Sold-out PWHL game at MSG to set U.S. record

The PWHL game on April 4 between the New York Sirens and the Seattle Torrent has sold out Madison Square Garden, with a crowd expected to set a U.S. attendance record for a professional women’s hockey game.

The current attendance record was set on Feb. 27 at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, when a crowd of 17,335 fans watched the Torrent take on the Toronto Sceptres. The capacity for hockey at MSG is 18,006.

New York announced the MSG game on Jan. 8, touting it as “the Sirens’ arrival at the epicenter of New York City sports.” The Sirens play home games across the Hudson River at Prudential Center in Newark, home of the New Jersey Devils.

New York is fourth in the PWHL standings while Seattle, one of two PWHL expansion teams this season, is in last place entering Thursday’s action.

A Sirens spokesperson told ESPN that the MSG sellout was fueled by “riding the wave of the Winter Olympics,” with a significant uptick in interest and ticket sales after Team USA’s thrilling overtime victory over Canada in the gold medal game in Milan.

Team Canada star Sarah Fillier, forward Kristin O’Neill and goalie Kayle Osborne play for the Sirens. The Torrent have four players from the U.S. team, although captain and star Hilary Knight is on long-term injured reserve with a MCL injury.

The league has seen a boom in interest and increased visibility since the Olympics. That included Knight and U.S. “golden goal” scorer Megan Keller of the Boston Fleet appearing on “Saturday Night Live.” Not only did they wear their PWHL gear during the “good nights,” but they gifted jerseys to “Heated Rivalry” stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, who hosted the show.

MSG hosted its first professional women’s hockey game in February 2021 as the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association brought its Dream Gap Tour to New York. That game was played without fans in the building due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“New York sets the standard for excellence, and the response to April 4 at Madison Square Garden confirms that this market is ready, eager to embrace women’s hockey at the highest level,” Sirens general manager Pascal Daoust said in a statement. “Selling out The World’s Most Famous Arena is a defining moment for the New York Sirens and a powerful statement about the growth of our league, the passion of our fans, and our commitment to building something lasting and great, all together.”

The PWHL also announced Thursday that the Fleet’s game against the Montréal Victoire on April 11 has also sold out at Boston’s TD Garden, which has a capacity of more than 17,800.

“Playing in front of sold-out buildings at Madison Square Garden and TD Garden is a historic moment for our athletes — and our sport,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations. “As they’ve shown time and again, when the spotlight is brightest, our players show up, giving two capacity crowds in New York and Boston the chance to see their world-class talent on full display.”