Thousands of fans represented Denver at the recent PWHL game. photo by Daniella Prime-Morales
The women’s league continues to grow in success, and Denver proves it’s ready for a team of its own.
Last weekend, the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) continued its takeover tour for its third season, with another pit stop in Denver. This game was particularly special because it featured the two newest teams in the league. The Vancouver Goldeneyes and Seattle Torrent are both expansion teams that were added at the beginning of this season, and though the teams may be new, their rosters are chock-full of Olympians and pioneer women’s hockey players. The impressive rosters of both teams made the game exceptionally entertaining, with the Goldeneyes winning 3-1. Despite the fact that the Denver Broncos were playing in an AFC championship game just a mile away at Empower Field, 11,612 fans packed Ball Area, an outstanding number just shy of the attendance at last year’s game. The fans showed up ready to push for an expansion team in Denver, with passionate signs and cheers to prove it.
Though the Vancouver Goldeneyes won the game, both teams had amazing defense and put up a strong fight. The Goldeneyes had 33 shots on goal, while Seattle had 28. The great defense from both teams can be largely attributed to the fact that there are 14 Olympians between the two teams’ rosters. Some of the most notable are Sarah Nurse and Hilary Knight, both veterans of women’s hockey. Nurse and Knight both played for the University of Wisconsin and then went on to become players for their respective national teams (Canada and the United States). After playing in a handful of women’s premier leagues, such as the Canadian Women’s Hockey League and Professional Women’s Hockey Player Association, both players have now made their way to the PWHL. These two incredible women are not the only ones with stacked resumes. The league is about to take its first-ever Olympic break, and 61 of its players across all eight teams will be participating in the Milan Olympics this year, including every single Canadian player. These incredible athletes deliver entertaining games full of anticipation and excitement.
Denver showed up and showed out for the second time, after last year’s game. Even though the Denver Broncos were in the AFC championship for the first time since 2016, thousands of fans still cheered on the two new teams and expressed their longing for an expansion team located in Denver. The PWHL is adding two teams at the beginning of the next season, just like they did this year with Seattle and Vancouver, and Denver is a strong contender for housing one of the teams. The main competition is Detroit, Edmonton (Alberta, CA), and Washington D.C., due to the attendance at the takeover games in these cities. The main obstacle for a Denver team would be finding a location for the women’s team to play. Ball Arena is already the home location for three different teams: the NHL Avalanche, NBA Nuggets, and NLL Mammoth. All three sports seasons are during the winter, and adding another team to the mix might cause scheduling troubles. However, the Colorado Eagles, the American Hockey League team, have an area in Loveland, Blue Arena, that could be used instead. If Blue Arena were to be used, that would mean fans would have about an hour commute to watch the games, but after this recent game, it’s clear that fans of women’s hockey will go to great lengths to support their team.
It is likely that the attendance of March’s game could help determine if Denver will gain a team, and until then, any information about where the team would play is unknown. The game on Sunday was full of exciting goals and was a great way to see what new talent and pioneer players have made the PWHL their home. The next game in Denver will occur on March 15th, with the New York Sirens facing off against the Minnesota Frost, the reigning Walter Cup Champions. Seeing a game in person is a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in supporting the ever growing hockey community.
