The PWHL Takeover Tour is the moniker given to neutral site games played by the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). The tour brings PWHL regular season games to cities that do not currently have a league franchise, allowing fans in new markets to experience professional women's ice hockey while the league evaluates potential expansion locations.[1]
Background
Since the PWHL's inaugural season, the league has hosted regular-season games at neutral sites outside of its home markets as part of initiatives to expand its fanbase, test potential expansion markets, and grow the sport of professional women's ice hockey across North America.[1]
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During the league's second season in 2024–25, the league formalized its neutral site program as the PWHL Takeover Tour, which featured nine games across the United States and Canada.[2][3] The tour expanded to 16 games for the 2025–26 PWHL season.[4] The Takeover Tour serves several strategic purposes including: market testing, fan development, developing relationships with cities and partners, league growth, and player exposure.[4][5][6] PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Jayna Hefford stated that the tour has been "one of the most rewarding initiatives since our inception—for our fans, our athletes, and our staff."[3]
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The success of the Takeover Tour has influenced the PWHL's expansion strategy. Prior to announcing Seattle and Vancouver as the league's first two expansion teams in April 2025, the inaugural tour had tested markets in both cities with strong results—particularly the sold-out Vancouver game that drew over 19,000 fans.[4] Both cities joined the league as permanent franchises for the 2025–26 PWHL season.[7] PWHL officials have stated that the tour demonstrates the strong demand for professional women's hockey across North America and provides valuable data for future expansion decisions. Scheer noted that the league has "proven that time is overrated" regarding the pace of expansion, emphasizing that growth and profitability are interconnected objectives.[8] At an Ottawa City Council meeting, Scheer stated: "We're going to expand at least two to four teams next year... We are in growth mode, and this league is exploding."[5] The increasing interest in the PWHL expanding beyond its current cities was evidenced by a new single-day ticket sales record set during 2025–26 PWHL Takeover Tour presales which surpassed the previous benchmark by more than 55 percent.[9]
Format
PWHL Takeover Tour games are official PWHL regular-season contests that count toward team standings. Two of the neutral-site games are designated as home games for participating teams.[4] The games follow standard PWHL rules and scoring systems.
2024 season
The inaugural PWHL season featured two neutral site games as part of "PWHL Takeover Weekend" in March 2024.[10]
| Date | Venue | City | Visiting team | Home team | Score | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 16, 2024 | Little Caesars Arena | Detroit, Michigan | Ottawa | Boston | 1–2 (SO) | 13,736 | [1][2][11] |
| March 17, 2024 | PPG Paints Arena | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Toronto | Montreal | 2–1 | 8,850 | [10][12][13] |
2024–25 season (PWHL Takeover Tour)
The first PWHL Takeover Tour was announced on November 18, 2024, and launched on January 5, 2025.[1] The 2024–25 season featured nine neutral site games from January through March 2025.[3] The tour drew a total of 123,601 fans across nine games and set multiple attendance records for professional women's hockey.[3][14] An estimated 80% of attendees experienced their first-ever PWHL game[3][4] Fans from all 50 U.S. states and all 13 Canadian provinces and territories attended the games.[3][4] Social media engagement led to a 30% increase in league-wide followers during the tour.[3]
| Date | Venue | City | Visiting team | Home team | Score | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 5, 2025 | Climate Pledge Arena | Seattle, Washington* | Montreal | Boston | 2–3 (SO) | 12,608 | [3][15] |
| January 8, 2025 | Rogers Arena | Vancouver, British Columbia* | Montreal | Toronto | 2–1 | 19,038 | [3][16] |
| January 12, 2025 | Ball Arena | Denver, Colorado | Montreal | Minnesota | 2–4 | 14,018 | [3][17] |
| January 19, 2025 | Videotron Centre | Quebec City, Quebec | Ottawa | Montreal | 1–2 | 18,259 | [3][18] |
| February 16, 2025 | Rogers Place | Edmonton, Alberta | Toronto | Ottawa | 3–2 (OT) | 17,518 | [3][19][20] |
| February 23, 2025 | KeyBank Center | Buffalo, New York | Boston | New York | 3–2 (SO) | 8,512 | [3][21] |
| March 7, 2025 | Lenovo Center | Raleigh, North Carolina | Ottawa | Minnesota | 0–4 | 10,782 | [3][22] |
| March 16, 2025 | Little Caesars Arena | Detroit, Michigan | Minnesota | New York | 1–4 | 14,288 | [3][23] |
| March 29, 2025 | Enterprise Center | St. Louis, Missouri | Ottawa | Boston | 2–1 | 8,578 | [3][24] |
*City joined the PWHL as an expansion market for the 2025–26 season.
