minnesota, Ottawa, and Toronto, that occurrence happened at their home openers on successive days to open the year. New York will have waited 19 days when the puck drops on their home ice.

New York managed a regulation win and an overtime win on their three game season opening road trip. According to captain Micah Zandee-Hart, she's proud of how her team played on the road, but she's happy to be home.

"It's never easy to start the season with three road games, but I'm really proud of the way our team handled those games and I thought to come out with the points that we did out of those games was a great way to start," said Zandee-Hart in a virtual press conference. "We're just excited to keep that rolling."

They'll get that chance December 18 when they host the Toronto Sceptres at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Last season the Sirens played a pair of games at the Prudential Center drawing 5,132 and 2,992 fans. Both were above New Jersey's league low attendance average of 2,496.

Beyond Prudential, the Sirens also played at UBS Arena on Long Island, and as well as the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Being in New Jersey for the entire season will finally give the Sirens an opportunity to build a fan base and some find some home ice advantage.

Sirens rookie Sarah Fillier is used to playing in New Jersey having spent the past four seasons just down the road at Princeton. She expects former Princeton teammates, as well as family from Canada to make the trip to Wednesday's home opener. Fillier is excited to return to representing New Jersey, while wearing a New York jersey.

"It's exciting, I've been able to represent the New Jersey community for a while, and now wearing a New York jersey but still playing in New Jersey, it's kind of cool mix of both," she said.

The puck will drop between the New York Sirens and Toronto Sceptres at 7pm at Wednesday, December 18 at the Prudential Center.