The PWHL’s Montreal Victoire and Minnesota Frost face off at Denver's Takeover Tour game. photo by Daniella Prime-Morales
The first Professional Women’s Hockey League game in Denver was a groundbreaking event met with ample enthusiasm from fans.
On Sunday January 12th, the first Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) game in Colorado was held at Ball Arena in downtown Denver. The game was a part of the league’s“Takeover Tour,” which aims to have hockey games played in cities that do not house one of the six teams in the league. Half the teams are Canadian, located in Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa. The other half are American teams located in New York, Boston, and Minnesota. Sunday’s game featured the Montréal Victoire against the Minnesota Frost, with the Frost winning the game 4-2. Full of energy, passion, and enthusiasm, this game broke attendance records, exemplifying what makes women’s hockey awe-inspiring.
For a league that remains fairly unknown, Sunday’s game was still able to set a new attendance record for a PWHL game within the states. That record was set by more than 14,000 fans of all ages, from older fans who have been waiting their whole lives for a professional women’s league, to little girls in youth club hockey jerseys who will now get to grow old with a professional women’s hockey league in existence. This wide range of fans helped create an enticing and friendly atmosphere full of singing, dancing, and cheering. While supporting their team, fans sang along to songs like “Let it Go” from the Disney movie Frozen and “HOT TO GO” by Chappell Roan. The energy from the crowd was not noticed solely by other fans, but the players on the ice as well. Minnesota Frost goaltender Maddie Rooney said in an interview for the PWHL’s website, “That’s what it’s all about. When I was a kid I watched the NHL, but for those girls now to be able to watch the PWHL is really cool to create and have those role models that we didn’t have as a kid (besides the national team). It’s super special and it’s great visibility for them to be in the stands.” Hopefully, Denver’s unwavering support of women’s hockey was abundantly clear, especially with fans starting a “we want a team” cheer during the game. The league is still very young, and it is not unlikely that in the next few years, as the sport grows, Denver will be one of the first locations to get a new team.
Since 2007, this league is the third of its kind that has attempted to create a long lasting, impactful women’s hockey league. The PWHL was established during the 2023-24 season with the help of Mark Walter, an owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a result of his help in establishing the league, the PWHL’s version of the Stanley cup is named after him; each season the teams compete to win the Walter Cup, designed by the Tiffany & Co. jewelry company. The regular season has 90 total games with each team playing 30 before the playoff season which begins in May. The Minnesota Frost were the first winners of the Walter Cup back in 2024, and they hope to win the cup once again this year. The New York Sirens and Montreal Victoire alongside the Boston Fleet- a team in the playoff game alongside Minnesota in 2024- are all looking like strong contenders for the playoffs this year as well. No matter who is playing, the game is sure to be a great second inaugural Walter Cup.
This game was an amazing opportunity to witness, and many fans anticipate the next time Denver will get to experience a PWHL game like this again. Hopefully one day Colorado will have a PWHL team of its own, as there is an obvious market and an aspiration for one.