Detroit's Little Caesars Arena was the only venue to host a second neutral-site PWHL game, having previously hosted a game on March 16, 2024, that drew a then-U.S. professional women's hockey attendance record of 13,736 fans.[1] The second game attendance at Little Caesars Arena grew to 14,288.[3]
Attendance records
The 2024–25 Takeover Tour set multiple attendance records:
- U.S. professional women's hockey record: 14,288 fans in Detroit on March 16, 2025 (breaking the previous record of 14,018 set in Denver on January 12, 2025)[3]
- Fourth all-time PWHL attendance: 19,038 fans in Vancouver on January 8, 2025 (sold out)[3]
- All-time PWHL single-game attendance: Five games ranked in the top 10 for attendance in league history[3]
2025–26 season (expanded Takeover Tour)
The 2025–26 season features an expanded PWHL Takeover Tour with 16 neutral site games across 11 cities from December 2025 through April 2026.[4] The tour includes seven new markets (Calgary, Chicago, Dallas, Halifax, Hamilton, Washington, D.C., and Winnipeg) and four returning markets (Denver, Detroit, Edmonton, and Québec City) from the previous season.[25] The tour's expansion was covered extensively in Canadian media, with TSN reporting that the tour would make its regular-season debut in the four new Canadian cities.[25]
With the PWHL's expansion to eight teams (adding Seattle and Vancouver as permanent franchises) in 2025, all eight teams in the league participate in at least three Takeover Tour games during the 2025–26 season.[4] The 2025–26 tour includes multiple presenting partnerships and sponsors, including: DoorDash, BJ's Wholesale Club, Woody Creek Distillers, Ally Financial, Explore Edmonton, and the province of Nova Scotia.[4]
| Date | Venue | City | Visiting team | Home team | Score | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 17, 2025 | Scotiabank Centre | Halifax, Nova Scotia | Montreal | Toronto | 2–1 (SO) | 10,438 | [4][26] |
| December 21, 2025 | Allstate Arena | Rosemont, Illinois | Ottawa | Minnesota | 3–2 (OT) | 7,238 | [4][27] |
| December 27, 2025 | Rogers Place | Edmonton, Alberta | Minnesota | Vancouver | 2–1 (OT) | 10,264 | [4][28] |
| December 28, 2025 | American Airlines Center | Dallas, Texas | Seattle | New York | 3–4 | 8,514 | [4][29] |
| January 3, 2026 | Little Caesars Arena | Detroit, Michigan* | Vancouver | Boston | 4–3 | 9,624 | [4][30] |
| January 3, 2026 | TD Coliseum | Hamilton, Ontario* | Seattle | Toronto | 3–2 (SO) | 16,012 | [4][31] |
| January 11, 2026 | Videotron Centre | Quebec City, Quebec | Vancouver | Montreal | 0–1 | 14,624 | [4][32] |
| January 11, 2026 | Scotiabank Centre | Halifax, Nova Scotia | Ottawa | Boston | 2–1 | 10,452 | [4][33] |
| January 18, 2026 | Capital One Arena | Washington, D.C. | Montreal | New York | 1–2 | 17,228 | [4][34] |
| January 25, 2026 | Ball Arena | Denver, Colorado | Vancouver | Seattle | 3–1 | 11,612 | [4][35] |
| March 15, 2026 | Ball Arena | Denver, Colorado | New York | Minnesota | 3–4 | 15,512 | [4][36] |
| March 22, 2026 | Canada Life Centre | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Montreal | Ottawa | 1–2 (OT) | 15,225 | [4][25][37] |
| March 25, 2026 | Allstate Arena | Rosemont, Illinois | New York | Seattle | 1–4 | 10,006 | [4][38] |
| March 28, 2026 | Little Caesars Arena | Detroit, Michigan* | New York | Montreal | 1–3 | 15,938 | [4][39] |
| April 1, 2026 | Scotiabank Saddledome | Calgary, Alberta | Toronto | Ottawa | 2–1 | 16,150 | [4][25][40] |
| April 7, 2026 | Rogers Place | Edmonton, Alberta | Boston | Vancouver | 5–1 | 10,794 | [4][41] |
*City joined the PWHL as an expansion market for the 2026–27 season.
