The Professional Women’s Hockey League set a new U.S. attendance record for women’s hockey on Saturday, as a sold-out crowd of 18,006 filled Madison Square Garden for the league’s debut at the venue.
The game featured New York Sirens against Seattle Torrent, marking the first women’s professional hockey game played in front of fans at MSG.
The figure surpasses the previous U.S. record of 17,335, set earlier this year in Seattle, and continues a trend of rapid attendance growth for the league since its launch in 2024. The PWHL has now broken the U.S. attendance record eight times in just over two years.
“This is a really special moment,†said Billie Jean King, a member of the league’s advisory board, reflecting on the atmosphere during the game.
The event comes amid increased visibility for women’s hockey following the recent Winter Olympics, with the league benefiting from heightened interest and broader momentum across women’s sports. According to league executives, both the MSG game and an upcoming fixture at Boston’s TD Garden were close to selling out even before the post-Olympic surge.
The PWHL is also on track to surpass one million ticketed fans in a single season, while average attendance is up approximately 25% year over year. Recent “Takeover Tour†events in cities such as Detroit and Seattle have further reinforced the league’s expanding footprint.