Attendance records
The 2025–26 Takeover Tour broke the following attendance records:
- U.S. professional women's hockey record: 17,228 fans at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. on January 18, 2026, between the Montréal Victoire and New York Sirens briefly set a new record that was broken the following month by a sellout of 17,335 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on February 27, 2026, following the Winter Olympics.[42][43]
Broadcast coverage
All games are broadcast on YouTube to viewers in the United States, Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, and Australia. In Canada, broadcast partners include: TSN, Sportsnet, Amazon Prime Video, and CBC.[44] PWHL Takeover Tour games in the United States also air on over-the-air broadcast partners in each host market, including TEGNA in Denver, Scripps Sports in Detroit, and FOX-owned stations in Chicago, Dallas, and Washington, D.C.[44]
Statistics
Games by venue
| Venue | City | Games | Total attendance | Average | First game | Most recent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Caesars Arena | Detroit, Michigan | 4 | 53,586 | 13,397 | March 16, 2024 | March 28, 2026 |
| Rogers Place | Edmonton, Alberta | 3 | 38,576 | 12,859 | February 16, 2025 | April 7, 2026 |
| Scotiabank Centre | Halifax, Nova Scotia | 2 | 20,890 | 10,445 | December 17, 2025 | January 11, 2026 |
| Vidéotron Centre | Quebec City, Quebec | 2 | 32,883 | 16,442 | January 19, 2025 | January 11, 2026 |
| Ball Arena | Denver, Colorado | 3 | 41,142 | 13,714 | January 12, 2025 | March 15, 2026 |
| Allstate Arena | Rosemont, Illinois | 2 | 17,244 | 8,622 | December 21, 2025 | March 25, 2026 |
| Rogers Arena | Vancouver, British Columbia | 1 | 19,038 | 19,038 | January 8, 2025 | January 8, 2025 |
| Climate Pledge Arena | Seattle, Washington | 1 | 12,608 | 12,608 | January 5, 2025 | January 5, 2025 |
| KeyBank Center | Buffalo, New York | 1 | 8,512 | 8,512 | February 23, 2025 | February 23, 2025 |
| Lenovo Center | Raleigh, North Carolina | 1 | 10,782 | 10,782 | March 7, 2025 | March 7, 2025 |
| Enterprise Center | St. Louis, Missouri | 1 | 8,578 | 8,578 | March 29, 2025 | March 29, 2025 |
| PPG Paints Arena | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 1 | 8,850 | 8,850 | April 20, 2024 | April 20, 2024 |
| American Airlines Center | Dallas, Texas | 1 | 8,514 | 8,514 | February 7, 2026 | February 7, 2026 |
| TD Coliseum | Hamilton, Ontario | 1 | 16,012 | 16,012 | January 3, 2026 | January 3, 2026 |
| Capital One Arena | Washington, D.C. | 1 | 17,228 | 17,228 | January 18, 2026 | January 18, 2026 |
| Canada Life Centre | Winnipeg, Manitoba | 1 | 15,225 | 15,225 | March 22, 2026 | March 22, 2026 |
| Scotiabank Saddledome | Calgary, Alberta | 1 | 16,150 | 16,150 | April 1, 2026 | April 1, 2026 |
Games by city
| City | Country | Games | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit, Michigan |  United States | 4 | PWHL Detroit (expansion 2026) |
| Edmonton, Alberta |  Canada | 3 | No PWHL team |
| Denver, Colorado | United States | 3 | No PWHL team |
| Halifax, Nova Scotia | Canada | 2 | No PWHL team |
| Dallas, Texas | United States | 2 | No PWHL team |
| Chicago, Illinois | United States | 2 | No PWHL team |
| Quebec City, Quebec | Canada | 2 | No PWHL team |
| Seattle, Washington | United States | 1 | Seattle Torrent (expansion 2025) |
| Vancouver, British Columbia | Canada | 1 | Vancouver Goldeneyes (expansion 2025) |
| Buffalo, New York | United States | 1 | No PWHL team |
| Raleigh, North Carolina | United States | 1 | No PWHL team |
| St. Louis, Missouri | United States | 1 | No PWHL team |
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | United States | 1 | No PWHL team |
| Hamilton, Ontario | Canada | 1 | PWHL Hamilton (expansion 2026) |
| Washington, D.C. | United States | 1 | No PWHL team |
| Winnipeg, Manitoba | Canada | 1 | No PWHL team |
| Calgary, Alberta | Canada | 1 | No PWHL team |
See also
References
- "PWHL Heads to New Cities in Takeover Tour of Neutral-Site Games". PWHL.com. Professional Women's Hockey League. November 18, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
- Wawrow, John (November 18, 2024). "PWHL releases nine-date neutral-site schedule". ESPN. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
- "PWHL Takeover Tour By The Numbers: A Groundbreaking Initiative In Review". PWHL.com. Professional Women's Hockey League. April 11, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
- "PWHL Expands Takeover Tour for 2025–26 Season, Featuring 16 Neutral-Site Games". PWHL.com. Professional Women's Hockey League. November 10, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
- "PWHL Launches Expanded 16-Stop Takeover Tour for 2025/26 Season". Just Women's Sports. November 12, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
- "PWHL Takeover Tour A Homecoming For Serdachny And Markowski". The Hockey News. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
- "What to know about the 2025–26 PWHL season: New teams, rules, how to watch". Yahoo Sports. The Athletic. November 21, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
- "PWHL Aims for Aggressive Pro Hockey League Expansion in 2026". December 3, 2025. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
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- "PWHL Ottawa @ PWHL Boston". ThePWHL.com. March 16, 2024. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- "Pittsburgh again shows it's 'ripe and ready' for professional women's hockey". DK Pittsburgh Sports. March 17, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
- "PWHL Toronto @ PWHL Montreal". ThePWHL.com. March 17, 2024. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- "PWHL announces 'Takeover Tour' with stops in Vancouver, Quebec City". TSN. November 18, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
- "Montreal Victoire @ Boston Fleet". ThePWHL.com. Professional Women's Hockey League. January 5, 2025. Archived from the original on December 29, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
- "Montreal Victoire @ Toronto Sceptres". ThePWHL.com. Professional Women's Hockey League. January 8, 2025. Archived from the original on January 13, 2025. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
- "Montreal Victoire @ Minnesota Frost". ThePWHL.com. Professional Women's Hockey League. January 12, 2025. Archived from the original on December 22, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
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- "Boston Fleet @ New York Sirens". ThePWHL.com. Professional Women's Hockey League. February 23, 2025. Archived from the original on February 22, 2025. Retrieved February 23, 2025.
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- "Minnesota Frost @ New York Sirens". ThePWHL.com. Professional Women's Hockey League. March 16, 2025. Archived from the original on March 20, 2025. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
- "Ottawa Charge @ Boston Fleet". ThePWHL.com. Professional Women's Hockey League. March 29, 2025. Archived from the original on March 30, 2025. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
- "Calgary, Winnipeg, Hamilton and Halifax join PWHL's Takeover Tour for 2025–26 season". TSN. November 10, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
- "Montreal – Toronto – December 17, 2025". ThePWHL.com. December 17, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- "Ottawa – Minnesota – December 21, 2025". ThePWHL.com. December 21, 2025. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
- "Minnesota – Vancouver – December 27, 2025". ThePWHL.com. December 27, 2025. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
- "Seattle – New York – December 28, 2025". ThePWHL.com. December 28, 2025. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
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- "PWHL Breaks US Women's Hockey Attendance Record in Washington, D.C." Just Women's Sports. January 18, 2026.
- "Seattle Torrent sets new attendance record for women's hockey". MyNorthwest.com. March 1, 2026. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
- "PWHL Announces Broadcasting Deals: Here's Where You Can Watch All PWHL Games This Season". The Hockey News. November 18, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2026.